MARIA: WELCOME BACK AT THAT TIME
OF YEAR.
AMERICA'S FAVORITE PASTIME.
THURSDAY'S OPENING DAY FOR
BASEBALL.
THE FIRST TIME IN 50 YEARS,
EVERY SINGLE TEAM WILL PLAY ON
OPENING DAY.
IT IS ALSO THE EARLIEST OPENING
DAY IN LEAGUE HISTORY WITH THE
CUBS VERSUS THE MARLINS ON
THURSDAY.
THE ASTROS FACING OFF AGAINST
THE RANGERS AND THE YANKEES WILL
TAKE ON THE BLUE JAYS IN
TORONTO.
FOX DID THIS INTERVIEW, AND I'LL
BE COMMISSIONER, GREAT TO SEE
YOU.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF STUFF OVER MY
CAREER.
THE MOST EXCITING DAY OF MY LIFE
WAS WHEN I THREW OUT THE FIRST
PITCH AT YANKEE STADIUM.
I MEAN, IT'S INCREDIBLE.
THIS BLOG REALLY IS EXCITING.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
OPENING DAY WITH ALL OF THEM
OPENING UP ONE'S?
>> WE ARE THRILLED ABOUT THE
IDEA.
BACK TO THE TRADITION OF
EVERYONE ON OPENING DAY IS AN
EXCITING THING FOR THE SPORT.
GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO OWN
THURSDAY TO THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY
THAT IT SHOULD BE.
>> THE ASTROS ARE REALLY
TALENTED.
A LOT OF GOOD TEAMS OUT THERE.
THE ONE TEAM IN NEW YORK, THE
YANKEES, SAYING THAT THE CUBS.
DODGERS WERE GREAT LAST YEAR SO
WE HAVE A REALLY COMPETITIVE
SEASON.
MARIA: BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THESE
RULE CHANGES.
THE TALK ABOUT SPEEDING UP THE
GAME AS ONE OF THEM.
TESTING THE MINOR LEAGUES.
A RUNNER ON SECOND BASE AS THE
GAME GOES TO EXTRA INNINGS.
DOES THIS EXPAND TO THE MAJOR
LEAGUES?
>> THE RULE CHANGES IN THE MAJOR
LEAGUES THIS YEAR ARE SPEEDING
UP THE CLOCK BATTERS HAVE TO BE
READY TO GO AT 2:05 I SHOULD SAY
THIS ABOUT 25 SECONDS, WHICH
ADDS UP TO BE A LOT OF TIME.
SIX PER GAME.
THE IDEA THERE IS TO TAKE THE
TIME OUT OF THE GAME.
WE'RE TRYING TO PROCEED SLOWLY
AT THE MAJOR-LEAGUE LEVEL.
MORE AGGRESSIVE IN THE MINOR
LEAGUES.
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE
SUCCESSFUL.
THOSE COULD COME TO THE MAJOR
LEAGUES.
THE EXTRA INNING RULE I DON'T
SEE AT THE MAJOR LEAGUE LEVEL.
SOME PEOPLE LIKE IT.
DOES MAKE FOR EXCITEMENT, BUT
BREAKING THE TRADITION AT THE
BIG-LEAGUE LEVEL IS NOT LIKELY
TO HAPPEN.
>> THE LADY IS SPEEDING UP THE
GAME, IS THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT
IT DOESN'T IMPACT IN ENGAGEMENT?
WE WATCH WHAT IS HAPPENING AT
THE NFL WITH THE DROP IN
VIEWERSHIP OVER THE LAST COUPLE
YEARS.
ARE YOU WATCHING THIS END IS
THAT PART OF IT?
>> IT'S A HUGE ISSUE.
DURING THE BREAKS THERE IS A LOT
GOING ON.
MARIA: IT'S WHEN YOU'RE AT HOME.
>> EVERY ONE OF THOSE WE PAY A
LOT OF ATTENTION TO WHAT IS
GOING ON IN OTHER SPORTS.
WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE HOWEVER.
OUR LAST TWO WORLD SERIES HAVE
BEEN ACCESSIBLE IN TERMS OF OUR
RATINGS.
DURING THE SUMMER AND 25 OF OUR
MARKETS ON GAME DAYS WERE THE
NUMBER ONE PROGRAMMING ON
TELEVISION.
ARE YOU FORTUNATE.
IN THE SUMMER TIME, PEOPLE
REMEMBER THAT BASEBALL IS A
NATIONAL PASTIME AND THEY TUNE
IN.
MARIA: THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
TELL ME ABOUT THAT BECAUSE
YOU'VE GOT THE YANKEES ACQUIRED
ARGUABLY THE TWO BEST SLUGGERS.
HOW ARE THEY ABLE TO PULL OFF
THAT TRADE?
>> ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE THE
MARLINS FELT WITH THEIR NEW
OWNERSHIP THEY WANTED TO GO DOWN
A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PATH.
THE YANKEES WERE THERE AS
WILLING BUYERS IN A VERY LARGE
CONTRACT ON THE TWO PLAYERS
TOGETHER LAST YEAR.
HIS FOUR SHORT OF WHAT THEY DID
IN THEIR HISTORIC SEASON.
>> YOU'VE GOT THE FORMER SHORTS
TOP DETER JETER NOW OWNING THE
MARLINS WERE PART OF THE
MARLINS.
WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR THE GAME?
ARE THEY GOOD FOR THE SPORT?
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
>> IT'S GREAT FOR THE SPORT.
IT'S DIFFICULT AT THE BEGINNING.
THEY TAKE OVER A TEAM, IT'S
OBVIOUSLY DIFFICULT TO GET YOUR
FOOTING.
I WAS DOWN INSIDE MARLINS SPRING
TRAINING GAME CAN'T TALK TO
PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION.
THERE IS A PHENOMENAL JOB.
THE ORGANIZATION IS VERY
POSITIVE.
A LOT OF GREAT YOUNG TALENT AND
I HAVE EVERY EXPECTATION THAT
DEREK WILL BE REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
BEING THAT WHEN SOMEBODY WHO
KNOWS THE GAME KNOWS THE TRICKS,
HOW TO GET AROUND THE FIELD AS
AN OWNER, IT COULD BE REAL
POSITIVE.
>> PARTICULARLY A PLAYER OF
DEREK'S STATURE INVOLVED ON THE
OWNERSHIP SIDE OF THE GAME.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE NEW
TAX LAW.
THE NEW TAX LAW SEEMS TO BE
THROWING THE PLAYERS AND OWNERS
A CURVEBALL IF YOU WILL.
YOU COULD MAKE IT SO THE CLUBS
FACE HIGHER CAPITAL GAINS TAXES
WERE TRADING HIGHLY PLAYED
TRAILERS.
THIS IS SOMETHING I DIDN'T THINK
ABOUT INITIALLY AT THE TAX MAN.
HOW DOES THIS IMPACT THAN
PLAYERS?
>> IT COULD BE AN IMPEDIMENT TO
TRADES TAKING PLACE,
PARTICULARLY THE REQUIREMENT
EVALUATION.
IT WAS NOT INTENDED TO APPLY TO
TRADES OF BASEBALL PLAYERS AND
WE ARE HOPE FOR WHEN THINGS GET
CLARIFIED IN THE TECHNICAL
CORRECTIONS THAT WILL DEAL WITH
THAT ISSUE.
MARIA: EGAD BECAUSE YOU DON'T
THINK OF THE TRADE OF THE PLAYER
BEING THE SAME AS CAPITAL GAINS.
>> OF YOU THINK ABOUT THE
ECONOMICS, I'M TREATING YOU SENT
AND RETURNED FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
THEY SHOULD BE TREATED AS EQUAL
VALUE, OTHERWISE SOMEONE IS NOT
ACTING, WHICH I DON'T GET THE
CASE.
MARIA: HAVE YOU BEEN IN TOUCH
WITH LAWMAKERS?
>> WE HAVE.
MARIA: THEY ARE AWARE OF
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
>> THERE IS A LARGE LIST OF
THINGS.
WE HAVE A COUPLE ISSUES IN THE
TAX BILL BUT HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH
WITH LAWMAKERS ABOUT IN THE HOPE
THEY GET CLARIFIED.
MARIA: THE TWO-GAME SERIES
BETWEEN THE YANKEES AND REDS
SOX.
THIS WOULD BE THE AMERICAN
BASEBALL'S FIRST REGULAR-SEASON
GAME.
PRETTY EXCITING STUFF.
>> VERY EXCITING.
A FRIEND TEAR THAT WE NEED TO
GET TO.
WE WANT TO GET THERE WITH OUR
VERY BEST.
WE THINK IT WILL BE VERY
EXCITING AND GIVE US A FOOTHOLD
IN EUROPE.
MARIA: THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
PIECE OF BUSINESS.
STREAMING DEALS WITH TWITTER,
ESPN, INTEL, YOUTUBE, ALSO
STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE.
THE EXCLUSIVE GAME.
>> BEEN ON THE CUTTING-EDGE OF
TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN
REALLY GOOD FOR BUSINESS.
THE SALE OF THE ASSET TO DISNEY.
WE FEEL THAT THE STREAMING DEALS
ARE IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF
CAPTURING THE NEXT GENERATION OF
FANS.
MARIA: YOU HAVE TO.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THE NEXT GENERATION WANTS TO SEE
THEIR FAVORITE SPORT AND WE HOPE
IT'S BASEBALL ON A VARIETY OF
DIFFERENT PLATFORMS AND OUR
STRATEGY HAS BEEN TO MAKE THE
GAMES AVAILABLE ON THE PLATFORM.
MARIA: YOU CITED EARLIER YOU SEE
MORE PEOPLE IN THE STANDS THAN
BEFORE.
ARE YOU HAVING A HARD TIME
GETTING PEOPLE IN THEIR SEATS?
>> IT'S AMAZING.
114 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE LAST
YEAR.
THAT'S A PHENOMENAL NUMBER FOR
US.
OUR BALLPARK EXPERIENCE IS
DIFFERENT THAN OUR BROADCAST SIX
AREAS.
THERE IS A CERTAIN CAMARADERIE
TO IT THAT'S ALL THE
ENTERTAINMENT THAT GOES ON IN A
BALLPARK IN OUR ATTENDANCE HAS
REMAINED FAIRLY STABLE.
THOSE PROMOTIONAL NIGHTS ARE
VERY POPULAR WITH OUR FANS.