Normally, readers of this space will not find much positive content
associated with the players union. In fact, I have gone on record
saying that the notion of the MLBPA being persecuted union fighting
the juggernaut of ownership is ludicrous. In fact, the founders of the
AFL-CIO would be spinning in their graves to think some have compared
the plight of today's millionare ballplayers to those who suffered
during the early days of organized labor.
However, one of the advantages of hosting Gotham Baseball Live is that guests often provide you a different perspective. Over the last week, both WFAN’s Ed Randall and author Glen Guzzo (“Strat-O-Matic Fanatics), brought up the union in a completely different light.
It started with the passion Randall exhibited during our Baseball Hall of Fame conversation during his January appearance on the show. When I brought up former Dodgers' owner Walter O’ Malley’s induction into the Hall of Fame (announed at the Winter Meetings in Nashville in December), I expected a passionate soliloquy on O’Malley’s inclusion. Instead, Randall went on record to say it was not O’ Malley’s induction that was the injustice, rather, it was the continued exclusion of former player’s union representative Marvin Miller.
This answer surprised me, but I figured more research on my end was needed. Just days later I was reading Guzzo’s book “Strat-O-Matic Fanatics” which chronicles the story of how the great baseball simulation game was created. One must not be fooled by the game's popularity to think it was an easy climb to the top. Founder Hal Richman had to fight off big companies in the early years as well as the emerging players union.
I am not going to pretend to know Marvin Miller, but I did try to read enough to understand his point of view. Going up against the reserve clause in the late sixties was no easy task. Collusion was not illegal, and many players were unaware of how much power they yielded. During his first collective bargaining negotiation in 1968 he obtained a forty percent raise on the minimum salary for his constituents. Two years later arbitration became part of the baseball landscape. Finally, and this could be debatable, 1974 brought his greatest accomplishment: free agency. When Catfish Hunter signed his five year, $3.5 million deal, the players found their proverbial meal ticket.
Many will argue that Miller did more harm ttha good to the game, as inflated salaries and work stoppages were all escalated during his tenure. Although it is true his work has led to player greed, fan disconnect, and a watered down product; it also is a story of how hard work and perseverance can create change.
Perhaps today the pendulum has swung too far to the players favor. I could argue that it’s balancing out the many years where owners ruled the sport like a benign dictator. I could also point out that last time I looked indentured servitude went out of style during medieval times.
Creating change in major league baseball is always an arduous task. Putting it into perspective with the power the owners held in the sixties shows how much more difficult it was back in that day. Ed Randall told me Marvin Miller was armed with a “file cabinet and a secretary” to fight the dreaded reserve clause. I wouldn’t know about that, but I do believe he had courage, vision, and perseverance to beat the odds. If that doesn’t align with the hall of fame’s criteria then what does?
There is an old overused saying today: “Don’t hate the player hate the game”. This could not be more appropriate for Marvin Miller. His vision has morphed into a giant conglomerate run by self serving lawyers. I don’t believe that was Marvin Miller modus operandi. He fought for equal player representation and a system that shared revenues with those most responsible for its creation. Ed Randall is accurate when saying that today’s players should “genuflect on the 15th and 30th of each month”. At the very least Strat-O-Matic fans should send him a thank you card. Why not forget the gratitude and give the man what he deserves. If Hall of Fame is about honoring great individuals and their contribution to the game then the answer is clear: induct Marvin Miller.
Normally, readers of this space will not find much positive content
associated with the players union. In fact, I have gone on record
saying that the notion of the MLBPA being persecuted union fighting
the juggernaut of ownership is ludicrous. In fact, the founders of the
AFL-CIO would be spinning in their graves to think some have compared
the plight of today's millionare ballplayers to those who suffered
during the early days of organized labor.
This answer surprised me, but I figured more research on my end was needed. Just days later I was reading Guzzo’s book “Strat-O-Matic Fanatics” which chronicles the story of how the great baseball simulation game was created. One must not be fooled by the game's popularity to think it was an easy climb to the top. Founder Hal Richman had to fight off big companies in the early years as well as the emerging players union. 