In an age of rapid player turnover and in-your-face merchandising, comedian Jerry Seinfeld memorably likened supporting a favourite sports team to little more than “cheering for laundry”.

Having a bit of skin in the game can change all that. Private sports syndicates, in which investors can hold stakes representing as little as a leg of a greyhound, are one way of doing this. Now Randy Newsom, a minor league baseball player with big dreams, hopes to bring the concept to the masses. Mr Newsom’s plan – yet to be cleared by baseball officials – would involve an initial public offering of himself, raising $50,000 to help him break into the big time. In return, investors would receive 4 per cent of post-tax earnings from any major league contract he might eventually sign.