FanNation - The Republic of Sport

According to Rob Duca's article in Friday's Cape Cod Times, MLB has decided to force six teams in the Cape Cod Baseball League - the Chatham Athletics, Y-D Red Sox, Bourne Braves, Harwich Mariners, Hyannis Mets and Orleans Cardinals - to buy uniforms and souvenir merchandise only from MLB vendors. If the teams don't comply, MLB will pull their annual $100,000 grant to the League.

This is a huge mistake by Major League Baseball.  

The Cape Cod League (CCBL) runs an operating budget of around $2 million dollars. Most of that money comes from donations and souvenir sales, because the league doesn't charge for admission. But MLB views the CCBL as another source for cash. Apparently, jeopardizing the future of the CCBL by claiming part of its $2 million budget is a good business decision for a sport that grossed $6 BILLION last year.

It's no secret why MLB entered this battle: Money. So instead of focusing our time on that, let's explore why MLB should reconsider this particular initiative.

The public's image of a sport is very important (just ask NBA commissioner David Stern), and right now baseball is still stinging from the Mitchell Report. Pulling funding from the CCBL would not be an impressive follow-up act. Instead of threatening the CCBL, perhaps MLB could explore additional ways to strengthen its relationship with a league that has produced more than 1,000 professional ballplayers. The goodwill would certainly be a nice change of pace from Roger Clemens headlines.   

If MLB gets its way, CCBL would most likely be forced to charge for games and attendance, donations and souvenir sales would drop. While the league could probably sustain itself for several years, it would eventually collapse. The good news here is that MLB would add maybe .0001% to its bottom line next year.

No one has ever confused me for Alan Greenspan, but the use of MLB-sanctioned vendors in the CCBL would negatively impact the local economy. Advanced Embroidery, a company that puts the CCBL logo on a variety of clothing, is located in Hyannis, MA. If all CCBL souvenirs had to be purchased through MLB, Advanced Embroidery would no longer be the preferred vendor. Instead, CCBL gear probably would say "Made in China," just like my new Red Sox cap does. Also worth noting are the local businesses near the CCBL parks that benefit when baseball fans shop at stores and dine in restaurants. Any decline in attendance would adversely affect business in Cape Cod.

Do you remember the name of your little league team? There is a good chance you put on a uniform with an MLB team logo across your chest. This was a pretty big deal as a kid, and if you grew up in Massachusetts and ended up on the Yankees it was a long spring. If MLB gets its way with the CCBL, who will it target next? The towns of little league baseball?

MLB should consider the CCBL free advertising for the big league squads. The CCBL players we watch for free today create fans who buy MLB tickets tomorrow. MLB says it is concerned about establishing the next generation of baseball fans. Start by realizing that many of them line the fences of CCBL stadiums on hot summer nights.

By Jay Higgins of www.DugoutCentral.com