MLB, Cape Cod League In Battle Over MLB Properties, Money
Six teams in the 10-team Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) that share nicknames with MLB franchises must either "purchase all future uniforms and souvenir merchandise from more expensive MLB-licensed vendors or lose" MLB's annual $100,000 grant to the league, according to Rob Duca of the CAPE COD TIMES. MLB also is requesting an 11% royalty on "sales next summer of existing inventory from the six" CCBL teams, and "non-clothing items such as coffee mugs and teddy bears that are not available through MLB vendors could no longer be sold." Sources said that the six affected teams, the Chatham A's, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Harwich Mariners, Bourne Braves, Orleans Cardinals and Hyannis Mets, are "considering changing their nicknames rather than shutting out local merchants." But Duca noted it is "too late to adorn uniforms and merchandise with new logos before" this season, set to open in June. Before a March 21 deadline, the league "hopes to reach a compromise with MLB that will allow local merchants to remain involved in sales of uniforms and other merchandise." The CCBL also is "seeking to delay a new agreement until Sept. 1, thus avoiding losing revenue'' in '08. The CCBL also would "no longer be allowed to use the MLB logo on its programs and yearbooks" (CAPE COD TIMES, 3/7).
NAME GAME: In Massachusetts, Rich Maclone noted the six teams all have held their nicknames for at least 20 years, with the Cardinals and A's having had theirs in place for more than 40. Also, the Harwich Mariners' name "predates the existing Seattle MLB team's name." Under the terms of the agreement proposed by MLB Properties, each CCBL team will be "granted the right to use a text-only and stylized version of the team's nickname and a composite logo consisting of MLB's silhouetted batter logo combined with the text 'funded in part by Major League Baseball.'" Also as part of the deal, no club batting helmets or caps will feature any MLB trademark (Bourne ENTERPRISE, 3/7).
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