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Why Is Major League Baseball Exempt From Antitrust Laws?

2022 marks 100 years since the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that professional baseball is exempt from the Sherman Antitrust Act.
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Peanuts, crackerjack and a century-old exemption from antitrust law: all part of America’s pastime.  

2022 marks 100 years since the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that professional baseball is exempt from the Sherman Antitrust Act. That was a law from 1890 aimed to limit monopolies and protect competitive business practices. 

So why did the court give baseball a free pass?