(6 of 10)
Andy's freedom flight is a historic saga, one worthy of baseball lore. It began early in the spring of '75. On the strength of an imposing 1974 season (20 wins, 6 losses), he asked for $150,000. The Dodgers answered that if he did not take $90,000, they would trade him. The take-it-or-leave-it price was to rise dramatically, however. As last season moved on, Messersmith and the Dodgers got close to agreement on money but not on his demand for a no-trade contract. There was talk that the league had instructed the Dodgers not to grant such a clause because it would set a bad precedent. By midsummer the issue had become a matter of principle for Messersmith. Last September, backed by the Players' Association, he went to arbitration to start his successful test of the reserve clause. Unlike the Catfish Hunter case, the Messersmith ruling applies to all players, at least until some new general contract agreement can be worked out. Following the court decision, the Dodgers' best offer escalated to $600,000 for three years. After rejecting that and assorted other lures, Osmond signed a memorandum with the Yankees that reportedly would have given Messersmith $ 1 million for four years.
Next, intrigue reigned. Osmond rejected the formal contract based on this memo. Claiming provisions had been changed, he walked out of the Yankees' offices in Tampa and jumped into a cab. The Yankees looked out the window and saw the cab driver was a woman, tracked her down through the cab company and learned Osmond had told her he was flying to Vero Beach, spring-training home of, gasp, the dreaded Dodgers.
In fact, the Dodgers were out of the picture. Nonetheless, the Yankees felt they were being toyed with and threatened to hold Messersmith to their supposed agreement with Osmond. There were rumors—false, as it turned out—that the Yankees had plied Osmond with strong drink. Messersmith, offended by the threat, said he would never sign with the Yankees. The dispute went to the commissioner, but before Kuhn could adjudicate it, the Yankees gave up. "I just said to hell with it," explained Yankee Owner George M. Steinbrenner III, waving the sacred pin stripes. "If he didn't want to play for the Yankees, we didn't have room for him."
Next the San Diego Padres made a $1,150,000 offer, but Padre Owner Ray Kroc, president of all 18 billion McDonald's hamburgers, sizzled when Messersmith demanded his no-cut, no-trade provision. "Kroc said even the president of McDonald's works one day at a time," reported Messersmith. "He said only God could give a no-cut contract." Kroc's answer: "He can work in a car wash."
In all, six clubs made serious offers for Messersmith. Atlanta's had been halfhearted until the day Osmond got a call from a man named Larry Foster, who said he represented Braves Owner Ted Turner and wanted to deal for Messersmith. In twelve hours Foster and Osmond had agreed on a contract. Foster left, and Turner called Osmond. "I told him everything had been fixed with his representative," says Osmond. "It was then I learned that Foster was not with the club at all. He was just a fan!"