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“Mauro Says Changes Will Be Made”
Speaks For First Time Since Merger
11/7/2009
Uncasville, CT- World Baseball Organization Commissioner Matt Mauro, speaking for the first time since the merger yesterday, insisted that, while changes will be made, they will be gradual, and the new “WBO Major League” will look exactly the same in 2010 as it did in 2009.
“I have three goals for the WBO and the game of baseball,” said Mauro, with Bud Selig in attendance, “To grow the game, both domestically and globally, to improve competitive balance, and to eliminate the use of performance enhancing drugs.”
While he didn’t give much insight into future changes, he did say that consolidating the minor leagues is at the top of the list.
“I feel there’s too many farm teams, too many cities and players are getting lost in the shuffle…I’d rather see more organizations and less farm teams.”
Beginning in the 2011 season, each Major League team will have only four farm teams, as the short-season A league will be dismantled. According to Mauro, the plan is to eventually replace those minor league cities with Major League teams.
Mauro also revealed that the WBO and the new WBO Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a Collective Bargaining Agreement. The strict drug testing will remain, and the highest league of the WBO, the new Major League, will not have a salary cap. However, Mauro does plan to install a salary cap in both the ABL and WBL in the future.
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