Bud Selig will drop the "interim" from in front of his job title, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Quoting unidentified sources, the Times said the Milwaukee Brewers owner will officially take over a baseball commissioner this year.The announcement could be made by the All-Star Game, scheduled July 7. One owner, the newspaper said, predicted the announcement would be made in 2-4 weeks.
However, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Thursday that Selig has not agreed to take the job on a permanent basis despite pressure by other owners.
Selig, 63, has been interim commissioner for six years.
The Times quoted one official as saying "an almost unified ownership came to him and said you've got to do it; you're the only one." That reportedly swayed Selig, who has said he didn't want the job.
Election requires a 75 percent vote of baseball's 30 owners and, according to the Times, Selig has the backing. Only a few owners oppose Selig, notably Jerry Reins-dorf of the Chicago White Sox and The Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Cubs.
Rich Levin, a spokesman for baseball, told USA Today that Selig "has accepted nothing. There are no meetings scheduled."
Baseball has been without a commissioner since Fay Vincent was forced out of office by the owners on Sept. 7, 1992.