Marketing Executive to Replace NL’s White

Leonard S. Coleman Jr., who refused to allow the troubles of the industry to tarnish his love of baseball, was unanimously elected president of the National League on Tuesday, replacing Bill White.

Coleman graduated from Princeton, received his master’s degree from Harvard, and is a close friend of South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu. But baseball forever remained his passion.

Coleman, 45, remembers his hero being Jackie Robinson. He got his first autograph when he was 8, knocking on the front door of Larry Doby’s home. He spent nine summers playing the outfield for the semi-pro Clifton Phillies. He took his wife on their second date to the Astrodome, to watch the Houston Astros.

“I’m just a tremendous fan of the sport itself,” Coleman said. “Hopefully, I can bring a broad perspective to the game.”

Coleman, who was introduced at the news conference by Dodger President Peter O’Malley, succeeds White as the highest-ranking black official in U.S. professional sports. “I’m extremely proud of my African-American heritage,” Coleman said. “I’d like to think that I was appointed, and Bill was appointed, because of the leadership qualities that we have.”

For two years, Coleman has been executive director of marketing development for baseball. He also helped oversee a development program designed for inner-city youth, a World Series that will be staged Aug. 7-11 in Anaheim.

“We were looking for a (top-) quality individual and one with integrity, and that came across loud and clear,” said O’Malley, chairman of the search committee.

It was also announced American League president Bobby Brown, 69, had prostate cancer surgery Feb. 14 and is expected to make a full recovery.