Dick Moss, who earned the trust of powerful union chief Marvin Miller when they represented the United Steelworkers of America, and then proved that trust was well-placed by winning the arbitration case that created free agency for Major League Baseball players almost 50 years ago, has died. 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 under perpetual team control for nearly 100 years. Seitz was swayed by the arguments of Moss and narrowed the definition of the clause, determining it meant only a one-year renewal, a decision that led to collectively bargained free agency.