Seitz decision

Major League Baseball labor relations
Work stoppages
1972 strike  • 1973 lockout  • 1976 lockout 1980 strike  • 1981 strike  • 1985 strike 1990 lockout  • 1994–95 strike 2021–22 lockout
Topics
Collective Bargaining Agreement  • Collusion  • Reserve clause  • Seitz decision
People
Principal owners Commissioner of Baseball Major League Baseball Players Association Major League Baseball Umpires Association
Court cases
Federal Baseball Club v. National League (1922) Toolson v. New York Yankees, Inc. (1953) Flood v. Kuhn (1972)
Baseball, Organized labor
v t e

The Seitz decision was a ruling by arbitrator Peter Seitz (1905–1983)^[1] on December 23, 1975, which declared that Major League Baseball (MLB) players became free agents upon playing one year for their team without a contract, effectively nullifying baseball's reserve clause. The ruling was issued in regard to pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally.