Requiring Evaluation By Government Accountability Office of Social, Economic, and Historic Contributions By Minor League Baseball

Floor Speech

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Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan measure to draw attention to a really horrible development that could occur if, again, Congress and the public are not watching, which is a proposal by Major League Baseball to eliminate 25 percent of the minor league teams all across America.

I am here next to the logo of the Norwich Sea Unicorns, which is a Class A baseball team in Norwich, Connecticut, a franchise that goes back decades. As many of the other Members have said, it provides an affordable family venue for people to go to a professional baseball game and see the stars of the future, something that, with the price of tickets of Major League Baseball, whether it is Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, or Citi Field in New York City, is just far beyond what a working family can afford to do.

The logic of this, in terms of economics, makes absolutely no sense. Over the last 4 years, Minor League Baseball has averaged consistently 40 million fans. The cost to Major League Baseball per franchise is about $400,000 for the entire team for a season.

When you look at the average value of a Major League Baseball team, it is about $1.78 billion. Again, there are, obviously, the really high-rent teams like the Yankees in my friend Carolyn Maloney's neighborhood, but even the smallest is worth over $1 billion. So, the notion that Major League Baseball is in desperate financial straits just does not add up.

That is why having GAO called upon, which this bill does--this isn't just a feel-good bill. It calls on the gold standard, the neutral analysts in our country to drill down and look at what the economic impact would be. And we who represent these communities know that the impact would be devastating.

On February 3, we had a rally in Norwich, Connecticut. Hundreds of people showed up, the vendors and folks who actually benefit from the economic ripple effect of a Minor League Baseball team, but also the families and kids, the high school baseball teams that use the field.

We need to rise up and stop this development, which really goes to the heart of our country in terms of its national pastime. Again, I strongly urge all of us to come together and pass this resolution.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge passage of H.R. 6020, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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