Against Baseball Socialism

The nation (or most of it) may have been rooting for a Cubs-Red Sox World Series, but, as the Series opened, baseball commissioner Allan H. “Bud” Selig was the happiest man in America. He couldn’t have chosen a better match than that between the Florida Marlins and the New York Yankees. No matter which team won, he and his vision of the game would prosper. A victory by the not-rich Marlins would prove that last year’s collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) between owners and players was a great success; a victory by the rich Yankees would prove it wasn’t quite enough of one. Either way, he’d get to argue that the CBA should be extended when it expires in 2006. How can opposite outcomes both serve Selig’s interests? If you aren’t sure, you haven’t been paying attention to the game outside the lines.

This was a good year for baseball. Usually downtrodden Montreal and Kansas City played meaningful games well into September, while the equally hapless Philadelphia and Florida clubs went to the last week of the season in their fight for a playoff spot. Meanwhile,

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Tim Marchman

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The nation (or most of it) may have been rooting for a Cubs-Red Sox World Series, but, as the Series opened, baseball commissioner Allan H. “Bud” Selig was the happiest man in America. He couldn’t have chosen a better match than that between the Florida Marlins and the New York Yankees. No matter which team won, he and his vision of the game would prosper. A victory by the not-rich Marlins would prove that last year’s collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) between owners and players was a great success; a victory by the rich Yankees would prove it wasn’t quite enough of one. Either way, he’d get to argue that the CBA should be extended when it expires in 2006. How can opposite outcomes both serve Selig’s interests? If you aren’t sure, you haven’t been paying attention to the game outside the lines.

This was a good year for baseball. Usually downtrodden Montreal and Kansas City played meaningful games well into September, while the equally hapless Philadelphia and Florida clubs went to the last week of the season in their fight for a playoff spot. Meanwhile,