PART 1: They Made Me Who I Am Today

Contract negotiations in the "old days" (pre-free agency) pitted the ball player vs team, with the team holding all the cards. The Reserve Clause enabled ownership to own players and basically offer them whatever they wanted. A player's only recourse was to hold out. Bouton did his share of holding out in his years with the Yankees. One of his best buds on the team was the late Elston Howard who would tell him to "stick to his guns" and get what he deserved. Sadly he badmouthed Bouton behind his back by saying things like, "Who does Bouton think he is...How are we going to win a pennant with guys not in camp and not getting into shape". The old Reserve system pitted one player against another in scenarios just like this one. Today we see the exact opposite where the players hold the teams over the proverbial barrel. I would like to see a system that would be somewhere in between the two.