Fay Vincent
| Fay Vincent | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 8th Commissioner of Baseball | |
|
In office September 13, 1989 – September 7, 1992 |
|
| Preceded by | A. Bartlett Giamatti |
| Succeeded by | Bud Selig |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Francis Thomas Vincent, Jr. May 29, 1938 Waterbury, Connecticut |
| Alma mater |
Williams College Yale Law School (J.D.) |
| Known for | President of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (1998–2003) MLB Commissioner |
Francis Thomas "Fay" Vincent, Jr. (born May 29, 1938) is a former entertainment lawyer and sports executive who served as the eighth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from September 13, 1989 to September 7, 1992.
Vincent was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, the son of Alice (née Lynch), a teacher, and Francis Thomas Vincent, a telephone company employee and sports official. He is a graduate of The Hotchkiss School.
He attended Williams College on a full academic scholarship. However, a near-fatal accident there left him with a crushed spine and paralyzed legs. He had been locked inside his dorm room as a prank; climbing onto the roof to escape he slipped off a four-story ledge. Surgery and three months in traction followed. He overcame an initial diagnosis he would never walk again, but his leg never fully recovered and he has since relied on a cane.
After graduating from Williams (class of 1960) with honors he attended Yale Law School (class of 1963). He went on to become a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Caplin & Drysdale. He also served as Associate Director of the Division of Corporation Finance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Beginning in 1978 he became the chairman of Columbia Pictures, and vice chairman of Coca-Cola starting in March 1982. In April 1986 he was promoted to Executive Vice President.
At the behest of his longtime friend, incoming Commissioner of Baseball Bart Giamatti, Vincent accepted the position of deputy commissioner. After consulting with Giamatti's widow, Toni, he became the eighth commissioner of baseball following Giamatti's September 1, 1989 death. In his first year as commissioner, he presided over the 1989 World Series, which was interrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake; the owners' lockout during Spring Training of the 1990 season; and the expulsion of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner from the game.
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