Fay Vincent, who served as Major League Baseball's commissioner from 1989 to 1992, passed away on Saturday at the age of 86 after battling bladder cancer. Vincent stepped into the role following the sudden death of his predecessor, Bart Giamatti, who had famously banned Pete Rose from baseball just eight days prior.

Having served as Giamatti's deputy commissioner, Vincent played a significant role in the disciplinary actions against Rose. His tenure as commissioner began on September 1, 1989, and coincided with the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics, a series dramatically interrupted by the devastating Bay Area earthquake. Vincent's time in office also included the owners' lockout of 1990 and the controversial permanent suspension of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, a decision later reversed by Bud Selig, Vincent's successor.

Vincent made waves by becoming the first management official to acknowledge collusion among teams against free agents following the 1985, 1986, and 1987 seasons. He also implemented changes to revenue sharing, distributing expansion fees across both leagues, and attempted to restructure the National League by shifting four teams into different divisions. These actions often put him at odds with team owners.

Among his enduring legacies is his leadership of an eight-member committee focused on statistical accuracy. This committee's work led to the removal of the asterisk next to Roger Maris' single-season home run record and the reclassification of 50 no-hitters, defining a no-hitter as a game of nine innings or more completed without allowing a hit. Current Commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement acknowledging Vincent's service to the game during a challenging period and highlighting his lifelong pride in his connection to baseball.