I am a baseball fanatic. I played the game through college and every spring and the start of the baseball season I have to remind myself that the last time I threw a competitive baseball was nearly 40 years ago. Fortunately my love of the game continues and is enhanced by participating (now for 15 years) in an online fantasy baseball league that is hosted on cbssportsline.com.

Related to all of this are some stats I came across in an article in The New York Times by Richard Sandomir about Major League Advanced Media. This powerhouse, owned by Major League Baseball, is estimated to be worth well north of $2 billion (my guess is that the number could well be doubled).

The baseball folks have become masters of streaming baseball games, but also have branched out into streaming college basketball and a host of other events including the recently played World Baseball Classic.

Subscription revenue last year was $60 million, but this number is sure to grow in 2006 and beyond. Another $200 million in revenue (2005) came from selling tickets and baseball related merchandise.

The important point to realize here is that this powerhouse was created by Major League Baseball and not some "media company". You really have to congratulate MLB for doing such a splendid job. MLB should give seminars on their success. Media companies would pay big bucks to get lessons from the Major League Baseball online wizards.