Little things mean a lot, like "baseball" instead of "MLB, Inc."

• From the NY Times article, 5/5/07, on US teams playing in Asia in 2008,

"As reported by The New York Post yesterday, Major League Baseball is in preliminary negotiations with several teams, including the Yankees and the Red Sox, about playing exhibition games in China next March and opening the regular season in Japan, according to several individuals briefed on the negotiations.

Although other teams are involved,

• baseball would prefer the Yankees and the Red Sox, who have the league’s most contentious rivalry and would conceivably feature four Japanese players, to open the season in Asia. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres are believed to be two other choices.

“We are talking to a number of different clubs about a number of different possibilities,” Patrick Courtney, a spokesman for Major League Baseball, said in a telephone interview."

• "baseball would prefer..." Is this a late addition to the New York Times Style Manual, speaking of "baseball" with a small "b?" I'm aware many hip, with it, and/or economically connected pundits refer to "Baseball" meaning either MLB, Inc. or Allan H. "Bud" Selig, but this is the first time I've seen either of these entities referred to with a small "b."

Whatever the reason, it will go on no matter what I think about it. I just enjoy making a point that may prove interesting in the future.

• Item from the NY Times article by Michael S. Schmidt, "Yankees and Red Sox May Open 2008 in Asia," 5/5/07.

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