Take Me Out to the Courthouse · The Commissioner's Office
The Fire Sale Veto
Charles O. Finley & Co. v. Kuhn (1978)
Charge: Challenge to the commissioner's veto of player sales as 'not in the best interests of baseball' (suit against the commissioner)Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitDocket: The Commissioner's Office
Could the commissioner block legal player sales on the ground that they were not in baseball's best interests?
The facts
A championship club's owner expected to lose several stars to free agency. Just before the trade deadline he sold three of them, two to one rival for $2 million and one to another rival for $1.5 million. The commissioner disapproved the sales, saying they would hurt competitive balance and the game's integrity, even though no rule capped cash sales. The owner sued, saying the commissioner could only punish rule-breaking. The clubs' agreement also contained a clause waiving any right to go to court over the commissioner's decisions.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: Charles O. Finley & Co. v. Kuhn, 569 F.2d 527 (7th Cir. 1978)
Read more at case-law.vlex.com. The source reveals the outcome.