Federal Baseball Club of Baltimore, Inc. v. National League of Professional Baseball Clubs et al. (1900)
- Docket
- 204
- Decided
- 1900-1940-
- Category
- General
Summary
Question: Are the activities of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs and the American League of Professional Base Ball Clubs subject to the Sherman Act? Conclusion: No. Writing for a unanimous Supreme Court, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court held that the baseball leagues were not engaging in interstate trade or commerce as defined by the Sherman Act because the exhibition that is a baseball game is not trade or commerce as those terms were commonly understood. As such, the baseball leagues were not subject to the Sherman Act.