50 Ariz. St. L.J. 1171 (2018). Allan H. (“Bud”) Selig and Matthew J. Mitten.
This article analyzes leading baseball-related judicial decisions, arbitration awards, and federal legislation regarding the Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner’s “best interests” power, baseball’s antitrust exemption, and labor relations with MLB players as well as the scope of league, club, and players’ intellectual property rights. As the first law review article authored or co-authored by a current or former commissioner of a North American major professional sports league, it provides a unique insider perspective regarding baseball jurisprudence and its effects on the historical development and business affairs of MLB and its member clubs as well as their relationships with baseball players and their union, fans, and others. It also briefly considers how baseball jurisprudence has influenced the evolution, operations, and relationships of other North American major professional sports leagues such as the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League (NHL) as well as others such as Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).