MLB mulled domestic violence policy

SAN FRANCISCO -- Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday that the league and players' union have previously discussed the idea of a blanket policy regarding domestic violence during collective bargaining, yet so far baseball has opted to handle any issue on a case-by-case basis.

"Yes, it has been discussed, because we're sensitive to all issues. But I'm not going to sit here and (hypothesize)," Selig said Thursday. "Fortunately we don't have that issue in front of us. But we deal with all issues."

Selig, speaking at AT&T Park as part of his farewell tour before the San Francisco Giants hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks, declined to address the NFL's situation surrounding the Ray Rice case and whether he thought there could be an impartial investigation.

Selig said he can't remember the last domestic violence case involving a baseball player. Talks about a policy could come up again in the next collective bargaining, but Selig leaves office Jan. 25 and Rob Manfred takes over as commissioner.

"We haven't had any cases I'm happy to say for a long, long time. I can't remember when the last time was," Selig said. "I'm grateful for that. But we deal with situations as they occur. The only thing I want to say, I've said it before and I'll say it again, we are a social institution and I'm proud of our record in dealing with a myriad of subjects, and we deal with them, I think, quite effectively."