Jimmie Lee Solomon
Encyclopedia
Jimmie Lee Solomon was the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations in Major League Baseball
from 2005-2010.
law degree and earned a Bachelor of Arts at Dartmouth College
. He played for the Dartmouth football team and was also an All-Ivy League
sprinter. Solomon became MLB's Director of Minor League Operations in 1991
. He subsequently was promoted to Executive Director of Minor League Operations and then to Senior VP of Baseball Operations. Solomon oversaw major, minor and international baseball operations; the MLB scouting bureau, the Arizona Fall League, and numerous special projects, including the launching of the MLB Youth Academy at Compton College, California
.
The All-Star Futures Game
was conceived by Solomon. Looking for an event to showcase the minor leagues and round out the All-Star
week festivities, Solomon looked at the National Basketball Association
rookie game and the National Football League
's rookie flag football game and thought of the idea. Since 1999
, the Futures Game has become a big event for teams' player development departments, a coveted resume filler for players and programming for ESPN2
. Rosters for the Futures Game are selected by Baseball America
magazine, in conjunction with MLB and the 30 clubs. Every organization is represented, with no more than two players from any organization. In 2003
, Solomon was included in Sports Illustrated
's list of the 101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports.
. Commissioner
Bud Selig
made the announcement in a press release. As executive VP, Solomon was responsible for such additional areas as on-field discipline, security, and management of facilities.
Solomon's biggest project is the construction of baseball academies in urban areas. Currently there are academies in Venezuela
, Puerto Rico
, Dominican Republic
and throughout Latin America
. This is where young Latino prospects are discovered and trained. Seeing the level of success that Latinos are experiencing in baseball, Solomon decided to bring the academies to United States
and is currently working with major league teams, encouraging them to build academies in large American cities to reintroduce baseball to urban children. On August 7, 2007, Solomon was in attendance during the game which Barry Bonds
broke the all-time home run record previously held by Hank Aaron in place of Selig.
In June 2010, Solomon changed positions. He is now MLB's executive vice president for baseball development, putting him in control of academies in the United States and Puerto Rico run by MLB, minor league operations and the Civil Rights Game held annually. Former Yankees and Dodgers manager Joe Torre
was appointed as his successor in the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations role.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
from 2005-2010.
Biography
Solomon holds a HarvardHarvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
law degree and earned a Bachelor of Arts at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
. He played for the Dartmouth football team and was also an All-Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
sprinter. Solomon became MLB's Director of Minor League Operations in 1991
1991 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves ; Jack Morris, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Kirby Puckett*National League Championship Series MVP: Steve Avery...
. He subsequently was promoted to Executive Director of Minor League Operations and then to Senior VP of Baseball Operations. Solomon oversaw major, minor and international baseball operations; the MLB scouting bureau, the Arizona Fall League, and numerous special projects, including the launching of the MLB Youth Academy at Compton College, California
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
.
The All-Star Futures Game
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game between a team of top minor league prospects from the United States and a team of prospects from other parts of the World...
was conceived by Solomon. Looking for an event to showcase the minor leagues and round out the All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
week festivities, Solomon looked at the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
rookie game and the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's rookie flag football game and thought of the idea. Since 1999
1999 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; Mariano Rivera, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Orlando Hernández**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Eddie Pérez...
, the Futures Game has become a big event for teams' player development departments, a coveted resume filler for players and programming for ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
. Rosters for the Futures Game are selected by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
magazine, in conjunction with MLB and the 30 clubs. Every organization is represented, with no more than two players from any organization. In 2003
2003 in sports
2003 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season championship: Stephan Eberharter, Austria** Women's overall season championship: Janica Kostelić, Croatia-American football:...
, Solomon was included in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
's list of the 101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports.
Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations
Solomon was named Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations on June 1, 20052005 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....
. Commissioner
Baseball Commissioner
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
made the announcement in a press release. As executive VP, Solomon was responsible for such additional areas as on-field discipline, security, and management of facilities.
Solomon's biggest project is the construction of baseball academies in urban areas. Currently there are academies in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and throughout Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. This is where young Latino prospects are discovered and trained. Seeing the level of success that Latinos are experiencing in baseball, Solomon decided to bring the academies to United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and is currently working with major league teams, encouraging them to build academies in large American cities to reintroduce baseball to urban children. On August 7, 2007, Solomon was in attendance during the game which Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
broke the all-time home run record previously held by Hank Aaron in place of Selig.
In June 2010, Solomon changed positions. He is now MLB's executive vice president for baseball development, putting him in control of academies in the United States and Puerto Rico run by MLB, minor league operations and the Civil Rights Game held annually. Former Yankees and Dodgers manager Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
was appointed as his successor in the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations role.