Stepping Up to the Plate: Minor Leaguers Attempt to Remedy their Unconscionable Plight

Professional baseball players are often thought of as making multi-million-dollar salaries, but most professional baseball players have recently made under $15,000 a year. Minor league players toiled under an onerous system resulting from baseball's judicially created antitrust exemption and lobbying efforts that exempted them from minimum wage and overtime. These factors allowed teams to impose a uniform player contract (UPC) on players with numerous unconscionable provisions for years. However, a late-night Tweet in August of 2022 sent shockwaves through the sports and labor world, announcing that the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) was sending out authorization cards to represent minor league players. After years of fighting to maintain the authority to impose conditions on minor league players, through lobbying and litigation, Major League Baseball (MLB) turned over a new leaf and recognized the unionization of minor league players under the MLBPA less than three weeks later. In light of this long sought-after recognition, this article takes a novel approach. First, it provides historical context for baseball's unique ability to impose working conditions on minor leaguers without significant concern for legal ramifications. Second, it provides an overview of the doctrine of contractual unconscionability and analyzes the prior UPC as an unconscionable agreement. Finally, it details the historic unionization process and makes detailed recommendations to ameliorate the unconscionable conditions minor league players have faced when they negotiate with MLB owners to draft their initial collective bargaining agreement.     

Improved Area of Origin Estimation for Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Using 3D Scanning

An important component of crime scene reconstruction is bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA). Where BPA concerns impact patterns, estimating the area of origin is critical information for scene reconstruction. Traditionally, this is achieved by measuring individual bloodstains and performing trigonometric calculations; however, 3D scanning has been proposed as a viable alternative for overcoming logistical and practical concerns with the manual method. Therefore, this project aimed to establish whether the FARO Focus 3D scanner and FARO Zone 3D software can improve the accuracy of area of origin estimates relative to the manual method. We created a series of eight bloodstain impact patterns and performed paired analysis using the two methods to estimate areas of origin for each pattern. Our data suggested that FARO-derived estimates were generally more accurate than using the manual method. FARO-estimated heights of origin areas were generally closer to the true distance. Both methods underestimated the distance from the wall for most patterns originating 150mm or greater from the wall, but overestimated distances for patterns originating closer to the wall. The degree to which distances were underestimated increased significantly the further the blood source was from the wall and was greater for FARO-derived estimates. The results of this research contribute to the validation of these instruments for operational implementation for BPA and should be considered alongside the practical benefits of 3D scanning relative to manual methods. Further, 3D scanning can provide reliable BPA reconstruction documentation for technical review and court presentation.     

Red Tape,Rule Burden,and Legitimate Performance Trade-Offs: Results from a Vignette Experiment

Abstract

Goals in the public sector are complex and managers can face situations in which pursuing one legitimate goal necessitates performance trade-offs in other areas. This study tests how knowledge of legitimate performance trade-offs shapes the perception of red tape. Using a vignette experimental design and a sample of university students, between group t-tests and regression analyses suggest that, when evaluating increased rule burden, individuals that are provided with information about how objectively burdensome rules serve alternative values such as equity and effectiveness associate them with lower levels of red tape. A series of Monte Carlo simulations suggest that this effect is substantial.     

疫情防控中的征用补偿:适用范围的思考

疫情防控过程中大量进行的政府征用面临着疫情过后补偿机制的落实任务。厘定征用补偿机制的适用范围成为首要课题。就规范框架所展开的征用补偿机制而言,需要排除"名为征用、实为征收"和"由征用转化而成的征收",并特殊处理国有资产的征用问题。在可能扩充的范围上,可以考虑"名为限制性措施、实为征用"和人力、服务等非有形物的征用。同时,征用导致特定主体的额外"特别牺牲",以及在平台经济模式下电商平台是否可能构成新的征用样态,也值得关注。     

《全球变局与中国战略研究》序

卫东是学哲学的,确切些说,是自学成材的,十几年前,当他还是一名攻读研究生的青年学子的时候,他就开始以创新求实的精神,力争在我国蓬勃发展的国际政治学领域里构建一门专业学科——国际关系辩证法。他那刻苦奋进、孜孜以求的钻研精神,使我这耄耋老者也因他的每一成功与进步,不由得不窃喜于心,夸赞于口,鼓励我的学生向他学习。     

2006:立足本国看世界

2006年是我国"十一·五"开局之年.了解我国在当前国际格局中所占位置至关重要.大国与地区关系总体看好,也有困难等待我们去面对,去克服.国际环境要求我国转变经济增长方式,而我国适时地转变反过来又将大幅改善我国所处国际环境.     

青藏铁路建设给我国铁路发展带来的启示

2006年7月1日,青藏铁路正式通车。胡锦涛总书记在青藏铁路通车庆祝大会上的重要讲话中,阐述了青藏铁路建设伟大实践的重要启示:必须紧紧抓住发展这个党执政兴国的第一要务,不断增强我国的综合国力;必须加快科技进步和创新,大力提高我国的自主创新能力;必须发挥社会主义制度的政治优势,形成万众一心共创伟业的生动局面;必须大力弘扬艰苦奋斗、自强不息的精神,坚韧不拔地创造历史伟业。胡锦涛同志的重要讲话,高度概括了青藏铁路建设的宝贵经验,为全面深入推进铁路跨越式发展、开创铁路建设新局面指明了方向。青藏铁路建设的伟大实践不仅对我国…