Sitting at the front of the courtroom by the judge, you can see every part of the room. The jury on the side, the viewers in the back behind the railing, the expressions trying to be hidden, the security on guard, the smell of pressed suits and expensive perfume, the anxiety of what is to be ruled, and the tapping of fingers on wood fill the courtroom. Even as a guest Judge I can see the tension between Daniel Silverman (the General Counsel for for the National Labor Relations Board and petitioner) and a representative from the Major League Baseball Player Relations Committee (the defender), their shoulders are tight, backs are straight, and eyes never wandering from the other.
“... and guest Judge, Sonia Sotomayor,” says the court clerk, pulling me out of my thoughts.
Everyone one else is standing, I stand up.
After the clerk introduces everyone we all sit back down. The Judge explains the case and then it's Silverman’s turn to talk.
Silverman states the problem, which is about a labor-agreement made for the MLB players. The problem with the labor agreement is that it gives certain players a higher salary and others a lower one, which is unfair to those with the lower pay. The MLB PRC explained how the labor-agreement worked and why they think it is unfair.
As they explain their opinions, in my head, thoughts and questions are popping up. Why would they have different pay? Just because some players have played for a longer amount of time, doesn’t give them the right to have higher paychecks than those who have played less.
“This is the reason why the players have been on strike for the past 232 days.,” states the MLB PRC, interrupting me from my thoughts. “All of the players, even the ones who get more money than the others, agree that the labor agreement is not fair.” The MLB PRC explains other reasons why they have been on strike and the day that they began (August 12, 1994).
The two sides’ attorneys go back and forth after the MLB PRC and Silverman have stated their thoughts and opinions. While the public viewers exchange nervous glances between the arguing attorneys, the petitioner and defender’s nervousness is obvious to us all.. Looking closely you can see a sheen of sweat forming just above their eyebrows along with their fiddling hands trying to hide under the tables.
They should be nervous, this case will either change baseball by a lot or a little. Wait. The players deserve to have a choice in whether they play or not. If they do play, then they should be the ones who decide how they are going to. Specific players don’t deserve to have different amounts of salary than others, it doesn’t matter if they have a higher or lower one, they all deserve to receive the same amount of money as any other player on their team. How would this impact society and would it be good or bad? I know how I would feel if baseball was no more, as a huge baseball fan, I would be devastated and furious! How would the players feel if they can’t play their dream sport? The thoughts race around in my head.
“They deserve to have the choice whether they play baseball or not,” a thought stuck in my head. I know what I am going to do.
I stand up, everyone looks at me and silence spreads throughout the courtroom, it's either now or never.
I choose now.
I lift the gavel and say, “I, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, rule this case in favor of the Major League Baseball Player Relations Committee.” I bring the gavel down, ending this case and replying, “Case Closed!”