Doubleheader · Bottom of the Ninth
The Outfielder's Exit
Cincinnati Exhibition Co. v. Marsans (1914)
Charge: Injunction to stop an outfielder who left mid-contract for a rival league (suit against the player)Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of MissouriDocket: Bottom of the Ninth
Should a court bar the outfielder from playing for the rival club while his contract dispute is resolved?
The facts
An outfielder signed a contract with a big-league club at a fixed salary, promising to play only for that club; the club, however, could end the deal on ten days' notice. He began the season and collected his pay, then walked out to join a team in a new rival league. His original club sued to stop him from playing for anyone else. He argued the contract was one-sided, since the club could fire him almost at will while he was bound for the whole term.
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: Cincinnati Exhibition Co. v. Marsans, 216 F. 269 (E.D. Mo. 1914)
Read more at courtlistener.com. The source reveals the outcome.