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Cards’ DeWitt leads panel for Selig’s successor

By WTOP Staff

RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. will lead the committee to find a successor to baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.

Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf also is on the seven-member panel announced Thursday, which includes Colorado chairman Dick Monfort, Philadelphia president Dave Montgomery, Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno, Pittsburgh chairman Bob Nutting and Minnesota chief executive officer Jim Pohlad.

The committee already has started meeting and is to identify the candidate or candidates for Major League Baseball’s executive council, which is to make a recommendation to owners. A 75 percent vote among 30 clubs is needed for election.

Selig, who has headed baseball since 1992, announced last fall he plans to retire in January.

I know that a lot of people including my family have had difficulty accepting,” Selig said. “They’ve rehired me four or five times, and I understand people kept thinking that was going to happen again, but it’s not.”

Selig sidestepped whether he would remain as commissioner emeritus.

“Details will all be worked out in the coming months,” he said.

The 72-year-old DeWitt, whose father owned the Cincinnati Reds, has run the Cardinals since he headed the group that purchased the team in 1995 from Anheuser Busch. DeWitt said he will listen to Selig’s opinion and there was no plan to hire a search firm.

“We will look to get input from all the clubs. It won’t just be a seven-man committee doing everything and informing them at the end,” said DeWitt, the new panel’s chairman. “We’re obviously looking for a strong CEO, a visionary leader who has a passion for the game.”

Rob Manfred, baseball’s chief operating officer, appears to be the top internal candidate from Selig’s staff, and Bob Bowman, the chief executive of MLB Advanced Media, also has been mentioned.

Among those speculated as possibilities include former deputy commissioner Steve Greenberg, former big league club executive Andy MacPhail, Toronto chief executive Paul Beeston, Los Angeles Dodgers chief executive Stan Kasten and New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson.

After Vincent’s resignation, then-Texas owner George W. Bush was interested. When it became clear Selig was staying, Bush ran for governor of Texas and then president.

Selig said last September he will retire on Jan. 24, 2015, after 22 years in charge, two shy of the record set when Kenesaw Mountain Landis held the job from 1920-44.

MLB has not had a successful commissioner search committee in 30 years, since Selig was appointed chair of an eight-man group in 1982 and Peter Ueberroth was elected in 1984 to replace Bowie Kuhn with a five-year term.

Ueberroth decided to leave early, and owners voted in September 1988 to have NL President A. Bartlett Giamatti take over the following April. When Giamatti died in September 1989, owners voted 12 days later to elevate Fay Vincent, who had been deputy commissioner.

Then the Milwaukee Brewers owner, Selig took over as chairman of the executive council in September 1992 following Vincent’s forced resignation. A search committee headed by Atlanta Braves chairman Bill Bartholomay was announced the following February, and it recommended Arnold Weber, then the Northwestern University president, and Harvey Schiller, then with the U.S. Olympic Committee. But owners suspended the search in January 1994 after saying the committee looked at 382 candidates.

Another search committee, headed by Rockies chairman Jerry McMorris, was appointed in 1997. McMorris said five candidates were identified, and Selig repeatedly said he would not take the job full time.

DeWitt wouldn’t guess whether his committee could complete its work by January.

“I’m not quoting any odds on anything here,” he said.

Selig was elected on July 9, 1998, agreed to a new contract in 2001 and first announced his planned retirement in 2003. He went on to agree to new deals in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

“It’s a tough act to follow,” DeWitt said. “He’s done an incredible job in coalescing 30 clubs, all with different views on various matters, and having them come together, almost always with a 30-0 vote. That’s highly unusual. Depending on who ends up as the successor, we’ll see if that can continue.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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