FanGraphs – Justin Klugh: There has been plenty of talk about Major League Baseball’s extended partnership with the Atlantic League. Most of that talk has centered on the new rules MLB wants to try out in the ALPB. Very little talk has been given to how these rule changes will affect current ALPB players. Most have been outright dismissive of the ALPB players in general. Disheartening though that may be, those playing in the ALPB are professional ballplayers and their concerns over being used as lab rats by another league deserve to be heard.
Deadspin – Ginny Searle: MLB ball games aren’t quite what they used to be. Costs have risen, as have amenities, but something has been lost in the growing process. The overwhelming majority of fans aren’t concerned with special clubs or nacho chicken fingers tiramisu. They want promotions that allow their kids to run the bases or net them a free hat. They want to be able to get to the ballpark, enjoy a burger, a hot dog, and some drinks without feeling like they just spent an entire month’s pay. The majority of fans want to go to an MLB game and watch baseball, though it sure does seem like MLB teams disagree with that simple notion these days.
Deadspin – Laura Wagner: MLB is a business, there’s no one on this planet who could deny that fact and keep a straight face. I, and I’m pretty sure everyone else, understand that as a business MLB will make decisions that don’t always make sense or aren’t the nicest. Still, the expectation on the end of both fan and journalist should be that MLB conducts itself as a proper business. More and more the line being trotted out by MLB executives and bootlickers alike is that “MLB was operating well within the rules when they made this decision.” MLB’s Advanced Media wing has made the business lots of money, but it turns out it’s been run with a disregard for basic business ethics. That’s par for the MLB course these days.
Lead photo courtesy of Bob Leavey – Getty Images
