Play Ball! The Rise of Baseball as America’s Pastime Episode 19, Players, Owners, and the Reserve Clause Episode 19, Players, Owners, and the Reserve Clause.

Streaming video - 2019

The reserve clause (or the “five-man rule”) played a crucial role in every labor war that took place during the first half-century of professional baseball, and was standard practice until the 1970s. Trace the events that would lead to a fight against the right of teams to reserve players - a struggle to which today’s big leaguers are indebted.