[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 2 (Thursday, January 5, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


             COSPONSORSHIP OF THE BASEBALL PRESERVATION ACT

 Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I lend my support to the National 
Pastime Preservation Act submitted to the new Congress by Senator 
Daniel Patrick Moynihan and cosponsored by Senator John Warner.
  Once again, Major League Baseball has shown that it does not warrant 
an exemption from our antitrust laws. Our national pastime has been 
silenced, with little or no immediate prospect of a resumption in play.
  Mr. President, today is perhaps the coldest day of the winter so far 
this season. On these chilly days, our Nation should be on the verge of 
anticipating the annual ritual that signals hope of warmer weather on 
the way; the crack of bats at spring training.
  But spring training could be lost. The possibility--which would 
compound the loss of part of the 1994 regular season and the World 
Series--underscores the urgency of prompt consideration of the National 
Pastime Preservation Act.
  For Florida, the loss of spring training would result in an estimated 
loss in tourism dollars of at least $350 million, perhaps $1 billion. 
In the last several years, communities in Florida have made substantial 
investments in new and upgraded training facilities for the very clubs 
that will not be able to play.
  This crisis has hurt Florida and America. Clearly, it is time to 
subject Major League Baseball to the same laws of competition that 
apply to the rest of business in our country. No other professional 
sport has an antitrust exemption.
  Major League Baseball has used it antitrust exemption to prevent 
franchise migration to areas more willing to support teams. A 
consequence of this failure to allow the market to determine franchise 
location is a wide disparity between franchises. This, in turn, had led 
to the revenue-sharing proposal to be financed by a ceiling on players' 
salaries. Thus, the issue which is at the heart of the current 
controversy--a ceiling on players' salaries--is attributable to a 
misuse of the antitrust exemption. Additionally, removal of the 
antitrust exemption would be an incentive to the players to go back to 
work and continue negotiations.
  I urge my colleagues--in the name of restoring our national pastime--
to consider and support the legislation to remove baseball's antitrust 
exemption.


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