The Reserve Clause, Bone of Contention -- The reserve clause, shown as it appeared in a 1947 American League contract, and fundamentally the same in current major league baseball contracts, is center of suits now being pressed by several former major league baseball players against organized baseball. Clause binds player to deal with club holding his expired contract, or club to which former club assigned it, or not play organized baseball. In 1946, several major league players signed contracts to play with the Mexican League and subsequently were banned from playing organized baseball for five years. Now they are seeking reinstatement and damages on grounds that reserve clause is illegal and that banishment prevented them from earning livelihood at chosen profession.

Associated Press · [ca. April 1949]

[Information from item housing] Baseball ... Contracts