After a day of several split votes, Major League Baseball (MLB) owners Thursday unanimously agreed to name chief operating officer Rob Manfred as the new commissioner.

Manfred replaces Bud Selig, who held the post since 1992, in January next year.

Voting began around 1:30 p.m. ET during the quarterly owners' meeting held in Baltimore. It took 23 of 30 owner votes, 75 percent, to fill the post. Reports were several rounds of voting took place with Manfred gaining 22 votes near the end. Owners finally agreed to elect him and held a final vote approving Manfred.

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Manfred said he was tremendously honored to named 10th MLB commissioner. He said he agreed with Bill DeWitt Jr. owner of the St. Louis Cardinals and search committee chair, that Selig, 80, had very big shoes to fill.

Tweets from MLB public relations team quoted Selig as saying that Manfred, 55, was an outstanding choice who brought leadership and true passion to Major League Baseball.

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 Manfred, Selig's choice, 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.

Selig announced his retirement last year. He is scheduled to step down officially on Jan. 24. A former owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, Selig has been commissioner since 1992 although he wasn't formally elected until 1998. He succeeded the controversial Bowie Kuhn.

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 had 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.

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