Press Release Major League Baseball
Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced today that he has appointed John McHale, Jr. as Special Assistant to the Commissioner.
In the new role, McHale will be assigned special projects, will be available to assist with player grievances and will continue to hear appeals of on-field disciplinary matters.
Commissioner Manfred said: “John McHale is a trusted colleague for whom I have the utmost respect. He has quietly and professionally done exemplary work for the Commissioner’s Office for more than 13 years. I am grateful that he will continue to serve our game, and I will lean on his wide-ranging expertise in numerous areas.”
McHale served as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President, Administration since March 2002. In that capacity and as MLB’s Chief Information Officer, McHale has overseen many functions of the Commissioner’s Office, including government relations, information technology and security and facility management. Through an alliance with the Natural Resources Defense Council, he helped develop MLB’s league-wide Greening Program, which identifies and promotes the best sustainable practices. Additionally, from June 2010-February 2011, McHale oversaw MLB’s Baseball Operations Department.
Immediately before joining the Commissioner’s Office, McHale was the Chief Operating Officer of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Prior to that, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Detroit Tigers for six years and the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations of the Colorado Rockies for more than three years, predating the franchise’s inaugural game. He played vital roles in the development of Coors Field in Denver and Comerica Park in Detroit.
McHale, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame in 1971, received law degrees from Boston College Law School in 1975 and the Georgetown University Law Center in 1982.