CLEVELAND -- Watching an Indians game on TV is the next best thing to being there. But half of all Cleveland residents can't see the Tribe on television.

That's because the games are broadcast only on cable. And Rep. Dennis Kucinich said that's not fair to the fans. He wants to force Major League Baseball back onto free TV.

He's written a bill that would force teams to offer broadcast rights to local stations first, NewsChannel5 reported. If they don't, owners will lose the major tax break they now receive from the federal government.

"What's happening is baseball's being taken away from the fans. And baseball's America's pastime. We need to give baseball back to the fans. And that's exactly what this bill is intended to do," Kucinich said.

He said that because Clevelanders helped pay for Jacobs Field, they should be able to watch the games for free.

Kucinich said his fear is that the next step is baseball games will become pay-per-view, and his bill is an attempt to stop that.