David Rothenberg on how economist and union organizer Marvin Miller changed baseball (1/2/20)
In 1960, Hall of Fame hitter Mickey Mantle signed a 1-year contract worth $65,000 a year—the Yankees were giving him a $7,000 pay cut. Since there was no free agency in 1960, Mantle had no place to go other than back to the Bronx. The situation didn’t change for players until Marvin Miller was elected as the first executive director of the players’ association in 1966. In this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, David Rothenberg discusses the lasting impact Marvin Miller has had on Major League Baseball and why it matters.