Case Brief Rose V Giammatti

Pierson Crowder

Case Brief: September 9, 2016

Rose v. Giamatti, 721 F. Supp. 906 (S.D. Ohio 1989)

Facts:

        MLB gave power to the baseball commissioner to essentially create his own rules of procedure. Allegations surfaced against Pete Rose claiming he was betting on MLB games while the field manager of the Cincinnati Reds.  Commissioner Giamatti retained John Downd to conduct an investigation. With the evidence Downd recovered from the investigation, Giamatti scheduled a hearing concerning the allegations.

Procedural History:

        The case was transferred to the eastern division of the court in fear that the plaintiff would receive unfair bias.  The plaintiff listed 3 defendants: Commissioner Giamatti, Major League Baseball, and the Cincinnati Reds. The complaint states that Giamatti has gone beyond his rights as Commissioner of Baseball to summon him to a hearing, and that MLB and the Cincinnati Reds would be under breach of contract to allow the Commissioner to freely break procedural code. The court found that under the unique structure/relationship the MLB created with its Commissioner of Baseball, they (as well as the Cincinnati Reds) allow for the commissioner to create his own rules. Therefore, the court found that the defendants MLB and the Cincinnati reds were wrongly filed or at least should be considered nominal parties.

Issue:

• Is there a necessary collision of interest between Pete Rose on one side and MLB/Cincinnati Reds on the other side?

Holding:

• No. Even if Commissioner Giamatti went beyond his own self-imposed restrictions, it is not up to MLB or the Cincinnati Reds to keep him accountable.

Rationale:

        Upon organization of a Commissioner of Baseball, the MLB essentially appointed the commissioner as judge and jury over rule violations. Thus, it is not either of the leagues’ or any of the teams’ responsibility to hold the commissioner accountable while he is conducting an investigation. They may intervene/appeal after a punishment is given, however.

Significance:

        It is important to know how the hierarchy of your workplace is structured.  Pete Rose listed MLB and the Reds as defendants, assuming that they were not protecting their side of the contract in protecting him.  However, the court found that these entities were wrongly listed.