What if MLB owned all the numbers?

Did you hear the story about how MLB is trying to “sell” its statistics so that it can obtain a piece of the muli-million dollar fantasy league market?

My favorite quote from this story is this: “Last year, MLB bought the rights to the statistics from the Major League Players' Association.” I am not sure if the MLBPA even knew that the statistics could be bought or sold, but I give Don Fehr credit for keeping a straight face when Bud asked him how much he wanted.

Talk about stupidity! Perhaps MLB will confiscate all fans’ scorecards at the conclusion of ballgames so that fans cannot sell the statistics on the rotisserie black market. Heck, why stop there? Why not just confiscate all pens and pencils so that we will have to memorize the statistics from the day’s game so we can write them down at home? (Players don't give autographs anymore anyway!) The rights’ fees for MLB games will multiply just so the networks will have the right to show batting averages and ERA’s on the screen beside a player’s height, weight and alma mater. Newspapers would have to add a nickel to the cost of any subscription that still wants the sports page to include box scores.

Does anyone really wonder why the NFL has passed baseball as America’s favorite sport?