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New ads on Phillies jerseys – an unwanted reminder that baseball is a business

August 2, 2024

Jul 31, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) reacts after hitting an RBI single during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

I'm generally on board with capitalism. Free markets, the invisible hand, McDonald's and whatnot? Hell yeah. Great stuff. Nobody wants to wait in line for government-issued chicken nuggets.
But pure, unfettered capitalism in areas like health care, criminal justice, or education? That's where things can get dicey. The profit motive can incentivize some awful behavior.
We have to take a stand somewhere, comrades. Maybe we should start with baseball jerseys.
How can you not be romantic about baseball? Maybe because of this right here.
The Phillies unveiled Independence Blue Cross (IBX) as the team's "Official Jersey Patch Partner" on Wednesday. Financial details of the deal were not immediatel...

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