American League Baseball Club of Chicago v. Chase
Supreme Court, Erie County, New York
149 N.Y.S. 6 (1914)
Relevant factsFree
Chase (defendant) left the White Sox (plaintiff) mid-contract to play for a rival Federal League team; the White Sox sued to enjoin him, but the standard player contract, governed by the reserve clause and related "organized baseball" rules, gave the club near-total control over the player's services while giving the player essentially no reciprocal rights or ability to negotiate.
IssueFree
Whether the combination of rules and policies surrounding "organized baseball" creates a monopoly in which a player enjoys no freedom to contract, such that equitable relief requested by a club regarding a player's contract will be denied for lack of mutuality.
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