MLB turns their greed toward Cape Cod League

[savafan]

http://www.boston.com/sports/nesn/wi...rts_blog/blog/

Sooner or later, you’ll be charged a few bucks, here and there, for talking about your favorite team by name.

According to the Cape Cod Times, Major League Baseball has threatened to pull the $100,000 grant it annually awards the Cape Cod League if teams that borrow their name from a professional franchise do not “purchase all future uniforms and souvenir merchandise from more expensive MLB-licensed vendors.” You know, names that it could only take the genius of MLB to come up with, like Cardinals.

Staff writer Rob Duca writes, “MLB is also requesting an 11 percent royalty on sales next summer of existing inventory from the six affected Cape League teams. Non-clothing items such as coffee mugs and teddy bears that are not available through MLB vendors could no longer be sold.”

Six Cape League teams use MLB names, including the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Hyannis Mets, and Chatham A’s. According to Duca, “All six teams are considering changing their nicknames rather than shutting out local merchants, according to sources. But it is too late to adorn uniforms and merchandise with new logos before the June opening of the 2008 season.”

Under any new deal with MLB, the local merchants that the league now depends upon would be cut out. Deplorable.

The Cape League runs on an annual budget of between $1.5 and $2 million, so a $100,000 grant is a pretty significant portion of that. Part of the allure of a Cape League game is that is costs nothing to attend. Plunk down a chair and enjoy. It’s an original in today’s landscape of the bottom line. Of course MLB would need a piece of that. I imagine Bud Selig the type to always have a metal detector with him seeking spare change on an Orleans beach. There may be a few straggling dollars to be had.

Major League Baseball likes to tout the billions of dollars it made last year. “Baseball is more popular than ever.” Great. If you want to play that line, then let us suggest that $100,000 is an embarrassing amount to reward the Cape League, which does nothing but help your major league product. Duca points out there are more than 200 Cape League veterans playing in the majors right now. The Cape League runs on a volunteer staff, for the love of the game. How naïve.

It’s obvious that they owe their soul to Major League Baseball. Don’t we all sooner or later?

[Chip R]

Six Cape League teams use MLB names, including the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Hyannis Mets, and Chatham A’s. According to Duca, “All six teams are considering changing their nicknames rather than shutting out local merchants, according to sources. But it is too late to adorn uniforms and merchandise with new logos before the June opening of the 2008 season.”

If I were them, I'd change my name to the Sox or Socks and the Metros or the Metts.

[MartyFan]

I hate this sort of BS...this is what has ruined the music industry, UGH!

[Joseph]

The game made 6 billion and its growing....this doesn't make a lot of sense.

[StillFunkyB]

I honestly fear that websites like the one we have here are next.

[BCubb2003]

I honestly fear that websites like the one we have here are next.

That's when the members of BluesZone begin to discuss the activities of the Porkopolitan Blues.

[Unassisted]

The game made 6 billion and its growing....this doesn't make a lot of sense.

This is where some of the growth beyond $6B will come from. Makes perfect sense to me.

[George Anderson]

I remember like 10 years ago MLB was going to go after Little Leagues and either charge or not allow kids teams to be named after the MLB teams. One solution the Little Leagues were considering was changing the team names to like the Tigerz or Podres. MLB gave in due to the fan backlash.

[savafan]

Peter Gammons' take.

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog...3dstateChanged

Few owners actually care about the game of baseball, its roots, its soul, where kids go to become attached. The richest man in Minnesota can volunteer to contract the Twins, and the Wal-Mart boys can get rich off others' money, but read this story from writer Rob Duca out of Friday's Cape Cod Times, appreciate that the Cape Cod League is the best and most popular amateur development league in the sport, and see how petty, penny-grubbing and pitiable some folks at MLB really are.

The annual operating budget for the Cape Cod Baseball League is between $1.5 million and $2 million -- not much more than the yearly salary of a backup infielder in Major League Baseball.

Yet the volunteer-staffed Cape League and the multimillion dollar MLB are locked in a struggle over money in what could be labeled a David vs. Goliath battle, with the Cape League's $100,000 annual grant from MLB hanging in the balance.

According to Cape League sources, the six teams in the 10-team Cape League that share nicknames with Major League franchises are facing a choice: Purchase all future uniforms and souvenir merchandise from more expensive MLB-licensed vendors or lose the annual grant.

MLB is also requesting an 11 percent royalty on sales next summer of existing inventory from the six affected Cape League teams. Non-clothing items such as coffee mugs and teddy bears that are not available through MLB vendors could no longer be sold.

The affected teams are the Chatham A's, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Harwich Mariners, Bourne Braves, Orleans Cardinals and Hyannis Mets.

All six teams are considering changing their nicknames rather than shutting out local merchants, according to sources. But it is too late to adorn uniforms and merchandise with new logos before the June opening of the 2008 season.

Cape League Commissioner Paul Galop and league president Judy Walden Scarafile refused to comment on the trademark dispute.

Currently, the Cape League purchases a portion of its merchandise and uniforms from local vendors, some of whom also provide sponsorship. Those merchants would be cut out of the new arrangement.

Originally, the Cape League had until 5 p.m. today to sign the agreement. The deadline was extended to March 21, allowing Cape League officials more time to research the issue.

The Cape League hopes to reach a compromise with MLB that will allow local merchants to remain involved in sales of uniforms and other merchandise. The league is also seeking to delay a new agreement until Sept. 1, thus avoiding losing revenue in the 2008 season.

The league also would no longer be allowed to use the MLB logo on its programs and yearbooks. Recently, MLB granted approval for usage of its logo, but that could prove temporary. Originally, the Cape League paid a token $1 fee for use of the logo. That agreement ended more than five years ago.

Negotiations are ongoing. But a source, while hopeful a compromise will be reached, said the league was not going to "roll over" or be "strong-armed" by MLB.

Cape League officials have been told that failure to comply with the terms of the new agreement would place their MLB funding in jeopardy.

MLB has provided an annual grant to the Cape League since the late 1960s, originally contributing $10,000.

Loss of the $100,000 grant would constitute a major hit to a league that relies largely on volunteers, sponsorships and the generosity of local communities. A source said expenses would need to be reduced, and the league could be forced to cut its budget for umpires.

The Cape League has long been a breeding ground for future Major League players. There are currently more than 1,000 former Cape Leaguers in pro baseball, including more than 200 playing at the Major League level.

MLB has made the same demands to eight other summer baseball leagues to which it has been providing grants. However, none of those leagues includes more than two teams with nicknames of Major League clubs.

Players like Tim Salmon make five-figure contributions to the league because it helped change his life and his game, and hundreds of major leaguers turned the corner on Cape Cod.

But some accountant in New York wants to take money from people like Judy Walden Scarafile who have given their lives to the game and the college players.

Major League Baseball should be embarrassed. The Chatham Athletics were so named long before Lew Wolfe owned the Oakland Athletics; in fact, all the Cape teams that have major league nicknames had them before the owners of the current franchises.

Baseball is supposed to promote, develop and expand the game. Apparently, some feel its more important to squeeze every last ounce of blood out of baseball for the good of millionaires and billionaires, then get out and care less what dies. That $100,000 grant sure means a lot to Carl Pohlad and Sam Zell, Drayton McLane and Mike Ilitch.

Pitiable. Bud Selig should have someone's head on this. If he cares.

[TeamBoone]

Wow! Barry Bonds can keep all the profits from sales of products bearing his name, but minor league teams get punished monetarily for bearing the name of their parent clubs?

For shame. MLB just keeps getting better and better.

I don't think something like this could be done without Selig's stamp of approval. Does he not report to anyone?