Final answer:
d) It has a legal monopoly
MLB is exempt from U.S. antitrust laws because it is considered to have a legal monopoly, granted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1922 as a special exemption for being a sport.
Step-by-step explanation:
Major League Baseball (MLB) is exempt from U.S. antitrust laws because it is considered to have a legal monopoly. Under antitrust law, a monopoly is not illegal by default, particularly when it leads to innovation or when a company dominates a market due to superior products at lower prices. However, the MLB's situation is unique because the U.S. Supreme Court granted baseball a special exemption from antitrust laws in 1922, acknowledging it as a sport rather than a business. Since then, MLB has been a regulated monopoly, similar to utilities that are necessary for everyday life and benefit from economies of scale. Thus, MLB operates as a legal monopoly despite not fitting into the conventional criteria set for essential services like electricity or water.