Minor league lawsuit

[Snapolit1]

(December 20, 2021, 11:30 AM EST) -- Major League Baseball and its franchises illegally conspired to scrap 40 minor league clubs, according to a lawsuit Monday that aims to end the baseball antitrust exemption granted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1922.

Four minor league clubs filed suit in Manhattan federal court challenging the MLB's controversial 2019 decision to contract the minor league system from 160 teams to 120. The teams — former affiliates of the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers — said this was a horizontal agreement between the MLB and its 30 franchises that violates the Sherman Act.

For nearly 100 years, the Supreme Court's decision in Federal Baseball Club v. National League has shielded MLB from Sherman Act claims. But the minor league teams said that the high court's June ruling in NCAA v. Alston, which found that the NCAA is not exempt from antitrust scrutiny, has cleared the way for the justices to eliminate baseball's own antitrust carveout.

"The time is at hand to cast the baseball exemption into the dustbin of antitrust history," wrote the minor league clubs in Monday's complaint.

In a Monday interview with Law360, the team's lawyers from Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP and Berg & Androphy said they will quickly try to kick the case up to the high court.

"Baseball should be put on the same footing as all the other major sports and should have to deal with the ins and outs of the competition laws of the United States," said Berg & Androphy's Jim Quinn.

[John1941]

Well, I'm rooting for the minor leagues to become independent again, and this is a step in making it possible.

I'm in speech and debate, and I'm actually writing a speech about why the minor leagues should be independent.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by John1941

Well, I'm rooting for the minor leagues to become independent again, and this is a step in making it possible.

+1 in the biggest possible, total agreement way!

[butchie_t]

It is a travesty frankly what MLB has done to MiLB. The amalgamation of AAA killed the once proud history of the PCL, smaller markets that hosted low A teams and AA teams were decimated because of how MLB raped the minor league baseball system.

It all comes down to business and I hope the lawsuit gives MLB the business here.

[mrreality68]

I hope that the minor leaguers win and I hope that those communities lost their minor league teams get them back.
Sadly it is more about economics and less about Anti Trust (especially since they still over over 120 affiliated with MLB) and that there are so many independent leagues with independent teams.
Sadly economics plays a big part and MLB determined that they do not need 160 clubs worth of players to field all the MLB teams. So they made the changes they deemed necessary.
And it is the right of the minor league teams to react as they do. Some Go the legal route others find ways to re-use/repurpose their stadiums, others try to align with another "independent league" and others fold.
So good for them for trying the Legal way and lets see how it plays out and hopefully those other communities get a team back.

[Den*nis O*Brien]

There was a book published in 1995 entitled "Wild And Outside" by Stefan Fatsis ...Subtitled "how a renegade Minor League Revived the Spirit of Baseball in America's Heartland". The book delves into this subject of how the independent Northern league battled MLB. Anyone who is passionate about the hometown minors will find this an interesting read IMHO.
We lost our Minor League team in Wausau Wisconsin who played at historical and beautiful Athletic Park which is located i/2 block from Cub great Johnny Schmitz's life time home. but the city fathers were smart enough to fill the void with the Wausau Woodchucks a college summer league team. But a long history of A ball was cast into the dust bin. So many towns in Wisconsin lost in this struggle. Below is a link to the front of Athletic Park.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1...9gLRX9WR&hl=en

[FrankWakefield]

Golly... my contrarian nature revs up again...

I think Baseball's exemption keeps the game from being worse than it could be, and that we'd be better off if that lawsuit is quickly over.

McDonalds... once in a while I drive through one for lunch (or I run inside and order to go if the car lines are crazy long). I usually order a McDouble, no onions, an apple pie, and water. (Think slightly older version of minor leagues.) But one day I order a Quarter pounder with cheese, no onions, meal... that's fries and a Coke. I order that for the next several orders. Then one day I come to my senses, realize I don't need the Coke, nor those fries that don't biologically break down (and if one falls under the car seat, when found a year later it looks the same), nor that big of a sandwich... so I try to revert back to a sensible (for me) level of consumption and go back to McDouble, apple pie, and water. "No," they say, "once you start ordering larger meals, you can't revert back and scale down your order." (Think MLB can't down scaling their minor league system.)

Where does it stop?

MLB, you can't go back and have just one day game in the World Series

Nor can you have a shorter season.

No, you can't raise ticket prices.

You can't make the bases 3" bigger. (Which would decrease the distance between the bags by 4 1/2", think about it.)

No, twenty years from now you can't expand and add any Major League franchises.

No, you can't add additional minor league teams; all ML franchises must have the same number and levels of minor league teams.



I'm not saying MLB isn't broken... I'm saying that lawsuit won't fix it and may well make it worse.

[jingram058]

I'm saying MLB IS broken, to anyone who will listen. Because it IS broken. And it is all because of $$$$$$$$$$! Do kids play baseball anymore, other than former MLB players' sons? Does anyone watch baseball on TV? No, it is far too boring for society today. I personally think that the majority of so-called fans attending games in person are going by having their employer provide them with a ticket. Who can afford to go, unless you sell your encapsulated and bar coded Babe Ruth Goudey card? Are baseball players household names anymore? Who will be the star du jour in 2022, after this year's stars have their Tommy John surgeries. As I have said before, over and over, tell me again how ballplayers today are so much bigger, stronger, faster, and better as they collect their half a billion dollars to sit the bench. Total BS. And therein is the problem. Nothing can improve the game, can't speed it up or any of that, because the owners have to pay these guys salaries so big that most stars can't even comprehend mere mortals like fans anymore. Just to get an autograph at the All-Star Game, you have to pay through the nose for the VIP Experience Package or some such crap. In this current lockout, I 100% support the owners. Something has to give with these BS players or the game will tank.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by jingram058

I'm saying MLB IS broken, to anyone who will listen. Because it IS broken. And it is all because of $$$$$$$$$$! Do kids play baseball anymore, other than former MLB players' sons? Does anyone watch baseball on TV? No, it is far too boring for society today. I personally think that the majority of so-called fans attending games in person are going by having their employer provide them with a ticket. Who can afford to go, unless you sell your encapsulated and bar coded Babe Ruth Goudey card? Are baseball players household names anymore? Who will be the star du jour in 2022, after this year's stars have their Tommy John surgeries. As I have said before, over and over, tell me again how ballplayers today are so much bigger, stronger, faster, and better as they collect their half a billion dollars to sit the bench. Total BS. And therein is the problem. Nothing can improve the game, can't speed it up or any of that, because the owners have to pay these guys salaries so big that most stars can't even comprehend mere mortals like fans anymore. Just to get an autograph at the All-Star Game, you have to pay through the nose for the VIP Experience Package or some such crap. In this current lockout, I 100% support the owners. Something has to give with these BS players or the game will tank.

MLB is broken, but it takes two to tango. WAR is the greatest and worst new statistic of the modern era. It has been weaponized by GM to discredit ball players older than 30 yo. These teams are able to control players through their prime years, and then throw them away based on their replacement value. This led to a freeze in contracts for players who are not superstars over the last several years. All this occurs while the average fan doesn't understand how war is calculated, and can't even give a basic explanation of the statistics that lead to the valuation.

Tanking is also not a player driven idea. Yet another idea from the front office.

Baseball is broken, and I actually hope this lockout lasts to July or ends the season. I want competitive baseball from the Reds, Pirates, etc. If that is the one thing MLBPA can fix, I don't care how long it takes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Orioles1954]

Originally Posted by todeen

MLB is broken, but it takes two to tango. WAR is the greatest and worst new statistic of the modern era. It has been weaponized by GM to discredit ball players older than 30 yo. These teams are able to control players through their prime years, and then throw them away based on their replacement value. This led to a freeze in contracts for players who are not superstars over the last several years. All this occurs while the average fan doesn't understand how war is calculated, and can't even give a basic explanation of the statistics that lead to the valuation.

Tanking is also not a player driven idea. Yet another idea from the front office.

Baseball is broken, and I actually hope this lockout lasts to July or ends the season. I want competitive baseball from the Reds, Pirates, etc. If that is the one thing MLBPA can fix, I don't care how long it takes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

As an Orioles fan if a lockout leads to fewer games, a balanced schedule and salary cap/floor….I’ll be 100% in favor of missing the entire 2022 season if it means small market equity. Tanking is an indictment of large market domination and small markets should not be penalized for finding a way to survive.

[Tabe]

After 20+ years ss season ticket holders for the Spokane Indians, my wife and I made the decision to give up our seats. Spokane got bumped up from short A to AA and the season increased from 76 to 120 to 132 games. The beginning of the season was moved from mid-June to early April. It's cold here a lot of nights in June, April would be unbearable. There was no season in 2020 and the tickets for 2021 were a mess so we'd actually put our seats on hold. Two years of summers off and ticket money to travel with were nice.

Bottom line: MLB messed up the good thing we had going here in Spokane and we got rid of our seats.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Tabe

After 20+ years ss season ticket holders for the Spokane Indians, my wife and I made the decision to give up our seats. Spokane got bumped up from short A to AA and the season increased from 76 to 120 to 132 games. The beginning of the season was moved from mid-June to early April. It's cold here a lot of nights in June, April would be unbearable. There was no season in 2020 and the tickets for 2021 were a mess so we'd actually put our seats on hold. Two years of summers off and ticket money to travel with were nice.



Bottom line: MLB messed up the good thing we had going here in Spokane and we got rid of our seats.

Hi neighbor! My parents had Indians seats, but gave them up before the reorganization when they changed the start times for Sunday games, and business games. I must say though, that Spokane puts out a good product. But baseball in April in Spokane, gross.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[steve B]

To me Tanking makes no sense in baseball.

In other sports where someone straight out of college can make an impact it sort of makes sense if the team thinks the player available would be a special talent.
(And that's not guaranteed even for a top 10 pick, but it's more likely than in baseball.)

How many players in baseball get drafted and make the team right away with no time in the minors? I'm sure there are some, but very few.

So to me tanking in baseball is more an example of panicky clueless ownership/management than anything else.

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by steve B

To me Tanking makes no sense in baseball.

In other sports where someone straight out of college can make an impact it sort of makes sense if the team thinks the player available would be a special talent.
(And that's not guaranteed even for a top 10 pick, but it's more likely than in baseball.)

How many players in baseball get drafted and make the team right away with no time in the minors? I'm sure there are some, but very few.

So to me tanking in baseball is more an example of panicky clueless ownership/management than anything else.

You be are so right and here is a link to details about the only 23 players drafted that never played in minors and look at where they got drafted and you will see that tanking did not help get these players

https://www.mlb.com/news/players-who...e-draft-to-mlb

[Chris Counts]

It's way past time that baseball loses its bogus anti-trust exemption. Whenever I think about the clowns who run baseball, I'm reminded of the line Roy Hobbs utters to Max Mercy after the latter suggests he's "protecting" baseball against people like Hobbs. "Max, did you ever play the game?" Long live the minor leagues.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by todeen

Hi neighbor! My parents had Indians seats, but gave them up before the reorganization when they changed the start times for Sunday games, and business games. I must say though, that Spokane puts out a good product. But baseball in April in Spokane, gross.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

The Indians are a quality organization and I generally love the way they do things. The changes made aren't their fault.

The most irritating thing about it all is that, with the 2020 season, we finally acquired the seats we wanted. We've been trying to get all four of our seats into the same specific box for a decade but it wasn't happening. That finally happened - and we literally never got to use them.

The Indians offered me a half-season package for 2022 to keep us on but wouldn't do a "second half only" package. They wanted to give us 15-20 games in April/May and that just wasn't going to work. I'll pass on the decent chance of snow and 30-degree games, thanks.

[egri]

Originally Posted by Chris Counts

It's way past time that baseball loses its bogus anti-trust exemption. Whenever I think about the clowns who run baseball, I'm reminded of the line Roy Hobbs utters to Max Mercy after the latter suggests he's "protecting" baseball against people like Hobbs. "Max, did you ever play the game?" Long live the minor leagues.

I didn’t think I would see a worse commissioner than Bud Selig, but Rob Manfred has proved me wrong.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Den*nis O*Brien

There was a book published in 1995 entitled "Wild And Outside" by Stefan Fatsis ...Subtitled "how a renegade Minor League Revived the Spirit of Baseball in America's Heartland". The book delves into this subject of how the independent Northern league battled MLB. Anyone who is passionate about the hometown minors will find this an interesting read IMHO.
We lost our Minor League team in Wausau Wisconsin who played at historical and beautiful Athletic Park which is located i/2 block from Cub great Johnny Schmitz's life time home. but the city fathers were smart enough to fill the void with the Wausau Woodchucks a college summer league team. But a long history of A ball was cast into the dust bin. So many towns in Wisconsin lost in this struggle. Below is a link to the front of Athletic Park.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1...9gLRX9WR&hl=en

And let us not forget the Woodchucks most famous alum, none other than Ben Zobrist. Games at Athletic Park I attended are indeed fond memories, as were the meals in the Blue Willow Cafe, where Johnny Schmitz was the local hero.

Other than that Wausau is quite forgettable.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Den*nis O*Brien

There was a book published in 1995 entitled "Wild And Outside" by Stefan Fatsis ...Subtitled "how a renegade Minor League Revived the Spirit of Baseball in America's Heartland". The book delves into this subject of how the independent Northern league battled MLB. Anyone who is passionate about the hometown minors will find this an interesting read IMHO.
We lost our Minor League team in Wausau Wisconsin who played at historical and beautiful Athletic Park which is located i/2 block from Cub great Johnny Schmitz's life time home. but the city fathers were smart enough to fill the void with the Wausau Woodchucks a college summer league team. But a long history of A ball was cast into the dust bin. So many towns in Wisconsin lost in this struggle. Below is a link to the front of Athletic Park.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1...9gLRX9WR&hl=en

And let us not forget the Woodchucks most famous alum, none other than Ben Zobrist. Games at Athletic Park I attended are indeed fond memories, as were the meals in the Blue Willow Cafe, where Johnny Schmitz was the local hero.

Other than that Wausau is quite forgettable.

[mattsey9]

Originally Posted by egri

I didn’t think I would see a worse commissioner than Bud Selig, but Rob Manfred has proved me wrong.

Selig, for all his flaws, loved the game. Not so with Manfred.