Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-12) and Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) today introduced the “Moneyball Act”, legislation that would require the owners of any professional baseball club seeking to relocate to compensate the state and local authorities they move away from. If the owners do not oblige, then Major League Baseball would be subject to the anti-trust laws they have been exempt from for over a century.
This legislation comes as the Oakland Athletics, who have called Oakland home for half a century, are actively seeking to relocate to Las Vegas. Congresswoman Lee recently sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred requesting that he not be involved in active negotiations, despite his prior discussion of waving the MLB’s standard “relocation fee,” which would be charged to a team in the event of their relocation to a new city.
“This legislation will ensure that no city and community is left behind when billionaires decide that lining their own pockets is more important than the community that supports them,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. “The Oakland Athletics have been an institution of the East Bay for over half a century. If the A’s ownership group decides to leave, Oakland should not be left empty handed.”
“I am proud to introduce this bill with Congresswoman Lee on behalf of the East Bay and communities across the country that stand to lose out as a result of corporate greed in sports,” said Congressman Mark DeSaulnier.
Currently, Major League Baseball is exempt from federal anti-trust laws based on a century-old determination by the Supreme Court. The bill seeks to fairly compensate cities for the revenue, jobs, and commerce lost when a team leaves their community. Major League Baseball claims that the anti-trust exemption is necessary to keep franchises from frequently changing cities. However, if a professional baseball club is deliberately incentivized to leave their home city and bring their revenue elsewhere, the legal and public policy bases for such exemption should be nullified, rendering MLB subject to the Sherman Act.
To read the full text of the bill, click here.
6 comments
“compensate” = extort
If the team can find a more lucrative deal elsewhere, then they should be able to leave without penalty. This is the same Dem nonsense of taxing businesses after they leave the state.
These two are taking easier softer way rather than attempt to fix what is wrong with California. Why not address what caused teams to leave, gross incompetence of DEMs running Oakland and this state. Teams, businesses and those who can afford to are voting with their feet getting out of California a result of California being soft on crime and emptying state prisons.
Pensioners leaving califukya are next.
Where were these two Johnny Come Lately’ s when the 49ers moved from San Francisco. The Warriors and Raiders left Oakland. Only now do they want to single out the A’s? If they do this for sports teams, when will they try and do this for business such as Disney and Tesla? Want teams to stick around, don’t run liberal cities.
These fools! Lol
Oakland lost all the teams because it is ran by idiots. Nobody owes you or Oakland anything, get bent.
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