This Day In Baseball
History: June 12, 1981
It was on this date in 1981 that
the Major League Players’ Association went on strike, a work-stoppage that
would last 50 days. While it was the fourth time there had been an MLB work
stoppage since 1972, it was the first time it happened in-season and is still
the second longest baseball strike in history (only outdone by the 1994-95
strike).
While the players had voted to
walk out on May 29th, their deadline was extended when the
Association’s unfair labour complaint was heard by the National Relations
Board. The players and the owners finally reached an agreement on July 31st
and the season resumed on August 9th with the All-Star Game.
A total of 713 games (38 percent of the
season) were cancelled forcing a two-season format in which the division
leaders before the strike would play the division leaders in the second half,
thereby becoming the first time that the Division Series would be played.
The players lost an estimated $4
million per week during the strike, while the owners suffered a total loss of
$72 million. The main reason for the dispute was the owners’ unhappiness with
free agency, and they were seeking compensation in the form of a player on the
signing team’s roster. The players argued that this would undermine free agency
and in effect be nothing more than a glorified trade.
In the end, the settlement
agreed upon was the team losing a “premium” free agent player would be
compensated by selecting from a pool of unprotected players from all 26 teams
and not just the signing team.
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