Bargaining with Baseball: Labor Relations in an Age of Prosperous Turmoil

In 1995, William B. Gould IV, then chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, cast the deciding vote to obtain the injunction that ended the longest strike in baseball history. Sixteen years of peaceful relations between baseball labor and management have followed, as well as unprecedented prosperity in a relationship that had just endured 30 years of strikes and lockouts. This study, which clearly illustrates the practical impact of law on America's pastime, considers the 140-year sweep of labor-management relationships and conflict, exploring player-owner disputes, the development of free agency, the collective bargaining process, and the racial integration of baseball, among other topics. It concludes with a discussion of the "steroids era," the problem with maintaining Jackie Robinson's legacy in the 21st century, and globalization.