Marvin Miller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marvin Miller
Miller in 2003
Born	Marvin Julian Miller (1917-04-14)April 14, 1917 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, US
Died	November 27, 2012(2012-11-27) (aged 95) Manhattan, New York City, New York, US
Occupation	Executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (1966–1982)
Spouse(s)	Theresa Morgenstern
Children	2
Baseball career
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2020
Election Method	Veterans Committee

Marvin Julian Miller (April 14, 1917 – November 27, 2012) was a very important person in baseball history. He led the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) from 1966 to 1982. This group is like a club for baseball players. Under Miller's leadership, the players' union became one of the strongest in the United States.

Many people, including famous baseball announcer Red Barber, said that Marvin Miller was one of the most important people in baseball ever. He was chosen to be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.

Marvin Miller's Early Life

Marvin Miller was born in The Bronx, New York, on April 14, 1917. He grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and loved the Brooklyn Dodgers. His dad worked for a clothing company. When Marvin was young, he saw his dad join a protest for workers' rights. His mom was a teacher and part of the teachers' union.

Miller studied economics at New York University. After college, he helped solve problems between workers and bosses during World War II. He also worked for other big worker groups, like the United Steelworkers. There, he became a top expert in economics and negotiations.

Leading the Baseball Players' Union

In 1966, Marvin Miller visited baseball teams during spring training. He wanted to be chosen as the leader of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). The players voted, and he won by a lot!

Miller then helped the players get their first-ever group agreement with the team owners in 1968. This agreement was short, but it was a big deal. It raised the lowest salary for players from $7,000 to $10,000. It also set up clear rules for how players and owners should work together. This included a way to solve problems fairly.

The next agreement in 1970 was even better. For the first time, disagreements that weren't about the "fairness of baseball" could be decided by a neutral group. This group had a leader chosen by both players and owners, not just the owners.

Curt Flood's Big Challenge

In 1969, a great player named Curt Flood was traded to a team he didn't want to play for. He felt it was unfair and that players were treated like property. Flood decided to challenge an old rule called the "reserve clause." This rule meant that once a team signed a player, they owned his rights forever. He couldn't go play for another team unless he was traded or sat out a whole season.

Flood talked to Marvin Miller about suing MLB. Miller told him it would be very hard to win. He also said that even if Flood won, he might never play baseball again. But Miller also said that if Flood fought this, it would help all other players in the future.

Flood went ahead with his lawsuit. As Miller predicted, Flood faced many challenges. The players' union supported him, but few other players spoke up. The case, called Flood v. Kuhn, even went to the highest court, the Supreme Court, in 1972.

While the court case was happening, Miller led the players in a short strike in April 1972. Players refused to play for 13 days. They wanted better pension payments and the right to have their salaries decided by an independent person if they couldn't agree with their team. The strike ended when owners agreed to add salary arbitration to the agreement.

In June 1972, the Supreme Court decided against Curt Flood. Flood didn't play much baseball after that. But his brave fight opened the door for other players to challenge the reserve clause.

Ending the Reserve Clause

Even though Curt Flood lost his case, he showed other players that they could fight the reserve clause. In 1974, Miller helped a pitcher named Catfish Hunter. His team owner didn't pay him correctly. An independent person decided that the owner broke the contract. This meant Hunter was free to sign with any team. This was a huge step! Hunter became a "free agent" and signed a very big contract with the New York Yankees.

Later in 1974, Miller encouraged two other pitchers, Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally, to play without signing new contracts. After a year, they argued that they should be free to sign with any team. An important decision, called the Seitz decision, agreed with them. This decision basically ended the reserve clause.

This change brought in "free agency." Now, players could choose which team to play for after a certain time. Miller knew that if too many players became free agents, their salaries might go down. So, he helped create a rule that only players with more than six years of experience could become free agents. This helped keep player salaries high.

Miller also led the players' union in two more strikes against the owners. One was in 1981 and lasted 50 days. It caused many games to be canceled. Under Miller's leadership, players gained a lot of power and better pay.

Marvin Miller's Amazing Legacy

During Marvin Miller's time as the leader of the MLBPA, the average player's salary grew a lot. In 1966, it was about $19,000 a year. By 1982, it was about $326,000 a year! Miller taught players that their skills were valuable and that they should be paid fairly for them.

Baseball is the only major sport in the U.S. that doesn't have a salary cap. This means teams can spend as much as they want on player salaries. This is partly thanks to Miller's work.

Many people in baseball, like former Commissioner Fay Vincent, said Miller was the most important baseball person in 50 years. He changed how the business of sports worked forever. He gave players many more rights.

Marvin Miller retired in 1982. He passed away in November 2012 at the age of 95. The current leader of the MLBPA, Michael Weiner, said that all players owe a lot to Marvin. He helped bring in the modern age of sports, which has been great for players, owners, and fans.

Hall of Fame Journey

Many famous baseball players and experts believed Marvin Miller should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. They said he deserved it because of his huge impact on the sport.

He was considered for the Hall of Fame many times, starting in 2003. Each time, he fell short of the votes needed. The voting rules and committees changed several times, which made it harder for him. Some people felt that the committees had too many former team owners or executives who might not want to vote for a union leader who challenged them.

Even Miller himself said he wasn't too worried about getting in. He felt his legacy was already clear.

Finally, in December 2019, Marvin Miller was successfully elected to the Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2020, a great honor for his incredible work.

Voting History

The Baseball Hall of Fame needs 75% of the votes for someone to be elected. Here's how Marvin Miller's votes went:

Awards and Recognitions

Marvin Miller received many honors for his work:

• In 1997, the MLB Players Association created the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award. This award is given each year to a player who shows leadership and inspires others.
• He was honored by the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2000 and again in 2009.
• In 2003, he was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals.

Personal Life

Marvin Miller was married to Theresa Morgenstern for 70 years. They had two children, Peter and Susan. His son, Peter, even helped baseball players in Japan.

Marvin Miller was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2012. He passed away on November 27, 2012, at his home in Manhattan. He was 95 years old.