RIP Marvin Miller

[Gehrig]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/mlb/story/2012/11/27/sp-mlb-marvin-miller-major-league-baseball-players-association-donald-fehr.html?cmp=rss

Died this morning. Did a lot of great things for Baseball.

RIP

 

[Beaker]

Should have been inducted into the hall long ago. RIP.

 

[Steak Snabler]

One of the most important people in both the history of American sports and American labor relations.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

The three most important people in baseball history were Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Miller. That he was not elected to the Hall in his lifetime is a tribute to what nasty, selfish jerks baseball owners and baseball players are. The new Veterans Committee had a number of members Miller helped get rich, and they snubbed him.

 

[Norrin Radd]

The three most important people in baseball history were Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Miller.

http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-11-27/news/hall-of-shame/

Let's also add this 1992 endorsement from legendary broadcaster Red Barber: "Marvin Miller, along with Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, is one of the two or three most important men in baseball history."

 

[Steak Snabler]

Wow, I knew MG had been around a while, but I didn't realize he was the Ol' Redhead himself.

 

[qtlaw]

I really took note in the 70's growing up of how Miller fought the battle to free the players from the "reserve" clause. Tragedy that he's not in the HOF and that more young players do not invoke his name when they reap the benefits of their free agency.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Some excellent fire and brimstone here from Charles Pierce:

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/rip-marvin-miller-112712?src=spr_TWITTER&spr_id=1456_5612664

 

[trifectarich]

No one's "accomplishments" are more overblown than his.

 

[qtlaw]

No one's "accomplishments" are more overblown than his.

Well if the "reserve" clause were still in existence:

1. Bonds would have retired a Pirate;
2. Pujols is forever a Cardinal;
3. Reggie never hits 3 HRs in the WS for the Yankees;
4. Players would still be selling insurance in the off-season;
5.and
.
.
.
5. Tickets would still be $5000 a game at Yankee Stadium for the Weds. game against the Twins.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

No one's "accomplishments" are more overblown than his.

Yeah, he only dragged Major League Baseball owners kicking and screaming into the 20th Century.

RIP to a man who helped correct one of the great injustices of labor relations.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Well this should speed up the NHL labor negotiations.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Well this should speed up the NHL labor negotiations.

Heck, too bad he couldn't have organized big-time D-I college athletes.

 

[JC]

No one's "accomplishments" are more overblown than his.

What complete bs. Please explain why they are overblown

 

[Bubbler]

Marvin Miller was vitally important. Blowing up the reserve clause is monumentally important and for that alone he should be in the HOF.

I think the problem some Miller detractors have isn't necessarily with Miller himself, but what he created once it was in the hands of his less-talented lieutenants and successors.

I can't place when the line was crossed, but at some point (mid 90s?), the MLBPA went a bit over the line from union advocacy to union intransigence to the point where it was beginning to hurt the game.

I understand how it happened -- the MLBPA had been in a pitched battle against a jerk-off cabal of baseball owners and enmity between the two sides began to color everything out of proportion to the good of the game, the industry and its players. That wasn't good for either side and it took 30 years of labor strife for them to finally figure it out before some semblance of peace and cooperation began to emerge in the 2000s.

I primarily blame Donald Fehr for this. His stands against drug-testing, etc., was union protectionism run amok and ultimately damaged the players more so than protected them. He was as unsympathetic a figure as any in baseball's labor troubles.

Often interviewed as a sage, Miller would naturally come out in support of the union he created. I think Miller is criticized because the endgame of his legacy in the hands of less-talented people was labor strife, stoppages and a lot of black-eyes for a sport that, at the end of the day, people just want to watch and love.

 

[heyabbott]

Marvin Miller was vitally important. Blowing up the reserve clause is monumentally important and for that alone he should be in the HOF.

I think the problem some Miller detractors have isn't necessarily with Miller himself, but what he created once it was in the hands of his less-talented lieutenants and successors.

I can't place when the line was crossed, but at some point (mid 90s?), the MLBPA went a bit over the line from union advocacy to union intransigence to the point where it was beginning to hurt the game.

I understand how it happened -- the MLBPA had been in a pitched battle against a jerk-off cabal of baseball owners and enmity between the two sides began to color everything out of proportion to the good of the game, the industry and its players. That wasn't good for either side and it took 30 years of labor strife for them to finally figure it out before some semblance of peace and cooperation began to emerge in the 2000s.

I primarily blame Donald Fehr for this. His stands against drug-testing, etc., was union protectionism run amok and ultimately damaged the players more so than protected them. He was as unsympathetic a figure as any in baseball's labor troubles.

Often interviewed as a sage, Miller would naturally come out in support of the union he created. I think Miller is criticized because the endgame of his legacy in the hands of less-talented people was labor strife, stoppages and a lot of black-eyes for a sport that, at the end of the day, people just want to watch and love.

HOF post

 

[Drip]

RIP. He revolutionized the game.

 

[heyabbott]

The three most important people in baseball history were Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Miller. That he was not elected to the Hall in his lifetime is a tribute to what nasty, selfish jerks baseball owners and baseball players are. The new Veterans Committee had a number of members Miller helped get rich, and they snubbed him.

What do owners have to do with HOF voting? They are selfish jerks but they don't vote

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Abbott, as a non player, Miller was never subject to a vote by BBWAA members. He had to be through the other processes, which MLB controls. When they had the new Veterans Committee, I thought Miller might have a shot, but of course its old ballplayer members, many of whom he made rich, are of the old ballplayer theory that except for them, nobody should ever get in.

 

[qtlaw]

Marvin Miller was vitally important. Blowing up the reserve clause is monumentally important and for that alone he should be in the HOF.

I think the problem some Miller detractors have isn't necessarily with Miller himself, but what he created once it was in the hands of his less-talented lieutenants and successors.

I can't place when the line was crossed, but at some point (mid 90s?), the MLBPA went a bit over the line from union advocacy to union intransigence to the point where it was beginning to hurt the game.

I understand how it happened -- the MLBPA had been in a pitched battle against a jerk-off cabal of baseball owners and enmity between the two sides began to color everything out of proportion to the good of the game, the industry and its players. That wasn't good for either side and it took 30 years of labor strife for them to finally figure it out before some semblance of peace and cooperation began to emerge in the 2000s.

I primarily blame Donald Fehr for this. His stands against drug-testing, etc., was union protectionism run amok and ultimately damaged the players more so than protected them. He was as unsympathetic a figure as any in baseball's labor troubles.

Often interviewed as a sage, Miller would naturally come out in support of the union he created. I think Miller is criticized because the endgame of his legacy in the hands of less-talented people was labor strife, stoppages and a lot of black-eyes for a sport that, at the end of the day, people just want to watch and love.

HOF post

Disagree.

Collective bargaining is just that, bargaining on both sides. Don't blame lack of RANDOM drug testing on the players only. The owners willingly gave that up; they reaped the financial benefits all the way to the bank; the owners have never given any of that $$ back.

Even then, the owners could have tested someone if they suspected illegal use, but the owners never made PEDs against the rules, that's on Selig/Owners.

If the owners really wanted RANDOM drug testing, they could have given up something for it, they chose not to.