Mention the words "reserve clause" in a crowded sports bar and
within seconds the noise level will exceed 100 decibels as 12
guys try to tell you free agency is the root of all that's wrong
with baseball while another 15 will say it's a man's right to
earn his wages and sell his wares to the most willing buyer. The
debate is endless (and often times, scrutinized to the point of
inanity), but there's no doubting that the reserve clause is one
of the most argued points in all of Major League Baseball
history. When the first organized baseball leagues were forming
in America, there were little profits to be made: owners had to
stick it out for the long-term, and to do this meant cutting
costs whenever and wherever possible. By far the most expensive
aspect of operations was player salaries: supply and demand
ensured the owners with the most money would have the best
talent, thereby dominating the league and generating more
attendance, leading to a spiraling economic gap in the league.
To prevent this, in 1879 ow