Baseball: The Cold Draft

"The first call for the right of negotiation belongs to Kansas City," said Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick.

"Robert James Monday," responded the Athletics' Farm Director Hank Peters, "outfielder from Santa Monica, Calif., a sophomore at Arizona State University in Tempe."

And so it began last week in Manhattan's Commodore Hotel—baseball's first "free agent" draft, which, in effect, stripped away the bargaining rights of the country's young hopefuls and put them on the block like so many sides of beef. To hear some of the clubs talk, it was the greatest boon to baseball since Happy Chandler returned to politics. "I've...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!