Editing Major League Baseball (section)

==Organizational structure==
MLB is governed by the [[Major League Baseball Constitution]]. This document has undergone several incarnations since its creation in 1876.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Berg|first1=Ted|title=Someone is selling MLB's original 1876 constitution, and it's expected to fetch millions|url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/04/mlb-original-constitution-national-league-base-ball-sale-auction|website=USA Today|access-date=August 22, 2017|date=April 21, 2017|archive-date=August 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822223049/http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/04/mlb-original-constitution-national-league-base-ball-sale-auction|url-status=live}}</ref> Under the direction of the [[commissioner of baseball]], MLB hires and maintains the sport's [[umpire (baseball)|umpiring]] crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and [[Major League Baseball television contracts|television contracts]]. MLB maintains a unique, controlling relationship over the sport, including most aspects of [[Minor League Baseball]]. This is due in large part to the 1922 [[U.S. Supreme Court]] ruling in ''[[Federal Baseball Club v. National League]]'', which held that baseball is not [[interstate commerce]] and therefore not subject to federal [[antitrust]] law; MLB is the only league that has such a status, and has not faced any competition since this case.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/1286/ending-baseballs-antitrust-exemption-what-would-it-mean/ |title=Ending Baseball's Antitrust Exemption: What Would It Mean? |last=Belth |first=Alex |date=November 26, 2001 |website=Baseball Prospectus |access-date=November 10, 2021 |quote=Baseball is the only major sport that has an exemption from antitrust law. |archive-date=November 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110181611/https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/1286/ending-baseballs-antitrust-exemption-what-would-it-mean/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/05/29/happy-birthday-to-baseballs-antitrust-exemption/ |title=Happy birthday to baseball's antitrust exemption |last=Calcaterra |first=Craig |date=May 29, 2019 |website=NBC Sports |access-date=November 10, 2021 |quote=What is still in place, firmly, is Major League Baseball's ability to work to thwart competitors, if any ever arise, and its ability to carve out protected geographic territories for its clubs and anti-competitive contract rights for its clubs. |archive-date=November 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110181610/https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/05/29/happy-birthday-to-baseballs-antitrust-exemption/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This ruling has been weakened only slightly in subsequent years.<ref name="Policy Debate: Should the antitrust exemption for baseball be eliminated?"/> The weakened ruling granted more stability to the owners of teams and has resulted in values increasing at double-digit rates.<ref name="Policy Debate: Should the antitrust exemption for baseball be eliminated?">{{cite web|url=http://www.swlearning.com/economics/policy_debates/baseball.html|title=Policy Debate: Should the antitrust exemption for baseball be eliminated?|access-date=September 4, 2008|publisher=www.swlearning.com|archive-date=October 6, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006195750/http://www.swlearning.com/economics/policy_debates/baseball.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/role-antitrust-laws-professional-sports-industry-financial-perspective|title=The Role of Antitrust Laws in the Professional Sports Industry From a Financial Perspective|access-date=September 4, 2008|work=Howard Bartee, Jr|publisher=The Sport Journal |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607094652/http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/role-antitrust-laws-professional-sports-industry-financial-perspective|archive-date=June 7, 2008}}</ref> There were several challenges to MLB's primacy in the sport, with notable attempts to establish competing leagues occurring during the late 1800s, from 1913 to 1915 with the short-lived [[Federal League]], and in 1960 with the aborted [[Continental League]].<ref name="Policy Debate: Should the antitrust exemption for baseball be eliminated?"/>

The chief executive of MLB is the commissioner, [[Rob Manfred]]. The deputy commissioner of baseball administration and chief legal officer is Dan Halem. There are seven other executives: executive vice president and general counsel, chief operations and strategy officer, chief communications officer, chief financial officer and senior advisor, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, chief revenue officer, and chief baseball development officer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/8023312/major-league-baseball-executive-jimmie-lee-solomon-resigns-21-years|title=Manfred promoted; Jimmie Lee Solomon resigns|work=ESPN|date=June 7, 2012|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=December 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203040205/http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8023312/major-league-baseball-executive-jimmie-lee-solomon-resigns-21-years|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=execs>{{cite web|title=MLB Executives|website=[[MLB.com]]|year=2013|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/executives.jsp|access-date=February 23, 2017|archive-date=March 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321020038/https://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/executives.jsp|url-status=live}}</ref>

The multimedia branch of MLB is [[MLB Advanced Media]], which is based in New York City. This branch oversees [[MLB.com]] and each of the 30 teams' websites. Its charter states that MLB Advanced Media holds [[editorial independence]] from the league, but it is under the same ownership group and revenue-sharing plan. MLB Productions is a similarly structured wing of the league, focusing on video and traditional broadcast media. MLB also owns 67 percent of [[MLB Network]], with the other 33 percent split between several cable operators and satellite provider [[DirecTV]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.mlb.com/network|title=MLB Network|website=[[MLB.com]]|access-date=October 30, 2013|archive-date=October 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031173145/http://m.mlb.com/network|url-status=dead}}</ref> It operates out of studios in [[Secaucus, New Jersey]], and also has editorial independence from the league.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/network/about|title=About MLB Network|website=[[MLB.com]]|access-date=October 30, 2013|archive-date=October 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012074733/http://m.mlb.com/network/about/|url-status=live}}</ref>