This day in baseball: End of the reserve clause
Posted: December 23, 2013 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Andy Messersmith, Baseball, Dave McNally, history, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball, MLB, Montreal Expos, Peter Seitz, reserve clause, sports 1 Comment
Peter Seitz (Photo source: New York Times)
On December 23, 1975, arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled that Major League ballplayers became free agents after playing for one year for their team without a contract. Prior to the 1975 season, pitchers Andy Messersmith of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dave McNally of the Montreal Expos had not signed contracts with their respective teams, but rather those contracts had been renewed according to the reserve clause, which, baseball owners argued, perpetually renewed one-year contracts automatically. Seitz’s ruling now nullified the reserve clause, and Messersmith and McNally became baseball’s first true free agents.
[…] with the help of Marvin Miller, took on the reserve clause by claiming free agency. In the end, the reserve clause was abolished and players were now eligible for free agency after six years. This, as we see through today, […]