MLB Labor Lessons in 'Ball Four'

In the current day of free agency, eye-popping contract terms and super agents like Scott Boras, it's hard -- and for some of us, not possible -- to recall a point in time where these things didn't exist. It's even harder to recall a time when the major league minimum salary was in the four figures and the reserve clause was still holding players hostage.

What do you think it was like to be a player back in those times?

Jim Bouton's Ball Four illustrates exactly what it was like. And so much more.

Water Cooler Talk: Marvin Miller: The Man Who Changed the MLB

Former executive director of the MLBPA, Marvin Miller passed away on Tuesday at the age of 95.  Miller served as executive director from 1966-1982.  During this time he was able to change baseball in many ways.  He is regarded as one of the most influential figures not only in the MLB but in all of sports.  His accomplishments as executive director formed the MLB that we now know today.  

One of Miller’s first accomplishments was negotiating the first collective bargaining agreement in 1968.  This led to the increasing the league’s minimum salary.  The increase was from $6,000 to $10,000 and was the first increase in two decades.  In 1970 Miller negotiated arbitration into the CBA.  This allowed player disputes with owners to be taken to an independent arbitrator rather than to the commissioner.  Miller’s biggest accomplishment was encouraging Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally to play out the 1974 season without a contract.  This led to the Seitz decision which eliminated the reserve clause and opened up free agency.  

After all of these accomplishments that forever changed the landscape of professional sports, Miller is not in the Hall of Fame.  It does not make any sense to me that one of the most important figures in MLB history is not enshrined in the Hall of Fame.  In 2003 and 2007 he fell short of the votes needed by only a few percentage points.  Since then the voting in of non-players has changed.  Unfortunately in 2011 Miller still fell one vote short of making the Hall of Fame.  Miller is not eligible for the Hall of Fame again until 2014.  I believe that his well-deserved enshrinement will finally happen that year.