We have finally reached that part of the year where (in the northeast at least), spring finally peeps out and has its first look around. The sun is warm, but the wind remains nippy. Nature begins to show her entrepreneurial side with every little bud poking through her thawed soil. These changes can only mean one thing: baseball.
Baseball, at its start, was not the professional game it is today. Professionalism was frowned upon in the early days of the game when it was a primarily agrarian pastime. As the sport moved to urban centers with farm workers looking to be employed in the factories of a rapidly industrializing U.S. economy, the game changed. The game became a spectacle, watched by increasingly larger audiences. The players became entertainers, who drew crowds by their reputations. And like any entertainers, they hoped to be compensated for that draw.
The first fully professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings (Today’s Cincinnati Reds), was founded in 1869, but the first major attempts to unionize did not materialize until 1885, with the Brotherhood of Professional Baseball Players. Led by Pennsylvania’s own John Montgomery Ward, the BPBP sought to address grievances such as a low cap on individual salaries and the reserve clause, which kept players bound to a single club indefinitely. The Brotherhood even founded a rival league, called “The Players League,” but this folded after only one season due to financial struggles.
Other attempts followed, including the Players’ Protective Association of 1900 (which was more of a mutual benefit association than a true union), The Fraternity of Professional Baseball Players of America, founded in 1912, and the American Baseball Guild, founded in 1946. Unfortunately, all of these were short-lived, with team ownership quickly quashing any attempts to unionize.
The turning point came in 1965, when former United Steelworkers of America economist Marvin Miller joined the fledgling Major League Baseball Players Association. Miller quickly educated players on the fundamentals of organizing, kept the organization financially solvent, and began the first program for licensing image and likeness rights for players. In 1966, Miller spearheaded the first CBA in American sports history. Miller and the MLBPA also organized the MLB’s first league-wide strike in 1972, which ended in victory when ownership agreed to expand pension fund payments. Perhaps the greatest victory for Miller and the MLBPA was the implementation of arbitration in owner-player disputes.
The next target was the reserve clause. As mentioned, the reserve clause bound players to their clubs indefinitely, meaning they could only move teams if traded or claimed off waivers. In 1974, Pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally challenged the clause, arguing that they should be free to negotiate with other teams. The two had played the previous season without signing contracts and felt that they should enjoy the same freedoms as other working Americans. Arbitrator Peter Seitz agreed, declaring that Major Leaguers who had fulfilled their contractual obligations could become free agents. As a result, players gained the right to choose their next team and an increased say in their salary. Wages for players massively increased, as teams who wished to keep their best players now had to offer better than whatever their competitors offered. As it turned out, one of the largest sporting victories of the 20th century did not even take place on the field.
With newfound bargaining power, the MLBPA continues to fight for players’ rights. This led to multiple labor stoppages, most notably the 1994-95 strike, which resulted in the cancellation of the World Series. While such conflicts strained relations between players and owners, the owners underscored the union’s influence and the importance of collective bargaining.
Over the years, CBAs have secured numerous benefits for players, including arbitration rights, improved pension plans, and restrictions on team control over player contracts. More recently, negotiations have focused on revenue sharing, competitive balance, and fair compensation for younger players.
The battle for labor rights in Major League Baseball fundamentally changed the sport, ensuring that players had a voice in their careers and compensation. The days of unchecked owner control are long gone, replaced by a system that allows athletes to maximize their earning potential and negotiate fair contracts. As baseball continues to evolve, player unions remain at the heart of the sport, advocating for the next generation of athletes and preserving the legacy of those who fought for fairness on and off the field.