More about the Free Agency Era (1973-2000)

In 1973, after four years of experimentation in the minor leagues, the American League agreed to a three-year trial of the designated hitter. After the experiment increased offense and attendance, the AL decided to make the rule permanent. For the next fifty years, the two leagues played by a different set of rules, including in the postseason. The National League adopted the DH rule beginning in the 2022 season.

But the game’s biggest change occurred off the field two years later, when pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally played the 1975 season without signing their contracts. The MLB Players Association filed a grievance with baseball’s arbitrator, Peter Seitz, claiming that the standard reserve clause no longer bound the two players to their previous clubs. In December, Seitz upheld their grievances, making them free agents. The next collective bargaining agreement between players and owners codified a procedure for free agency for the first time, up-ending a century of total team control over player contracts.

Performance-enhancing drugs became a hot topic during this era, affecting the legacies of stars such as Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens, and leading to Congressional hearings and mandatory drug testing for players in the twenty-first century.

The 1990s ushered in a new generation of ballparks for major league teams. After several decades of multi-purpose stadiums, many of them suburban, with artificial surfaces and enclosed roofs, the opening of Baltimore’s Camden Yards in 1992 brought forth a new era in ballpark design. The park was designed by HOK (now Populous), with key contributions by Janet Marie Smith, then the Orioles’ Vice President of Planning and Development. Many retro parks have followed, but few have matched the timeless brilliance of Camden Yards.

Further Reading