He was 93. The 1975 case involved Dodgers pitcher Andy Messersmith and prompted arbitrator Peter Seitz to strike down the reserve clause, the restrictive contract language that had kept players ...

1975 - An arbitrator declares Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally free agents. Both pitchers sat out the option years of their contracts in hopes they would become free to sign with any team.

1976 - A federal judge upholds a recent decision by arbitrator Peter Seitz who had granted free agency to pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally. Both players had challenged the league’s ...