The passing of a pioneer

While every top-tier free agent pitcher these days seemingly is searching for a contract well into nine figures – that’s more than $100 million for those into really long numbers – it probably is safe to say they know little or nothing about the career of Dave McNally.

McNally, the onetime Baltimore Orioles’ ace who passes away 21 years ago today from lung cancer at the age of 60, is traded from Baltimore to Montreal in December 1974 and sees the Expos renew his $115,000 salary.

However, he does not formally sign the contract.

By doing so, the former All-Star in time successfully challenges the major leagues' slavish reserve clause, which forever ties a player to a team so long as that player previously signs a contract.

While McNally wins his arbitration case and is declared a free agent in the spring of 1976, he never pitches again after the ’75 season.

He does, though, help pave the way for modern free agency, and for countless other players over the years to become free agents and make even more countless hundreds of millions of dollars in the process.