Fay Vincent, Who Helped Oversee Birth of Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins, Dies at 86

Former Major League Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent has died at the age of 86.

Current Commissioner Rob Manfred released the following statement about his passing:

“Fay Vincent played a vital role in ensuring that the 1989 Bay Area World Series resumed responsibly following the earthquake prior to Game Three, and he oversaw the process that resulted in the 1993 National League expansion to Denver and Miami. Mr. Vincent served the game during a time of many challenges, and he remained proud of his association with our National Pastime throughout his life. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Fay’s family and friends.”

The Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins both joined the league in 1993, marking the second-to-most recent expansion run in the sport (Diamondbacks and Rays, 1998). The Marlins were previously named the Florida Marlins and won the World Series under that name in both 1997 and 2003.

The Rockies have never won a World Series, but they did advance to the Fall Classic in 2007, losing to the Boston Red Sox.

Bringing them into the league also served as a precursor to playoff expansion, as the Wild Card era began in 1995.

While nothing has been announced yet, it would stand to reason that the league will do something to honor Vincent during the 2025 season. We will keep you posted as information becomes available.

Teams will report to spring training in just under two weeks, with Opening Day around the majors set for March 27.