MASN on Friday sent an pointed letter to N.Y. State Supreme Court Judge Lawrence Marks, arguing MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s remarks on Thursday regarding the ongoing media rights dispute were “highly prejudicial and demonstrate that MASN cannot receive a fair and impartial hearing ... in a forum controlled by MLB.” Marks is due to rule any day now on MASN’s bid to vacate an internal arbitration by MLB’s Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee in favor of the Nationals, following oral arguments Monday in Manhattan. When asked Thursday at the conclusion of the owners meetings how he sees the case proceeding, Manfred responded, “I think the agreement’s clear in MASN. The RSDC was empowered to set the rights fees, and that’s what they did. Sooner or later, MASN is going to be required to pay those rights fees.” MASN in its latest letter to Marks argued those comments represented further evidence of what they believe is improper bias by Manfred and MLB. “By his own statements, Mr. Manfred has shed all semblance of impartiality and removed all doubt this dispute must either be kept by the Court for resolution on the merits, or sent to an arbitration panel independent of Major League Baseball. ... Mr. Manfred’s comments confirm that MLB cannot disassociate itself from its biases, predeterminations and influence over the RSDC. It is beyond any reasonable dispute that Mr. Manfred’s revelations have poisoned any notion that MLB can or would act in a fair or neutral manner.”
