MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is minimizing reports about an altercation between he and Phillies star Bryce Harper that made headlines in July.

Can money buy sympathy? That's the sort of question that probably plagues professional sports commissioners in the big four North American leagues. Even setting apart the annual tradition of being booed at their respective sports' drafts,

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred downplayed a reported tense meeting with the Philadelphia Phillies and specifically superstar Bryce Harper while speaking with reporters on Friday in Chicago, where he was in town to announce that the 2027 MLB All-Star Game will take place in Wrigley Field.