Publication Date

4-14-2004

Abstract

Somewhere in small town America there is a group of young boys with an old tattered ball and a game tested Louisville Slugger playing a pick up game of baseball. It doesn't matter that there is no crowd cheering them on, or that none of the players have a uniform, or even that not one of them is being paid. All of these youngsters are playing simply for the love of the game. And this is how the majority of people in America view baseball, as a game that people play for fun and enjoyment. This is not the case however, with the select few that are talented enough to play baseball professionally. Their reasons for playing go further than their passion for the game; they also make a living by playing. So, to some, these rare athletic marvels could be said to view the game as a business. Just as in any other business, these workers are paid to perform a service and, since their craft is in high demand, some are paid well. These two contrasting situations, though, present a problem: should baseball be considered a game or a business? As a legal matter, that question was answered by the United States Supreme Court. And since the Court's 1922 decision, America's Pastime has never been the same. It is likely that Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes had no idea what sort of impact his ruling of baseball as an exhibition would have, but some eighty years later we are still feeling the ripples from this drop in the pond.

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations

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