Baseball Business | The Baseball Zealot

Keep partisan politics out of the Clemens case

The idea of politicians getting involved in the Roger Clemens matter just makes me shake my head and wonder. Yet, sure enough, there are rumors that folks in Washington are coming to the Rocket’s aid.

We had the same thing here at the University of Illinois when we had the nasty situation with the Chief. When the Chief’s existence was being threatened, many state legislators took action. Those misguided leaders, who apparently didn’t have enough to do with their tax-paid time and effort, made their lofty statements and attempted to pass resolutions to support the controversial mascot.

Despite how you felt about the Chief, it’s obvious (to me at least) that not only was it inappropriate use of their position, it was a obvious ploy for votes.

That all said, I ask all politicians to steer clear of the Clemens case. Clemens’ connection to the Bush family and any endorsement or implied pardon just gets in the way of finding the truth.

Oh, it goes both way too, Democrats… Clemens was almost booed by members of Congress yesterday, most likely Democrats.

Please… just do your job and do it professionally.

MLBPA web site has the 411

I was doing some research on how arbitration works and ran across the MLB Player Association’s web site.

A side note: Interestingly, the MLBPA web site is hosted by MLB.com. I’m trying to envision a situation where the UAW was getting help from say, GM. I just don’t see it. But we’re talking a different reality here, I guess.

Anyway, the MLBPA’s web site has a very informative Frequently Asked Questions list that explains a lot about everything. So much so that a dunce like me can understand.

For example, the question I was researching… Who has benefited most from arbitration, the players or owners? I was under the impression that arbitration usually went in favor of the player. Not so.

Since 1974, and including 2006, arbitrators have ruled on behalf of the players 199 times and clubs 269 times. Although the number of players filing for salary arbitration varies per year, the majority of cases are settled before the arbitration hearing date. For example, since 1990, 1,764 cases were filed and 198 were heard, which means approximately 88 percent of the players filing for arbitration reach new agreements before a hearing.

Other interesting tidbits:

Q: How much are union dues?

A: The players’ dues are $50 per day during the season.

Q: How many agents are certified by the MLBPA?

A: The Association has over 300 certified agents on record.

Finally, one neat feature of the MLBPA’s web site is that on their front page, they have links to individual players’ web sites and blogs. Here is their full list.

Web Wars: MLB buys out FireKennyWilliams.com

Home Run Derby reports that MLB has gone out and bought the web domain name FireKennyWilliams.com. A quick look at a domain whois verifies this. The domain was reserved in April of 2007.

I don’t have time to look but I wonder how many other similar domains were snatched up by MLB Advanced Media, L.P.

FireLouPiniella.com wasn’t…

…it was already taken

(hat tip: Baseball Musings)

08 class missing Marvin Miller

“I congratulate the Hall of Fame for electing five new members. I am particularly pleased that former Commissioner Bowie Kuhn is among those who have received this great honor. Bowie was a close friend and a respected leader who served as Commissioner during an important period in history, amid a time of change.”

– MLB Commissioner Bud Selig

I wish I could share Bud’s enthusiam for Bowie Kuhn’s induction but I can’t. Especially when they didn’t have the foresight to elect Marvin Miller.

Shawn from Squawking Baseball puts it best in his article, The Hall of Fame has Issues when he says that “Kuhn, on the other hand, simply did his best to avoid failure.”

I’m quite disappointed that Miller didn’t make it in and that’s compounded by the fact that Kuhn did.

Taco Bell makes a run for the profit margin with promo

The Red Sox may be having their way with the Rockies so far in the World Series but I’ll bet the higher-ups in Taco Bell Inc. are hoping this series will go seven games. They’re making a killing with the “Steal a base, Steal a taco” promotion. Fox mouthpieces Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are … Continue reading “Taco Bell makes a run for the profit margin with promo”

taco bell

Fox mouthpieces Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are gleefully playing along at MLB’s behest.

During Wednesday’s game (from NYT):

“No stolen bases yet in the game,” McCarver said, as David Ortiz batted.

“No free tacos for America,” Buck said. “At some point it’s going to happen.”

Sad to say, I expect that. But MLB has gone the extra step. Now they gotten the players involved. While wired so we can hear their on-the-bench discussion, Royce Clayton and Coco Crisp chatted up the Taco Bell promo.

I wonder how much that was worth to the MLB.

Court says MLB Stats not copyrightable

In the case of CBC Distribution and Martketing v. MLB, a court of appeals upheld an earlier decision that MLB players’ names and stats are not copyrightable A correct decision in my opinion. I want to write more but I’m busy packing appropriately enough, for our APBA league All-Star weekend which also uses player’s names … Continue reading “Court says MLB Stats not copyrightable”

In the case of CBC Distribution and Martketing v. MLB, a court of appeals upheld an earlier decision that MLB players’ names and stats are not copyrightable A correct decision in my opinion.

I want to write more but I’m busy packing appropriately enough, for our APBA league All-Star weekend which also uses player’s names and stats to some extent.

In the meantime, read more about the decision at Ars Technica.

LaRussa decision on hold

According to AP, the decision whether to keep LaRussa is being delayed. Basically, they’re waiting for a decision on who the new Cardinals GM will be since Jocketty was let go last week. Word has it there has been a lot of infighting and power plays within the upper management which drove Jocketty out. The … Continue reading “LaRussa decision on hold”

According to AP, the decision whether to keep LaRussa is being delayed. Basically, they’re waiting for a decision on who the new Cardinals GM will be since Jocketty was let go last week.

Word has it there has been a lot of infighting and power plays within the upper management which drove Jocketty out. The decision may be delayed but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

A piece of trivia on Jocketty… he was a fan of APBA baseball.

Tiger Todd Jones speaks out on MLB scheduling

Todd Jones has it all figured out. He gives his opinion on the playoff schedule on his Your Turn column at the Sporting News website entitled All the Playoff Teams Deserve Prime-time. How would he fix it? So, how do you fix it? You cut some games off the regular season and make the postseason … Continue reading “Tiger Todd Jones speaks out on MLB scheduling”

Todd Jones has it all figured out. He gives his opinion on the playoff schedule on his Your Turn column at the Sporting News website entitled All the Playoff Teams Deserve Prime-time.

How would he fix it?

So, how do you fix it? You cut some games off the regular season and make the postseason like a true second season. You let more teams in the playoffs and then schedule more off-days so more teams get in the prime-time slot…

Finally, you tell the West Coast teams they’ll have to give up their night games in the postseason so the rest of the country can watch — and not have to read about — Jose Valverde saving the first game of the Diamondbacks-Cubs series.

It’s a refreshing article. Not because I necessarily agree with it all but because it expresses a legitimate opinion. And one that doesn’t toe the company line.

And because he calls the Yankees the Evil Empire. Todd Jones, he has a sense of humor.

Beer not a minor point with investors

There’s been an interesting but probably not surprising development in the case to bring a minor league team to Champaign-Urbana. Among other points, investors are saying that the sale of beer would be critical to the financial success of the team. From the AP artcle via WBBM: “It is a critical piece,” (National Sports Services’ … Continue reading “Beer not a minor point with investors”

There’s been an interesting but probably not surprising development in the case to bring a minor league team to Champaign-Urbana.

beer

Among other points, investors are saying that the sale of beer would be critical to the financial success of the team.

From the AP artcle via WBBM:

“It is a critical piece,” (National Sports Services’ Matt) Perry said. “It could be a deal breaker if we can’t.”

Sponsorships to sell beer in stadiums are a key revenue source for sports teams, Perry said, but also a big part of what fans expect to find in pro baseball stadiums.

Since Illinois Field is on University of Illinois property and we all know absolutely no drinking goes on anywhere at a Big Ten university, the team would have go through all kinds of red tape including getting the Board of Trustees approval.

Another pro team, the Champaign County Colts played at Illinois Field from 1990-96. It was a dry stadium then and rumor has it that it hurt them financially.

I’m not a beer drinker but i have friends who are baseball fans who do. Time to evaluate the reasons why you have the policy (realistically). If it’s because of youth and alcohol problems, there are plenty of other areas you can start.

This isn’t an issue I’ll fight to the death on but if it means bringing a minor league team to C-U and improving Illinois Field in the process, then bend the rules or change them.

Piniella accused of wardrobe malfuntion

It happened to Terry Francona last week and now it’s happened to Lou. Lou Piniella was threatened with a $1000 fine for not wearing an official Cubs jersey during games. The supposed infraction during the series against the Giants in San Fran. ”It was cold, so I wore the fleece top,” Piniella said of the … Continue reading “Piniella accused of wardrobe malfuntion”

It happened to Terry Francona last week and now it’s happened to Lou.

Lou Piniella was threatened with a $1000 fine for not wearing an official Cubs jersey during games. The supposed infraction during the series against the Giants in San Fran.

”It was cold, so I wore the fleece top,” Piniella said of the pullover that is included among the uniform items. ”I had on the gray [T-shirt] underneath the fleece.”

Apparently, someone above noticed and Piniella got the letter with the threat of the fine.

As my friend, Todd V would say, “Leave it to the MLB to find a way to make money”. The issue here lies with the corporate sponsors who require all players and field personnel to wear the official uniform.

Don’t get me started on this. If it were up to me, I’d put all managers in street clothes during games.