The Major League Baseball season has been over for a few weeks now, but that doesn’t mean that baseball action is at an end. Now that the baseball season is over and a new World Series champion has been crowned, fans of the national game turn their hearts and minds toward baseball’s free agency period – the “Hot Stove League.” Players fought for decades to have the right to ply their trade for the teams they preferred. For too long, however, players were at the mercy of team ownership. They could be bought, sold, traded or released as management saw fit, without regard for a player’s family or general livelihood. This kept salaries low for employees – the athletes – with a small career shelf life. There was no forced competition between teams for player services. In much the same way, you as a consumer have the right to seek personal loans when and where you want, despite what anyone tells you. Lenders should compete for your business as teams compete for the services of players. For personal loans, it would keep rates low and terms more favorable. That is an American system.