A. Bartlett Giamatti was a literature scholar who specialized in the English Renaissance. He rose to become a full professor at Yale and in 1978 was named president of the university, a position he held until 1986. That year, he became president of the National League of Major League Baseball. He was elected commissioner in 1989. A lifelong baseball (and Boston Red Sox) enthusiast, "Bart" Giamatti often rhapsodized about the game. His untimely death at age 51 was mourned by the entire sport and its fans.
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