Major League Baseball owners are voting today at their quarterly meeting for a replacement to retiring commissioner, Bud Selig. It's one of the top spots in all of professional sports. Voting began around 1:30 p.m. ET at a Baltimore hotel.

The field narrowed from three men to two on Thursday when Tim Brosnan, MLB executive vice president for business removed himself from consideration. That left Selig's choice Rob Manfred, MLB chief executive officer, and Boston Red Sox owner Tom Werner, reportedly favored by some owners critical of Selig. Brosnan reportedly asked his supporters to throw their votes to Manfred.

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It takes 23 of 30 owner votes, or 75 percent, to become 10th commissioner in MLB history. Should a consensus not be reached, the decision will be moved back to the next ownership meeting in November.

Selig, 80, announced his retirement last year. He is scheduled to step down officially on Jan. 25. Former owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, Selig has been commissioner since 1992 although he wasn't formally elected until 1998.

Earlier this summer, a commissioner search committee named Brosnan, Manfred and Werner as the candidates eligible for votes. Sparring over the job has been fierce.

Manfred, according to news reports, has received support from New York Yankees ownership. He has been credited with dealing with tough labor issues that prompted numerous work stoppages through a 1994 dispute that ended the season half-way through play. All has been quiet on the labor front since Manfred joined the commissioner's office as labor chief.

Manfred's chief opponents have been Jerry Reinsdorf, Chicago White Sox owner, and interestingly a close Selig friend, and Arte Moreno, owner of the Los Angeles Angels. They've criticized Manfred for being too yielding to the player's union and offering too many compromises. They want fewer concessions offered to ensure labor peace.

A TV mogul known for producing shows like "Roseanne" and "The Cosby Show," Werner owned the San Diego Padres before becoming chairman of the Red Sox. Supporters call him a visionary who can improve baseball's declining TV ratings and pave the way for better league attendance. Critics say he didn't do a good job with the padres and was too swept up in Red Sox dealings to work for the league as a whole.

If none of the candidates get 75 percent of the votes, the search committee would reconvene and find additional options, according to reports.

For example, former Yale University president Richard Levin was said to be a fourth candidate for the post before withdrawing. Stephen Greenberg, former MLB deputy commissioner, also has been mentioned as a possible candidate. Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Steinberg and Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio also were mentioned in New York Times reports as being possible candidates.

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