The Myth that MLB Does Not Trade Economics for Integrity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that it would immediately commence background investigations of all major league and minor league umpires to deal with the type of alleged wrongdoing that now confronts the National Basketball Association (NBA). Commissioner Bud Selig's office steadfastly maintains that the background checks are necessary to uphold the "integrity" of baseball, and refuses to discuss with the World Umpires Association (WUA) any other matters that MLB unilaterally considers to be "economic" in nature.

The last time MLB raced to the defense of baseball's integrity, it forced the controversial and still unproven QuesTec system on the umpires. QuesTec and the newer ZE System are intended to monitor the accuracy and consistency of strikes called in a game. What the Commissioner's office will not disclose is the way that MLB has sought to monetize and generate revenue from these systems.

MLB may have teed up the importance of these systems as a means of ensuring call accuracy and upholding the integrity of the game, but the special value of the systems to the league is in the income that is derived from them. MLB's position that it refuses to mix issues of integrity and economics should be taken with a grain of salt.

In its meeting with MLB on the background checks, the WUA asked the Commissioner's office to resolve another long-standing problem that the umpires believe impacts the integrity of the game -- the need for a seventh umpire to be assigned to work post-season games to ensure that they are fully staffed in the event of injuries or other problems. If MLB is going to take its lead from the NBA on the background investigations, it should know that the NBA assigns an extra referee to all its playoffs and finals games, and no less should be expected of MLB's divisional and championship games. MLB maintains that this is an economic issue, but its definition of what is economic and what is integrity is suspect.

About the World Umpires Association

The World Umpires Association represents Major League Baseball's 70 full- time umpires.

Contact: Lamell J. McMorris World Umpires Association Spokesman 202.638.5090 lmcmorris@perennialsg.com http://www.worldumpires.com/