Baseball moved quickly Saturday to fill the void left by the death of A. Bartlett Giamatti, elevating Fay Vincent from deputy to acting commissioner while the game's heirarchy seeks a permanent successor.
The announcement by baseball's executive council came less than 24 hours after Giamatti, 51, died of a heart attack at his vacation home on Martha's Vineyard. An autopsy Saturday showed he had suffered a prior heart attack several years ago.The executive council said it had assumed full responsibility of the commissioner's office until a formal meeting next Friday.
"The council unanimously delegated full authority to Deputy Commissioner Francis T. Vincent Jr. in the interim," the council said in a statement. "Mr. Vincent will serve as acting commissioner and will report directly to the executive council."
In Falmouth, Mass., William Zane, medical examiner for Barnstable County, said Giamatti, an overweight chain-smoker, might have suffered his first heart attack several years ago without realizing it.
His death was caused by constrictive coronary heart disease, Zane said.
"The manner of death is natural," Zane said.
Giamatti, a former president of Yale University, died after being stricken at his summer residence in Edgartown, Mass., on the resort island of Martha's Vineyard.
Vincent, a former CEO of Columbia Pictures, and Giamatti were close friends. Vincent had flown the commissioner to Martha's Vineyard only hours before Giamatti became ill.
"This is a terrifically tragic day for me," Vincent told NBC on Saturday. "I lost a great friend, I lost a partner, and it's difficult to talk about the future. I will be happy to serve as interim commissioner."
Vincent, 50, joined Columbia in 1978. During his tenure, Columbia released "Ghandi," "Tootsie" and "Kramer vs. Kramer."
Coca-Cola bought Columbia in 1983 and Vincent continued as head of the company. He also was made an executive vice president of Coca-Cola but resigned last July after he was assigned to non-entertainment areas.