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Originally Posted by pan6467
And what can Congress do? Take away the anti-trust exemption? Congress can't keep a company from going bankrupt and baseball doesn't want the teams to be equal shareholders and distribute the wealth evenly throughout the teams. I think there will be some owners that don't care about whether baseball loses it's anti-trust, when all they see are losses.
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They can use it as an opportunity to take away the exemption.
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Selig won't have much choice, if the team can't make payroll, it can't make payroll.
If you remember during the last CBA Selig himself said there were teams that had tapped MLB of all the possible loans they could and may not make payroll. The economy is now worse, sponsorship for the smaller clubs is down, ticket sales are way down and there are some owners that can no longer afford having the money pit.
Again, if a team can't make payroll, if the owner decides to file bankruptcy and not field a team, all Selig can do is sue, that would take months, he may get a court injunction but he can't force an owner that shows the team has no money to pay the salaries and the players aren't going to play for free. MLB can't afford to pay 3-4 team salaries in cities that are bleeding money.
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Selig would have to find a way. A team hasn't simply FAILED since the 1890s, and that happening on his watch would destroy any legacy he is trying to acheive.
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Ok, Cuban buys the Pirates, who buys the Reds, the Blue Jays, the Royals? Who is willing enough in this economy to spend hundreds of millions on something that does nothing but loses money?
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That's also the Cubs. They sellout every game, have a tremendous national following and probably rank 3rd in worth behind the Yanks and Bosox. Try selling KC, Houston, Cincy, Pitts, Detroit, Cleveland, Oakland, Arizona and so on and tell me then what they are worth.
In KC's case you probably won't find anyone willing to spend over $150 Million and that is pushing it.
I think to make a point, we'll see owners declaring bankruptcy and shutting down.
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Oh please. Someone will always be there willing to buy, whether it is for investment purposes (buying low) or pure ego ("saving" the team).
That has never been a problem.
You are WAY overthinking this issue.