Charles O. Finley & Co., Inc. v. Kuhn
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
569 F.2d 527 (1978)
Before the 1976 trading deadline, Charles O. Finley & Co. and the Oakland Athletics (plaintiff) agreed to sell three star players' contract rights to wealthier clubs for a combined $3.5 million. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn (defendant) disapproved the sales as inconsistent with the best interests of baseball, citing concern about weakening the Athletics, richer clubs buying success, and instability in baseball's player-reserve system. Finley sued Kuhn, challenging his authority to block the sales; the district court sided with Kuhn, and Finley appealed.
Whether the Commissioner of Baseball has the authority under the Major League Agreement to disapprove a player-contract transaction he finds not in the best interests of baseball, even if the transaction violates no specific rule and involves no moral turpitude.