‘Moneyball Act’ Targets MLB’s Antitrust Exemption

Two Congress members from the East Bay have proposed a measure directed at Major League Baseball as the ownership group of the Oakland Athletics seeks a new stadium in Las Vegas.

Representatives Barbara Lee and Mark DeSaulnier, both Democrats from California, introduced a bill referred to as the “Moneyball Act,” named after the book that chronicled the Oakland A’s successful approach to baseball in 2003.

The proposed measure would mandate that professional baseball teams, including the A’s, compensate their former community if they move more than 25 miles away. Failure to comply would result in Major League Baseball losing its antitrust exemption.

“This legislation will ensure that no city and community is left behind when billionaires decide that lining their own pockets is more important than the community that supports them,” Lee said in a statement Tuesday.

Read more: US Rep. Lee Questions MLB Antitrust Exemption

“The Oakland Athletics have been an institution of the East Bay for over half a century. If the A’s ownership group decides to leave, Oakland should not be left empty-handed,” the representative and candidate for U.S. Senate went on to say.

The A’s are seeking a new home to replace the Coliseum, which has been their home ballpark since 1968. A proposal to partially fund a stadium on the Las Vegas Strip is currently being debated by legislators in Nevada during a special session.