A compromise choice for Commishioner, Eckert incurred the wrath of the public for not cancelling games in the wake of the Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy assassination and from the baseball owners for not dealing decisively on business matters. With a baseball strike looming and without the owners' confidence, Eckert resigned the position despite having three years left on his contract.

Despite the public shortcomings, Eckert did promote the game internationally and helped stabilize teams with bigger stadiums and better leases.