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December 4, 2002 Free Agency: Before and After The Rodriguez Factor December 11, 2000 is a day that will live in infamy. No, it’s not Pearl Harbor; it is the day the Texas Rangers signed shortstop Alex Rodriguez to a monumental $252 million, 10-year free agent deal (Miller). Many people inside and outside of baseball were outraged at the gross amount of money the Rangers threw at Rodriguez. A-Rod, as he is affectionately known, now makes more in a year than most small countries. Although he is not the only player to sign a huge free agent contract, his is the one to receive the most attention. This issue was the root of more e-mail to more sports columns than any other event in sports history (Barra).Former White Sox owner Bill Veeck said, “It isn’t the high price of stars that’s expensive, it’s the high price of mediocrity” (Baseball). Before we discuss free agency in its present form we must look at the root of this fiasco. The Early Years In baseball pre-1975 there was a term used around the league called the “reserve clause”. On September 29, 1879, baseball owners convened and wanted to limit competition by letting teams reserve five players. They also were in agreement that no team would attempt to acquire a player reserved by another team (Hickok). This procedure was kept secret at first, but it soon leaked to the general public. Players did not protest this idea at first.
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