Back when Watergate was still news and "Do the Hustle" was spinning at the discotheques, the MLB players union took the owners to court over something called "the reserve clause." The court ruled in the players' favor and free agency was born. Here is a little story about what they called the path of freedom:

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A moment that marked a dramatic shift in the power structure between major league baseball players and owners occurred on December 23, 1975, when an arbitrator’s decision brought an end to the primary effects of the reserve clause. Prior to the decision, the pendulum of power had been firmly with the owners. The players had made some gains, particularly with the formation of a viable union, but the owners were still in control. However, once the owners lost the ability to bind players to their teams indefinitely, which had been the result of the reserve clause for nearly 100 years, the pendulum swung greatly toward the players. The owners have spent the ensuing 30 years trying to reverse its direction.

The reserve clause bound a player to his team for as long as the team, not the player, desired. Even after the contract itself expired, a player remained tied to the team. He could be traded, sold, or released, but the player himself could not initiate any moves on his own.

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The reserve clause had its origin at the end of the 1879 National League season and soon evolved into the form it would keep well into the second half of the 20th century.

The reserve clause kept a player from choosing where to work for whatever reason, fiduciary or otherwise. And simple economics demonstrate how this inhibited the player’s salary with regard to what he could have received in a free market.

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So freedom came and a lot of players got rich and I'm okay with that. The reserve clause restricted the players and it was unfair. So it's good that it was killed.

Now let's go to 2026 and the LA Dodgers buying another pennant after winning the last two. The Dodgers just signed a fellow named Kyle Tucker, a nice guy whom we got to know real well in the annual Astros vs Rangers contests. Great swing. Nice man. I don't blame Kyle for signing a four-year $260 million contract, but what are the other 29 owners saying? Or more specifically, the owners in Tampa, Miami, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minnesota, etc. How can you maintain competition when the LA Dodgers lineup looks like this, according to Anthony Castrovince:

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In the wake of reports that Kyle Tucker has agreed to a mammoth four-year contract with the defending champs, you don’t need us to tell you this 2026 Los Angeles Dodgers lineup is nuts.

But we’re here to tell you it could be historically nuts… which is the best kind of nuts.

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So get ready for your team's pitching staff to face a lineup that goes Ohtani, Betts, Freeman, Tucker, and Smith all coming off seasons in which they logged more than 400 plate appearances with OPS+ marks at least 40% better than league average.

It's enough to say Damm Dodgers. Well, I'm not looking for a frustrated fan of the Pirates or Twins to make a pact with the Devil to help their "9" win the pennant. That was a fun movie but we need more this time than a pact with the devil.

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What we need this time is for the players' union to save the game from a few owners who want to win the World Series at any cost. The alternatives are a lockout in 2027 or for economics to downsize the number of teams, say 24 rather than the current 30 or projected 32 after the coming expansion.

I hope the players hear me out. I love that you can make millions playing baseball but remember that the ticket prices are very high and competitive balance is good for all.

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Image: LA Dodgers