Baseball’s territorial system is entirely of their own devising.  The antitrust exemption—some argue—is only a means of protecting the practice from outside attack.  If baseball wants to do away with it itself, it is more than welcome to do it.

If Selig agrees to be lax about the Giants’ territorial rights (as he was with some horse trading re: the Orioles’ claim on DC), practically speaking, it will be harder for him to try to protect the next team’s territorial rights when another owner wishes to move.

Sometime next year: “In an unprecedented move MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced that Fremont and San Jose have tied for the rights to host the formerly-Oakland Athletics.  Although the rule book does not specify whether a team can reside in two cities, the commissioner invoked the ‘good of the game’ clause, stating ‘It’s not fair to pick one city or the other.  If baseball can tolerate ties in the All-Star Game and in a World Series game, surely it can stand a tie between cities in their bids to host a franchise.’  The compromise, however, will be temporary, as starting in the 2010 season Selig will force the Athletics to play in whichever city they win the most interleague games this season.”