I don't understand the upwelling of anti-Selig sentiment. It shouldn't really even matter if you like him. In terms of shaping the game of baseball as we know it today, Bud Selig is easily in the top 10 most influential figures in the history of the sport. Maybe top 5. It's not just the play without a work stoppage. It's the total revitalization of the sport. When Selig took over, baseball was shrinking in popularity and attendance. Since he took over baseball has expanded. As much as people like to criticize him for allowing PEDs to go unchecked for so long, in the late '90s we were saying that the McGwire/Sosa HR race "saved" baseball. Maybe he just took the pragmatic viewpoint that baseball needed steroids at that time. Right after Selig became the acting commissioner the Orioles were sold for $173 million and they were supposed to be the most valuable franchise in the sport. Now, a little over 20 years later, the Rays are the least valuable franchise in baseball with an estimated valuation of $650 million. The Yankees are worth upwards of $3.5 billion. Baseball grew in value by an order of magnitude under Selig. He was also responsible for all of the following:
Interleague play
the Wildcard
the World Baseball Classic
consolidation of the administration of the 2 leagues
expansion from 2 to 3 divisions per league
instant replay
the Wildcard game
These are integral parts of the current baseball landscape. I realize that virtually all of these moves remain controversial in some circles. Some of them I don't necessarily love. But that doesn't change the fact that they are now all very significant and revolutionary changes. And perhaps most importantly of all, he oversaw the formation and growth of MLBAM. If you're not aware, in addition to supporting streaming through MLBTV, they have supported streaming for the PGA, the NHL, the World Cup, ESPN, HBO, WWE, Playstation Vue, etc. and is now valued at several billion dollars owned jointly by the MLB team owners (and 33% by Disney).
Regardless of whether you like the changes he made to baseball, you can't deny they were huge. The mere process of becoming a commissioner is more selective than HOF voting in the first place, so guys who reach that role have, in a sense, been vetted from day 1 for likely enshrinement. I believe most if not all commissioners to serve for any significant period of time belong in the Hall of Fame. You can't be commissioner for long without having a significant influence on the history of baseball. Selig's was bigger than most. No way he shouldn't have been in.