America and Baseball

1960s - A Decade of Change

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan’s recording “The Times They Are a Changin’” best illustrates the decade of the sixties. The Cuban missile crisis of 1962 and the sending of troops to Vietnam were signals that it was no longer the camelot of the fifties. 1963 assassination of President Kennedy paralyzed the country. The protests over war and civil rights were never ending. A violent race riot in 1965 at the Watts District of Los Angeles served as notice the depth of civil unrest. It all seemed to come to a climax in 1968 with the assassination of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther,Jr. and the chaotic Democratic Convention in Chicago.Labor unrest brought strikes throughout the decade. In addition to the civil rights turmoil, the younger generation was opening the door to the drug culture and a more liberal view of sex. Marijuana became the casual drug of choice while drug experimentation with LSD, heroin and cocaine was causing serious concerns and dangers.

Some good things did happen. In 1963, the civil rights march brought over 100,000 demonstrators to the Capitol. Martin Luther King, Jr. addressed the crowd with his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The nation and the politicians started paying serious attention to the plight of the African Americans. Thanks to MLK, Jr. and his courageous followers, the lives of blacks started to improve. One of his ardent supporters was Jackie Robinson. MLK gave great recognition to Jackie’s contribution. President Linden Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Americans were introduced to the start of the computer age. The Beatles arrived. The Sound of Music movie gave us a respite from the problems we were facing and in 1969 Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon.

Baseball had its share of problems, particularly in regard to the recognition of the player use of amphetamines and the continuing labor problems caused by the reserve clause. A notable change in baseball labor relations came in 1966 when labor lawyer Marvin Miller took command of the Major League Players Association. His leadership was dramatic as he forced team owners to negotiate with the union and gained the rights for players to hire agents. These were the beginning steps of the momentum that would grant the players the high salaries they earn today. A key development in the labor war was on October 7th, 1969 when Cardinal outfielder Curt Flood refused a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies claiming, “I do not feel I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes.” Miller agreed to have the union fund a lawsuit against Major League Baseball. Although the lawsuit was dismissed it was to lead to the eventual elimination of the reserve clause in the 1990s.

There were numerous franchise shifts and team expansions that brought dramatic changes to MLB. It started in 1961 when it expanded to 10 teams in each league. The American League placed franchises in Minneapolis (Twins) and Los Angeles (Angels). The National League followed suit in 1962 with the addition of the Houston Colt 45s (later to be renamed the Astros) and the New York Mets. The expansion was not an overnight success, as the poor play of the new teams added more imbalance which hurt attendance. However the new stadiums proved to be an enhancement. The Houston Astrodome became the first air conditioned domed stadium and was often cited as the eighth wonder of the world. Later in the decade four more teams were added: Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Mariners in the American League, The San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos in the National League. This allowed each league to create two divisions and hold five game playoffs between the division champs at the end of the season to determine who played in the World Series. .

Next Week: Around the Leagues

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