PLEASE PROVIDE THE POSITIVE AND SOME ADDITIONAL RESPONSES FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING ARTICLES

ARTICLE 1. Anthony

This reading explores the long and difficult battle for free agency in Major League Baseball, focusing on the strategies used by Marvin Miller and the Major League Baseball Players Association to challenge the power of team owners. Achieving free agency was not an easy task; it required years of negotiations, strikes, and legal battles aimed at securing fair compensation and basic rights for players.

A key factor in the MLBPA's success was unionization. As executive director, Miller understood that only through collective action could players gain leverage over team owners. He worked to build solidarity among players, even those who were initially skeptical of union efforts. Addressing player concerns was essential in this process. In 1967, the league's minimum salary was just $7,000, forcing many players to take offseason jobs to make ends meet. By focusing on financial security and career control, the union was able to build strong player support. Effective communication also played a major role. The MLBPA kept players informed about negotiations and regularly sought their input, ensuring they felt heard and involved. Another critical achievement was the implementation of a formal grievance procedure. Initially controlled by the commissioner, this system evolved to include independent arbitration, giving players a fair way to challenge management decisions.

One of the MLBPA's biggest battles was against the reserve clause, which bound players to their teams indefinitely, preventing them from negotiating with other clubs. The union pursued legal challenges, most notably in the case of Curt Flood, who took his fight against the clause to the Supreme Court. Although the Court upheld the rule, the case sparked public debate and increased pressure on team owners. Collective bargaining also became a powerful tool. Miller and the MLBPA successfully used negotiations to improve wages, working conditions, and player rights, insisting that all agreements be made in good faith. When negotiations stalled, the players were willing to use strikes and lockouts as leverage. The 1972 strike demonstrated their collective power, proving they could disrupt the league if necessary.

Ultimately, the MLBPA achieved free agency, marking a turning point for player rights. This victory allowed players to negotiate with other teams, significantly increasing their earning potential. By 1993, the average player salary had risen to over $1 million, a direct result of the union's bargaining power. Beyond salaries, the MLBPA also secured better working conditions, including increased pension contributions and improved benefits. Through these efforts, the MLBPA transformed into one of the most powerful unions in professional sports. By the mid 1990s, it was a well-resourced organization that could effectively advocate for players.

The strategies used by the MLBPA; unionization, collective bargaining, legal action, and strikes, mirror broader labor movements. The chapter highlights how solidarity, addressing worker concerns, and leveraging collective power can challenge employer dominance. These lessons extend beyond baseball, offering valuable insights for labor struggles in any industry.

ARTICLE 2 : KYLE

This chapter shows the many struggles faced by Major League Baseball players in their struggle for finding meaningful free agency.

The first struggle came in 1969 when a player by the name of Curt Flood got traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Philadelphia Phillies, he then challenged this ruling stating, "I do not feel I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes" (Curt Flood, 1969) This lead to Curt Flood and the MLBPA going to court to challenge the reserve clause. Although the court did rule that the 1922 decision of baseball not being subject to the Sherman Act had been wrong, the court also decided that it was not it's job to remove the antitrust status of Major League Baseball (Page 24)

this presents and early challenge for Marvin Miller and the MLBPA as it shows that they were right in challenging the owners but despite this they didn't win the ruling. This also leads to the owners of MLB teams to believe that they cannot be touched and bolsters their confidence in upholding the reserve clause as they feel it can't/wont be legally taken away from them.

Another struggle for MLB players and their quest for free agency was the media and fans constantly being on the owners side, this is a reasonable reaction from the public as fans just want the players to play and focus on nothing else, while the media will want players to play so they can publish game reports and continue with their jobs.

Example of this type of behaviour is discussed throughout the reading, "he was also subjected to hate mail by so-called baseball fans who accused him of trying to destroy baseball" (page 24, in response to Curt Flood) "I always had a good energy rapport with most of the fans. After that incident, the energy was 95, 100 percent negative." (Messersmith, Page 26, talking about who he let his contract run to it's end to get better terms.)

Players in the MLB were also subject to making a lot of sacrifices to help better their future, Marvin Miller in 1975 instructed players to run to the end of their contracts before signing a new one, by the end of the season only Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally listened to Miller. This situation lead to the MLBPA to file grievances to seek free agency. For McNally this effectively ended his career and Messersmith was only earning $90,000 before he signed a new deal with Atlanta. (Page 26)

Another sacrifice the players had to make was that of going on strike in 1972, during this strike owners did lose out on money, but the players also lost an estimated $600,000 in salary, although this sacrifice eventually lead to better terms in their collective bargaining agreement. (Page 28)