Intro:

Major League Baseball executives elected Rob Manfred as the league's 10th commissioner on Thursday

A labour lawyer who has worked for MLB since 1998, Manfred beat out Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner in the first contested vote for a new commissioner in 46 years.

A third candidate, MLB Executive Vice President of Business Tim Brosnan, dropped out just before the start of voting.

The 55-year-old Manfred, faces issues that include decreased interest in baseball among younger people, and longer games.

He has served as MLB's chief operating officer for the past year.

Selig turned 80 last month and has ruled baseball since September 1992, when he was among the owners who forced then-commissioner Fay Vincent's resignation.

He said he intends to retire in January.

Manfred fell one vote shy of the 23 out of 30 owners needed in the first ballot earlier Thursday.

On the second ballot, he won unanimously, several owners confirmed.

Script:

SOUNDBITE (English) Rob Manfred, MLB Commissioner-elect

"I haven't even been official 15 minutes. I haven't had a long time to think about challenges. I think probably the single biggest is filling the shoes of the gentleman that stands to my right, he's established a great tradition of unity among the 30 clubs and I'm gonna work very hard to try to maintain that tradition and unity as we move the game forward."

SOUNDBITE (English) Rob Manfred, MLB Commissioner-elect

"I really don't want to go into my priorities tonight I will say this, like Commissioner Selig I believe that competitive balance is the bedrock of the product we sell and it will always be a priority for baseball no matter who the commissioner is."

SOUNDBITE (English) Bud Selig, retiring MLB Commissioner

"There is no doubt in my mind he has the training, the temperament, the experience to be a very, very successful commissioner and I have justifiably very high expectations."