Bonus rule

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Sandy Koufax.jpg
Harmon Killebrew 1962.png
Al Kaline 1957.jpg
Roberto Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates - 1957.jpg
Sandy Koufax, Harmon Killebrew, Al Kaline, and Roberto Clemente were all bonus players who went on to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame

The bonus rule was a rule instituted by Major League Baseball in 1947 to prevent teams from assigning certain players to farm teams. The rule stipulated that when a major league team signed a player to a contract with a signing bonus in excess of $4,000, the team was required to keep that player on their 25-man active roster for two full seasons. Any team that failed to comply with the rule lost the rights to that player's contract, and the player was then exposed to the waiver wire. Once a player remained with the team for two full seasons, he could be assigned to a farm team without repercussions. [1]

Contents

The rule went through several variations. It was rescinded in 1958 but re-established in 1962, after Major League Baseball expanded, with different and more relaxed stipulations than the original. It was finally abolished in 1965, when the Major League Baseball draft was initiated. [1]

History of the rule

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, major league franchises found themselves bidding against one another for the services of young players. These engagements subsided when World War II broke out. When the war ended, the bidding wars resumed and resulted in skyrocketing signing bonuses. To counter this, in 1947, Major League Baseball implemented the bonus rule. The rule's purpose was to prevent the wealthiest teams from signing all of the best players and from stashing those players in their farm systems. Additionally, the bonus market was weakened as a result of inhibited competition. In return, this limited labor costs. [1]

The legitimacy of the rule was challenged several times after it was initially implemented. In December 1950, the rule was rescinded. [1] In 1952, a committee chaired by Branch Rickey revived the rule. It was this iteration of the rule that stated a team had to place the players who met the bonus rule criteria on the major league roster immediately. Furthermore, the player had to remain on the roster for two years from the signing date. [1]

Although players were signed as a result of their potential, many of them were not able to succeed. In an extreme case, pitcher Tom Qualters was on the active roster of the Philadelphia Phillies for all of 1953 and 1954, but pitched only 1/3 of an inning in one game of the 1953 season, and did not get into a game at all in 1954. Qualters did not appear in his second major league game until 1957, and never recorded a victory as a big league pitcher. [2]

The New York Yankees worked out a deal with the Kansas City Athletics in which the Athletics signed Clete Boyer to a contract. The Athletics used Boyer sparingly for the two years they had him. Then, just days after the first date at which the Athletics could send Boyer down to the minor leagues, they traded him to the Yankees as the player to be named later from a trade the previous winter. This trade did not sit well with the owners of the other American League teams. They claimed that the Yankees had used the Athletics to hold Boyer. However, the deal was allowed by the league. [3]

Incidents like the Clete Boyer trade showed how the bonus rule could be circumvented. Rumor also spread that teams were ignoring the rule and bribing players. In 1958, both leagues voted to rescind the rule. In addition, they rescinded it retroactively. This eliminated the major league roster requirement for the players signed in 1957. [1]

After the league added four new teams (the Angels and Senators, followed by the Colt .45s and Mets), the bonus rule was reintroduced in 1962. The difference between the new version of the rule and the previous one was that a player had to spend just one full season on the roster instead of two seasons. The rule was rescinded permanently in June 1965, after the introduction of the Major League Baseball draft. [1]

Bonus players

Players signed under the bonus rule were referred to as "bonus players" or "bonus babies". These players often went straight to the major leagues and, due to bonus rule, were prevented from spending time and developing their talent in the minor leagues. As a result, the rule came under criticism because it often caused such a player to languish on a major league bench instead of gaining experience in the minors. [4]

Under the original bonus rule – in force from 1946 to 1950, and again from 1953 to 1957 – fifty seven bonus players were signed by MLB teams. Four of those players went on to have Hall of Fame careers: Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew, Sandy Koufax, Roberto Clemente. [1]

Of the four, only Killebrew, a bonus baby for the Washington Senators, saw any minor league service time once his mandatory two-year period expired. [5] Clemente was signed as a bonus player by the Brooklyn Dodgers who sent him to the minors to allow him to develop; however, he was subsequently drafted under the Rule 5 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates after one of their scouts took note his raw skills. [6] Kaline and Koufax, on the other hand, never played in the minor leagues. [7] [8]

Other notable stars who signed under the original bonus rule were Dick Groat, Clete Boyer, Lindy McDaniel, and Johnny Antonelli. [1]

Under the 1962 rule, which had more relaxed requirements, notable bonus players included Hall of Fame pitcher Catfish Hunter and Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa. [1] Hunter did not see any minor league service but did pitch in the Florida Instructional League before his major league debut. [9]

List of bonus players

Key
*Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
NamePositionAmateur teamMajor League team(s)Bonus sizeDebut
Joey Amalfitano Second baseman Loyola Marymount New York Giants $40,0001954
Johnny Antonelli Pitcher Thomas Jefferson HS (NY) Boston Braves $65,0001948
Bob Bailey Third baseman Woodrow Wilson HS (CA) Pittsburgh Pirates $175,0001962
Reno Bertoia Third baseman Assumption College HS (ON) Detroit Tigers $23,0001953
Steve Boros Infielder Michigan Detroit Tigers $25,0001957
Clete Boyer Third baseman Alba HS (MO) Kansas City Athletics $35,0001955
Jim Brady Pitcher Notre Dame Detroit Tigers $37,0001956
Mack Burk Catcher Texas Philadelphia Phillies $40,0001956
Tom Carroll Infielder Notre Dame New York Yankees $30,0001955
Wayne Causey Infielder Neville HS (LA) Baltimore Orioles $32,0001955
Roberto Clemente * Outfielder La Escuela Julio C Vizcarrondo Brooklyn Dodgers $10,0001955
Billy Consolo Shortstop Dorsey HS (CA) Boston Red Sox $65,0001953
Willie Crawford Catcher Fremont HS (CA) Los Angeles Dodgers $100,0001964
John DeMerit Outfielder Wisconsin Milwaukee Braves $100,0001957
Jim Derrington Pitcher South Gate HS (CA) Chicago White Sox $78,0001956
Moe Drabowsky Pitcher Trinity College (CT) Chicago Cubs $75,0001956
John Edelman Pitcher West Chester Milwaukee Braves $20,0001955
Bob Garibaldi Pitcher Santa Clara San Francisco Giants $150,0001962
Tom Gastall Catcher Boston University Baltimore Orioles $30,0001955
Paul Giel Pitcher Minnesota New York Giants $60,0001954
Dick Groat Shortstop Duke Pittsburgh Pirates $25,0001952
Bobby Henrich Shortstop Compton HS (CA) Cincinnati Redlegs $25,0001957
Dave Hill Pitcher Northwestern Kansas City Athletics $30,0001957
Jay Hook Pitcher Northwestern Cincinnati Redlegs $65,0001957
Catfish Hunter * Pitcher Perquimans County HS (NC) Oakland Athletics $75,0001965
Ron Jackson First baseman Western Michigan Chicago White Sox $10,0001954
Vic Janowicz Catcher Ohio State Pittsburgh Pirates $25,0001953
Joey Jay Pitcher Woodrow Wilson HS (CT) Milwaukee Braves $40,0001953
Don Kaiser Pitcher East Central University Chicago Cubs $27,0001955
Al Kaline * Outfielder Southern HS (MD) Detroit Tigers $35,0001953
Harmon Killebrew * First baseman Payette HS (ID) Washington Senators $30,0001954
Jerry Kindall Second baseman Minnesota Chicago Cubs $50,0001956
Nick Koback Catcher Hartford Public HS (CT) Pittsburgh Pirates $20,0001953
Sandy Koufax * Pitcher Cincinnati Brooklyn Dodgers $14,0001955
Kenny Kuhn Infielder Louisville Male HS (KY) Cleveland Indians $50,0001955
Frank Leja First baseman Holyoke HS (MA) New York Yankees $40,0001954
Ralph Lumenti Pitcher Boston University Washington Senators $35,0001957
Mike McCormick Pitcher Mark Keppel HS (CA) New York Giants $50,0001956
Lindy McDaniel Pitcher Arnett HS (OK) St. Louis Cardinals $50,0001955
Von McDaniel Pitcher Arnett HS (OK) St. Louis Cardinals $50,0001957
Bob G. Miller Pitcher Morton East HS (IL) Cincinnati Redlegs $60,0001953
Bob L. Miller Pitcher Beaumont HS (MO) St. Louis Cardinals $25,0001957
Paul Martin Pitcher Marion Center Area HS (PA) Pittsburgh Pirates $20,0001955
Tex Nelson First baseman W. H. Adamson HS (TX) Baltimore Orioles $40,0001955
Eddie O'Brien Shortstop Seattle Pittsburgh Pirates $40,0001953
Johnny O'Brien Second baseman Seattle Pittsburgh Pirates $40,0001953
Billy O'Dell Pitcher Clemson Baltimore Orioles $24,0001954
Jim Pagliaroni Catcher Wilson HS (CA) Boston Red Sox $85,0001955
Don Pavletich Catcher Nathan Hale HS (WI) Cincinnati Reds $30,0001957
Laurin Pepper Pitcher Southern Miss Pittsburgh Pirates $20,0001954
Paul Pettit Pitcher Narbonne HS (CA) Pittsburgh Pirates $100,0001951
Jay Porter Catcher Oakland Tech HS (CA) Chicago White Sox $67,5001952
Bob Powell Pinch runner Michigan State Chicago White Sox $36,0001955
Buddy Pritchard Second baseman USC Pittsburgh Pirates $48,0001957
Jim Pyburn Third baseman Alabama Polytechnic Institute Baltimore Orioles $50,0001955
Tom Qualters Pitcher McKeesport HS (PA) Philadelphia Phillies $40,0001953
Mel Roach Infielder Virginia Milwaukee Braves $45,0001953
Johnny Romano Catcher Demherst HS (NJ) Pittsburgh Pirates $15,0001958
Ducky Schofield Shortstop Springfield HS (IL) St. Louis Cardinals $40,0001955
Jerry Schoonmaker Outfielder Missouri Washington Senators $30,0001955
John Sevcik Catcher Missouri Minnesota Twins $10,0001965
Al Silvera Outfielder USC Cincinnati Reds $20,0001955
Jim Small Outfielder Bellarmine College Prep (CA) Detroit Tigers $30,0001955
Red Swanson Pitcher LSU Pittsburgh Pirates $20,0001955
Hawk Taylor Catcher Metropolis Community HS (IL) Milwaukee Braves $119,0001957
George Thomas Outfielder Minnesota Detroit Tigers $25,0001957
Fred Van Dusen Pinch hitter Bryant HS (NY) Philadelphia Phillies $50,0001955
Jerry Walker Pitcher Byng HS (OK) Baltimore Orioles $20,0001957
Frank Zupo Catcher Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (CA) Baltimore Orioles $50,0001957

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Treder, Steve (November 1, 2004). "Cash in the Cradle: The Bonus Babies". The Hardball Times.
  2. ↑ Zygner, Sam. "Phillies Bonus Babies, 1953-57". Society for American Baseball Research.
  3. ↑ "Clete Boyer (SABR BioProject)". Society for American Baseball Research. Because of the "Bonus Baby" rule of the time, Boyer was required to stay on the Athletics' roster for a minimum of two years... The Athletics tried to include Boyer in a trade to the Yankees on February 19, 1957. But Commissioner Ford Frick vetoed the trade, ruling that it would violate the two-year agreement. It is curious that a team such as the Athletics, who were short on talent, would try to rid themselves of a prospect in whom they had allegedly invested a large sum of cash, especially before his required two-year apprenticeship on the varsity was up. Regardless, the 13-player swap was legally consummated on June 4, 1957, with Boyer going to New York.
  4. ↑ "Bonus Rule". Society for American Baseball Research. Writing 22 years later, Paul Hemphill, in an article appropriately titled "Whatever Happened to What's-His-Name?" focused on the adverse impact the rule had on the young players. He said: "Forced to sit in big league dugouts—gaining no experience, ostracized by jealous teammates, eventually the source of humor for fans and press—they waited while their potential, assuming they ever had any, stagnated and often disappeared."
  5. ↑ "Harmon Killebrew Minor League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. ↑ "Roberto Clemente Minor League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. ↑ "Al Kaline Career Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  8. ↑ "Sandy Koufax Career Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  9. ↑ "Catfish Hunter Winter League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
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