2021 Atlanta Braves (Messersmith/McNally Flashback)

[OFFNY]

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After Jim "Catfish" Hunter became a free agent following the 1974 season on a technicality/omission in his contract,) Andy Messersmith )and) Dave McNally )became baseball's first bona-fide free agents of the 20th Century following the 1975 season.

 

 

Flashback Friday: Andy Messersmith, Baseball’s First True Free Agent, Comes to Atlanta

(By Darryl Palmer 4)

https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/4/16/22387103/braves-flashback-friday-andy-messersmith-baseballs-first-true-free-agent-comes-to-atlanta

 

 

 

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[OFFNY]

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I posted this 7 years ago, in regard to McNally and his character as a person.

 

 

On 3/9/2014 at 11:45 PM, OFFNY said:

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After McNally was traded to the Expos prior to the 1975 season, he had a very sub-par year. He had nothing left in his arm, and decided to retire.

A much more interesting story came of McNally's retirement, though. At the time, the battle for free agency between Marvin Miller (and the Player's Union) and the owners was in full swing. Although Curt Flood lost his case in the Supreme Court back in 1971, it got the ball rolling. One year prior to McNally's retirement, Catfish Hunter was declared a free agent due to a violation in his contract by Athletics owner Charlie O. Finley.

The next year, Andy Messersmith wanted to test the free agent waters after pitching without a contract in '75. Marvin Miller wanted to use McNally as leverage in Messersmith's case, and asked him to declare himself a free agent, even though they both knew that McNally had no intention of pitching any longer. The G.M. of the Montreal Expos (Jim Fanning) was aware of McNally's situation, and Miller's desire to use him to help Messersmith (and subsequently ALL baseball players) with their case for free agency. Fanning literally  went to McNally's house ....... he claimed that he "just happened to be passing through Billings, Montana," and thought that he would come by to visit. Even though Fanning knew that McNally was finished as a pitcher, he offered him a guaranteed $50,000, and a trip to the Expos' training camp in Florida. Keep in mind that at that time, the minimum salary for a Major Leaguer was only $19,000, so the $50,000 guarantee was a lot of money. Plus, it would have essentially been an expense-paid vacation for McNally in sunny Florida.

Before signing anything, McNally called Marvin Miller and told him what Fanning had offered. As much as Miller needed McNally, he also felt badly about asking him to pass up a free $50,000, plus a trip to Florida in February. Miller left it up to McNally. McNally said, "If you need me, I'm here," and declined to take the money (and the expense-paid trip to Florida) that was offered to him. Messersmith and McNally were both subsequently declared free agents by Peter Seitz, opening the door for the boom (in free agency) that came the following offseason.

Hence, McNally (in my rat's ass of an opinion) chose integrity over easy money, and along with Curt Flood, Andy Messersmith, Catfish Hunter, and Marvin Miller, has subsequently gone down in history as one of the major players in the Players Union's early fight (and victory) for free agency.

 

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[ArtVanDelay]

Kazmar hadn't played in the majors since September 23, 2008. That means it had been 12 years and 206 days since his most recent big-league appearance, which in turn was the longest stretch in between MLB games since Minnie Miñoso resurfaced in 1976 at the age of 50, according to Elias Sports. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/braves-sean-kazmar-makes-history-with-first-mlb-appearance-in-more-than-12-years/amp/

 

Unreal. 

[BRobinsonfan]

On 4/17/2021 at 7:37 PM, ArtVanDelay said:

Kazmar hadn't played in the majors since September 23, 2008. That means it had been 12 years and 206 days since his most recent big-league appearance, which in turn was the longest stretch in between MLB games since Minnie Miñoso resurfaced in 1976 at the age of 50, according to Elias Sports. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/braves-sean-kazmar-makes-history-with-first-mlb-appearance-in-more-than-12-years/amp/

 

Unreal. 

I'm a sucker for stories like this.  I hope he gets in some more games... his determination certainly can't be questioned. 

[OFFNY]

On 4/17/2021 at 7:37 PM, ArtVanDelay said:

Kazmar hadn't played in the Majors since September 23rd of 2008. That means that it had been 12 years and 206 days since his most recent Big-League appearance, which in turn was the longest stretch in between MLB games since Minnie Miñoso resurfaced in 1976 at the age of 50, according to Elias Sports. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/braves-sean-kazmar-makes-history-with-first-mlb-appearance-in-more-than-12-years/amp/

 

Unreal. 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, BRobinsonfan said:

 

I'm a sucker for stories like this. I that hope he gets some into some more games ...... his determination certainly can't be questioned. 

 

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Lew Ford has nothing on this guy.

A player by the name of Billy Williams (not THAT Billy Williams) died yesterday, 2 days short of his 81st birthday.

Williams played 18 seasons in the Minor Leagues from 1952-1969 before finally having the privilege of making it to the Major Leagues for 4 games with the Seattle Pilots in August of 1969.

The final 9 years of his career (1961-1969) were all spent strictly at the highest level of the minors (AAA) just waiting, and waiting, and waiting for that call.

Kudos to the late Marvin Milkes and Dewey Soriano (the General Ganager and the owner of that Pilots team, respectively) for finally giving him the chance to put on a Major League uniform, get on the field, and get himself into the Baseball Encyclopedia forever.

 

 

MAJOR LEAGUE RECORD: ))  http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willibi02.shtml

 

MINOR LEAGUE RECORD: )) http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=willia003wil

 

OBITUARY: ))  http://siouxcityjournal.com/sports/baseball/professional/minor/explorers/former-x-s-coach-billy-williams-dies-at/article_d767e2fd-5aef-5fef-be34-46c1f685e7bc.html

 

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[BRobinsonfan]

55 minutes ago, OFFNY said:

 

 

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Lew Ford has nothing on this guy.

A player by the name of Billy Williams (not THAT Billy Williams) died yesterday, 2 days short of his 81st birthday.

Williams played 18 seasons in the Minor Leagues from 1952-1969 before finally having the privilege of making it to the Major Leagues for 4 games with the Seattle Pilots in August of 1969.

The final 9 years of his career (1961-1969) were all spent strictly at the highest level of the minors (AAA) just waiting, and waiting, and waiting for that call.

Kudos to the late Marvin Milkes and Dewey Soriano (the General Ganager and the owner of that Pilots team, respectively) for finally giving him the chance to put on a Major League uniform, get on the field, and get himself into the Baseball Encyclopedia forever.

 

 

MAJOR LEAGUE RECORD: ))  http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willibi02.shtml

 

MINOR LEAGUE RECORD: )) http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=willia003wil

 

OBITUARY: ))  http://siouxcityjournal.com/sports/baseball/professional/minor/explorers/former-x-s-coach-billy-williams-dies-at/article_d767e2fd-5aef-5fef-be34-46c1f685e7bc.html

 

o

Wow... 18 years to get 12 PA's... no hits and 1 walk.  At least he got on base once and scored a run.  When I was a kid there was nothing I loved more than playing baseball... I thought what could be better than to be able to play baseball for a living... even if it were a meager living.  I guess that's why I feel such an affinity for guys like this.

[Just Regular]

A good team with a lot of eggs in the basket of its 1st string catcher just put him on the 60-day DL.

Is Pedro Severino better than current backups?   Likely this is the best and clearest window of need Elias will see in the Severino Showcase.