Little League cost of licensing MLB shirts

[DatHoser]

I have two boys in Little League in Lake Country (if anybody remembers that, you've either got a great memory or are a little creepyhttp://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif). Anyway, this year our league switched to non-MLB and even non-MiLB team names. I asked one of the coaches who is also involved in organizing it what happened. He explained that the licensing fee for the shirts was doubled. Plus, he also thought that Bud Selig was in the vanguard for getting the fees raised. Has anybody else run into this? If so, have they gone up that much? Plus, did Proud-to-be-your-Bud actual have a hand in this?

 

If all or most of this is true, what does this say about MLB's attitude toward its future fans? I ask this because it seems interest in youth baseball is waning. My oldest had a scrimmage canceled due to too many boys going to soccer practice instead. Blasphemy!!

 

First thing first. Are other youth leagues going through this?

[Invader3K]

I do remember hearing about some kind of flap regarding this last year. You would think MLB would work out some kind of sensible deal for kids to get to wear their uniforms. Helps create MLB fans, like you said.

 

I remember when I was about 13 I played in a city summer softball league. The next year the league was canceled because too many of the kids were also in soccer, so this isn't a new problem.

[TooLiveBrew]

I do remember hearing about some kind of flap regarding this last year.

 

I do too, iirc it was in the Major League forum. Couldn't find anything searching though

[DatHoser]

I remember posting in that forum as well. It was pretty much agreed that MLB does have the right for a licensing fee - easily understood as they, as well as Majestic, have an investment in it. But you'd think they would do like Invader said and create reasonable fees for the youth leagues. And I sound like this after cooling off for a few days.

[JoeHova]

The league should call up NPB and see how much they would want to license their team names. Who wouldn't want to be a Dragon or a BayStar? Or maybe a Swallow?

[mothershipconnection]

I, for one, would be honored to be a Ham Fighter.

[TooLiveBrew]

Aren't they just the Fighers? I thought Nippon Ham is the company name (in lieu of a city name, the team is in Sapporo), and then Fighters is the nickname.

[DatHoser]

The league should call up NPB and see how much they would want to license their team names. Who wouldn't want to be a Dragon or a BayStar? Or maybe a Swallow?

That would be way cool! Maybe even the independent leagues around the country would be a place to ask about.

 

Also, in lieu of using MLB t-shirts, my 8-yr-olds unis are the really nice uniform material instead of the plain cotton T's. At least there's a plus to this.