In 1969 he responded to the 1965 departure of the local Braves to Atlanta by petitioning the Major Leagues to transfer the newly bankrupt Seattle Pilots franchise to his home town, where he took over ownership of the team that changed its name to the Milwaukee Brewers.
As acting commissioner he presided over the 1994 players' strike and the resulting cancellation of the Baseball/World Series, the first time it had not been played since 1904.