Ted Turner was a man intent on making a splash any chance he got, and less than three months into his tenure as Atlanta Braves owner, he pulled off one of the biggest coups in baseball history.
On April 10, 1976, Turner and the Braves signed pitcher Andy Messersmith — the game’s first true free agent — to a 3-year, $1 million contract. Eight days later, Messersmith was on the mound at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium starting against the Los Angeles Dodgers, his former team.
The 30-year-old Messersmith performed well in that first start but didn’t get the win; in fact he wouldn’t win his first game as a Brave until mid-May.