Decades too late, Marvin Miller is finally elected
MLB’s creator of free agency, Marvin Miller, has long been overlooked by voters, but on Sunday night the Modern Era Committee made a decision that should’ve been made decades ago.
His election may be against his wishes, not to mention decades too late, but the selection of Marvin Miller into baseball’s Hall of Fame comes at an appropriate time.
As we launch into MLB’s annual Winter Meetings — which officially started on Sunday — and as players such as Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon potentially receive contracts in the hundred-millions, what better time to fully appreciate what Miller did for the sport, as well as for the players that have taken the field ever since his time as the Executive Director of MLB’s Player Association — a stint that ran from 1966-1982.
Miller revolutionized the player’s union by creating MLB’s free agency which included raising the average salary from $19,000 to over $240,000 during his remarkable tenure (the average MLB salary is now over $4 million).
Through five work stoppages, Miller consistently won battles on the player’s behalf, including his frequent outwitting of Commissioner Bowie Kuhn — who was inducted into baseball’s HoF way back in 2008. Miller’s victories over Kuhn, as well as numerous team owners during his career, gave him his fair share of opponents, which is vividly illustrated by the inexcusable tardiness of his election.
During Miller’s snubbing over the years, and while he was still alive (he died 2012), he understandably developed a strong feeling of resentment, so much so that the former MLBPA leader vowed to never acknowledge his potential election and even requested that his surviving family do the same, which according to The Athletic‘s Jayson Stark, Miller’s daughter has already reached out to the Hall’s chair, Jane Forbes Clark, and confirmed that her late father “did not want this.”
Of course, Miller’s wishes to remain left out of the Hall of Fame makes for a rather precarious debate. Did the voters ultimately do the right thing?
Yes, they did, and let me tell you why…
Marvin Miller belongs in the HoF
As we all know, baseball’s Hall of Fame also serves as a museum for the sport; a place that recognizes the stars that played the game, but also informs fans of its rich history and how this game we know today came to be.
And there’s no better description of just that than what’s found right on the HoF’s website:
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“The Museum preserves history, honors excellence and connects generations. Beyond the iconic Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery are exhibits that tell the story of baseball’s impact on our lives, and our country.”
Whether he likes it or not, Marvin Miller is part of baseball history; and that’s not meant to be some rude proclamation, but an affirmation that not all events throughout history are necessarily good. History is history, and being able to properly recognize what took place in baseball during those days is more important to future fans of baseball than a decade-long run of cronyism.
Sure, Miller’s family has every right to carry out his wishes, choosing to pass on acknowledging his election; and if that means there’s no one there to speak on his behalf on induction day than so be it. However, I have a feeling there will be plenty of former players, executives and countless others willing to stand up on the podium on induction day (July 27) and show their appreciation for a man that did more than hit hundreds of home runs or bat for a high average.
Marvin Miller is the reason that players this week have the amazing opportunity to command life-changing amounts of money to play the game they love. And now, finally, the voters got it right.
But if you’re still on the fence in terms of whether electing Miller was the right thing for voters to do, consider an excerpt from Dan Szymborski’s (FanGraphs) write-up late Sunday night — an absolute perfect narration of what Miller’s induction should symbolize:
“Both his accomplishments and the stain of the institution’s failure to honor him during his lifetime are now part of that story, and while his plaque will be the same size as all the others, its presence will stand as a towering middle finger aimed at the small men — particularly commissioner Bowie Kuhn, who wound up on the short end virtually every time the two sparred during Miller’s tenure, yet was elected in 2008 — who conspired against him during his lifetime and after, and who colluded against the players in efforts to break the union.”
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This is a happy ending to a long and unfortunate story. The injustice that blocked Miller from his rightful place in baseball’s Hall of Fame cannot be undone nor will it be forgotten. However, it will now live and forever be part of the sport’s history — both the bad part and then now the good one.