Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site ulysses.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!floyd!whuxlb!pyuxll!eisx!npoiv!npois!hogpc!houxm!mhuxa!ulysses!smb From: smb@ulysses.UUCP Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball Subject: Re: The George Brett Incident Message-ID: <520@ulysses.UUCP> Date: Thu, 28-Jul-83 18:03:09 EDT Article-I.D.: ulysses.520 Posted: Thu Jul 28 18:03:09 1983 Date-Received: Thu, 4-Aug-83 08:10:41 EDT References: <910@rlgvax.UUCP> Organization: Bell Labs, Murray Hill Lines: 21 The Catfish Hunter incident was anomolous, in that it occurred while the reserve clause was still in effect, and free agency non-existent. An arbitrator ruled that the A's (read: Charley Finley) had defaulted on Hunter's contract, thus freeing him to negotiate with any club he wanted. Until the Messersmith decision a few years later, this was virtually the only case in the history of baseball where an established star was free to negotiate with any club he wanted. Don't blame Steinbrenner for that one; the Yankees weren't the only folks bidding, nor were the losing bids that much lower. The Messersmith decision completely threw out the reserve clause, and instituted free agency for all players. The players union, as part of the collective bargaining agreement with the owners, agreed to certain restrictions. The major reason it hasn't worked equitably is that a few owners have refused to acknowledge the new order, and won't deal with quality free agents at all. Steinbrenner, obviously, is not one of them... (No, I don't like King George at all -- but what I object to is his penchant for temper tantrums, and his insistence on meddling in the day-to-day affairs of the team.) --Steve Bellovin