Re: monopoly definition

[DonKelley@aol.com]

For what it's worth...in 1952, after 49 years with no changes in the American or National League (the last change being in 1903 when, as Attorney Ross mentioned, the old Baltimore Orioles moved to New York) there was an attempted move that was denied by MLB.

Bill Veeck (as in Wreck) was the owner of the hapless St. Louis Browns.  He decided he'd move the team back to Milwaukee, where they had played in 1901.  The AL owners turned down the idea.  The following year, 1953, Lou Perini moved the Braves to Milwaukee...where his AAA team was located.  This was a last-minute decision made in late March - about two weeks before the season started. The NL approved the move.

This pissed Veeck off big time, so he sold the Browns to a group from Baltimore.

So the first attempt at a franchise move in the era of exemption was indeed blocked.