6227jdt@floyd.UUCP (Joe Twicken) (07/28/83)
One contributor claims that free-agency began with Catfish Hunter, while another informs us that it began with Andy Messersmith. I am only 23 but vaguely remember Curt Flood of the St. Louis Cardinals. It seems to me that he challenged that ballplayers were not the "property" of baseball clubs and should be free to negotiate with any and all teams. Though he was not the first free agent (it my well have been Messersmith), can Curt Flood be regarded as the "Father of Free Agency"? Joseph Twicken Bell Labs Whippany, NJ
petec@umcp-cs.UUCP (07/29/83)
Curt Flood did indeed challenge the system, as he sat out for at least the
1968 season rather than accept the trade to the then-lowly Phillies. I
unfortunately have forgotten many of the details, but the court case went
up high enough the judicial system for him to be free to sign with the
Washington Senators in 1969. He lasted about a month before deciding he
couldn't play anymore, and informed the club he wouldn't be playing
that night by phone from Copenhagen. And then the next year, Bob Short
made the worst trade of all time, the Denny McLain deal. And then the
next year, Bob Short moved the club to Texas. And then, nothing....
Life's been tough for us Senators fans, but I'm not ashamed to admit
I was one....
Pete
--
Call-Me: Pete Cottrell, Univ. of Md. Comp. Sci. Dept.
UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!petec
CSNet: petec@umcp-cs
ARPA: petec.umcp-cs@UDel-Relayklein@houxt.UUCP (N.KLEIN) (08/01/83)
Those days of sitting in DC (then changed name to RFK) Stadium watching Senator games are long gone. If anyone thinks Steinbrenner is unpopular what about Bob Short? Because of a disagreement he had with the DC Armory Board (owners of the stadium) he did everything he could to keep fans from coming to the games. Here are a few of them: 1) As umcp-cs!petec mentioned the infamous Denny McLain deal. Trading away Ed Brinkman, Aurilio Rodriguez, Joe Coleman, and Jim Hannan - the former 2 which were of the more popular Nats for Denny Mclain (who proceeded to lose 26 games that year) and a host of other losers. 2) Practically doubling the ticket prices giving a team with one of the worst records the highest ticket prices in the league. 3) Taking away all bat days, ball days, etc. 4) Having only one scheduled home double header the whole season (of course it was in early April not on Memorial Day or later in the season). 5) Slowly but surely trading away the other few good players (if not for the fact that he would have been assassinated had he tried to trade Frank Howard he probably would have done that also). As umcp-cs!petec said life is just not the same without the Senators. NDK
kpk@5941ux.UUCP (08/04/83)
I believe Curt Flood lost his challange in the courts Andy Messerschmid(sp) won his challenge on the basis of a mediator's ruling which was apparently binding.