Miller's Hall candidacy split MLB, just like union tenure

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Marvin Miller's Hall of Fame candidacy split baseball, much like his tenure as the head of the players' association.

Former Commissioner Fay Vincent, a long and vociferous proponent of Miller's election to the Hall, felt the honor was long overdue and understood the enmity felt by club owners.

"I think they were very bitter. They viewed him as having hurt the game, and they didn't want to recognize the fact that they were wrong," Vincent said Monday, a day after Miller was elected by the modern era committee with exactly the 75% needed. "I think the owners who fought with him, Bud Selig and the others, really were very, very bitter because he won almost every one of those fights. And I think it took them a long time to get over it, get over all those losses."

Miller led the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1966-82, gaining breakthroughs that included free agency, salary arbitration and grievance arbitration.

In 2007, after the third of what would be seven turndowns, Miller asked not to be considered for the Hall and called the process "a farce." He died in 2012 at age 95.

"Marvin was an enormous part of the history of baseball and deserves to have a plaque in the Hall of Fame, and we're so happy that he finally does," Hall chair Jane Forbes Clark said.

Miller was elected along with former St. Louis catcher Ted Simmons, who was picked on 13 of 16 ballots. They will be inducted July 26 along with any players from the baseball writers' ballot, headed by Derek Jeter.

"First contract I played for at the major league level was for $7,500," Simmons said, recalling a time when the minimum was $6,000.

Miller pushed for the floor to be raised to $10,000 in 1968 and $12,000 in 1970.

"I turned to my wife and I said, `I think we can buy a car!'...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Miller-s-Hall-candidacy-split-MLB-just-like-14894373.php