XM MLB Chat: Arizona spring training baseball? Boss is Bud Selig's son-in-law. The guy needed a job...

NY Times' Murray Chass marvels at the growth of spring training baseball in Arizona and who would ever have dreamed it? Chass didn't mention the one piece of information that easily foretold the rags to riches story of the Arizona destination: Bud Selig's son in law was put in charge of it. The guy, Laurel Prieb, needed a job.

"In 2005, MLB also opened up its Western office in Scottsdale, Arizona. When Bud sold the Brewers in January 2005, his son-in-law, Laurel Prieb, who had been working as a Brewers executive, was without a job.

Major League Baseball announced the opening of its new office (in Arizona) and that Laurel Prieb would run it."

From Washington Post article, July 12, 2006 reviewing the Andrew Zimbalist book, "In the Best Interests of Baseball?," published March 2006.

Reference NY Times article by Murray Chass, "For Spring Training Locations, Florida Wanes as the Desert Blooms," 2/10/08

Laurel Prieb "Thought Leader" to speak, 2010

From a description (9/24/07), Bud's son-in-law runs a vast MLB empire (site may be scrubbed) not only in the western states, but to include MLB Advanced Media, the World Baseball Classic, and any operations of west coast teams that interest him:

"Vice President Western Operations MLB

Laurel Prieb is in his third year as Vice-President, Western Operations and Special Projects for Major League Baseball. In this post, Prieb is responsible for Baseball’s office in Phoenix, Arizona, which houses personnel from MLB Advanced Media and the Arizona Fall League in addition to his staff.

Prieb maintains regular communication with MLB’s nine West Division clubs, monitoring their opportunities and issues, and employs measures to enhance best practices of the clubs. He and his staff is also involved with Baseball’s varied business interests in the western region, including the Cactus League, Arizona Fall League, World Baseball Classic, and various projects as they occur. Prieb has spent nearly thirty years in Major League Baseball.

Prior to his current position, he was with the Milwaukee Brewers for fourteen years, most recently as the club’s Vice-President of Corporate Affairs, in which he oversaw the areas of corporate sales, broadcasting, public relations, community relations, publications and the club’s web site."