Antitrust laws;  these two words are the core words that you need to understand to be able to follow the Oakland Athletics ongoing suit with Major League Baseball and, indirectly, the San Francisco Giants.  Antitrust legislation, in layman’s terms, gives businesses (in this case, the Oakland Athletics) the right to operate wherever they choose, for the purpose of promoting fair competition for the benefit of the consumer (in this case, baseball fans).  Throughout the 20th century, however, these laws have been applied loosely at best to sports franchises.  Major American sports franchises have operated under a gentleman’s agreement of sorts when it comes to antitrust legislation. 

The (non-legally binding agreement) is generally interpreted as a franchise and its’ affiliates having a monopoly on the market in which it is located.  In the case of two team markets such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, the territory is split.  This is where it gets interesting, when thinking about the current situation involving the Athletics and Giants.  When the late Walter Haas owned the Athletics, he granted the Giants organization permission to pursue interests in the Santa Clara County market when they were trying to move away from Candlestick Park.  Haas made that decision with the best interests of Major League Baseball in mind, a sentiment that has not been reciprocated by the Giants or the league office.

The Athletics have been pursuing the possibility of a move to San Jose for the better part of four years.  The San Jose and Fremont areas of the San Francisco Bay have seen a huge boost in support for the Athletics in recent years, and it seems the fan market in those areas in growing at a fantastic pace.  The move makes all the sense in the world for the A’s.  The Oakland Coliseum is old, for a lack of better words; and the young, energetic, and more spirited fans seem to be located in the San Jose area now more so that Oakland. 

Now, why has Bud Selig been stonewalling the great Oakland franchise for almost half of a decade?  Pandora’s Box.  If the lawsuit filed by the A’s goes to trial (which it will unless an agreement is reached), the court will have no choice but to rule in the A’s’ favor due to the antitrust laws.   The Supreme Court has already made it clear that sports leagues are not exempt from laws governing other types of businesses when they ruled unanimously AGAINST the National Football League in 2010 regarding antitrust issues.

So, if the case goes to trial, the A’s will most certainly win and be allowed to relocate to their desired location.  That spells a whole world of trouble for Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.  As it stands now in Major League Baseball, it requires a three-fourths vote by the owners to allow a team to change locations.  That means that the Tampa Bay Rays could move to New York City, or the Houston Astros could move to Las Vegas, or anywhere for that matter.  All that would be required is a passing vote by the owners, and pack your bags!

In this case, I think Major League Baseball is doing what it has to do.  They’re stalling, sandbagging, treading water, or whatever you want to call it.  Do I understand the move?  Yes.  Is it fair to the great fans in the Oakland area?  Absolutely not.  I don’t want to get into a political or economic debate here, but the antitrust legislations that are active today were put in place over a century ago to promote capitalism; which, mind you, is a principal our nation has been built upon for hundreds of years.  If the Athletics are denied the right to move out of Oakland at the end of this ordeal, I will be highly surprised, and grossly offended.