Marvin Miller found himself pleasantly surprised by also worried. The ultimate goal of abolishing the Reserve Clause had tumbled in just ten years since he took the reins of the MLBPA. Free agency was a dream that suddenly brought new problems no one could have been prepared for.

The battle over free agent compensation burned hot and cold for years, but reached a flash point in the 1980 negotiations, leading to the longest stoppage in baseball history ... to date.

The owners continued to lose control of the players while their pockets were lined with a booming business, but the going price to keep quality players was getting more expensive. New owners embraced free agency, the old guard had to find ways to "get theirs" whether it was through roster shuffling ... or colluding to keep salaries down.

As always, you can find the  ...