GUIDE TO THE CHANDLER RESERVE CLAUSE SUITS National Baseball Hall of Fame Library National Baseball Hall of Fame 25 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326 www.baseballhall.org This guide to the collection was prepared by Claudette Scrafford in November 2010 and updated in February 2014.
Collection Number: BA MSS 109 Title: Chandler Reserve Clause Suits Inclusive Dates: 1948 1954 Extent: 1.26 linear feet (3 archival boxes) Repository: National Baseball Hall of Fame Library 25 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326 Abstract: This is a collection of correspondence, court documents and newspaper clippings relating to the lawsuits against A.B. Chandler et al. and the New York Yankees. Preferred Citation: Chandler Reserve Clause Suits, BA MSS 109, National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, NY Access Restrictions: By appointment during regular business hours, email research@baseballhall.org. Copyright: Property rights reside with the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the library. History: Players on the reserve list signed to play in the Mexican League rather than sit. When they returned to the US, they learned that they had been banned from organized baseball for five years in violation of the reserve clause. Their suits claimed this violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Scope and Content This collection contains correspondence and legal documents of five separate lawsuits relating to the reserve clause. There were four against Happy Chandler, Commissioner of Baseball, American and National League presidents and the president of the National Association of Baseball Leagues. One lawsuit was against the New York Yankees. The four lawsuits against Chandler were filed by Cordella, Martin & Lanier, Corbett & El Paso BBC and Kowalski. The NY Yankees were sued by Toolson.
Controlled Access Terms These records are indexed under the following terms in the National Baseball Hall of Fame s Library catalog. Researchers wishing to find related materials may wish to search under these terms. Corporate Names Office of the Commissioner New York Yankees Cincinnati Reds Brooklyn Dodgers St. Louis Cardinals Supreme Court of the United States Court of Appeals National League American League Mexican National League Sherman Anti-Trust Act Personal Names Chandler, Albert B., 1898-1991 Gardella, Daniel L., 1920-2005 Martin, Fred, 1915-1979 Lanier, Max, 1915-2007 Kowalski, Walter J., 1924 - Toolson, George E., 1922-1987 Corbett, Jack 1887-1973 Subject Headings Correspondence Clippings Lawsuits Agreements Contracts Collective labor agreements Content List Box 1 Folder 1 Correspondence, Gardella and Martin & Lanier, 1948 1950 - Louis F. Carroll, esquire Gardella Case Folder 2 Motion to Dismiss, July 13, 1948 Folder 3 US Court of Appeals, February 1949 BL-4497.71 Folder 4 Requesting an Injunction, March 12, 1949 BL-4501.71 - Order to show cause & affidavits
- Gardella s affidavit Folder 5 Folder 6 Affidavits in opposition to injunction, March 23, 1949 BL-4501.71 - Edgar P. Feeley, treasurer, NL - Ford C. Frick, president, NL - Mark F. Hughes, counsel, defendants - Exhibits A F Opinion of U.S. District Judge, April 19, 1949 BL-4501.71 - Clerks certificate of transcript - Notice of Appeal Folder 7 Answer of A.B. Chandler, April 25, 1949 Folder 8 Appellant s brief, Gardella, May 1949 BL-4499.71 Folder 9 Appellees brief, Chandler et al., 1949 Folder 10 Chandler, attorney substitution, August 4, 1949 -Signed and notarized Folder 11 Notice of Deposition, Chandler, August 15, 1949 BL-4500.71 - Deposition, August 26, 1949 - Notice list 205 items to produce Folder 12 Gardella s Release of Suit, October 7, 1949 - Signed and notarized Folder 13 Documents in Gardella case, Volume 1 BL-4498.71 Folder 14 Newspaper articles, 1947 1949 - Gardella - Martin and Lanier Folder 15 Agenda-Conference of Commissioner and American League Clubs - April 13, 1949 BL-4496.71 Martin & Lanier Case Folder 16 Appeal from an Order denying an Injunction, 1948 BL-4505.71 Folder 17 Summons and Complaint, March 8, 1949 Order to show cause affidavits Folder 18 Several answer of president and members of American League - March 1949 BL-4502.71
Answer of defendants Ford Frick, members of National League - March 1949 (except St. Louis) BL-4503.71 Answer of St. Louis NL Baseball Club, March 1949 BL-4504.71 Folder 19 Opposition to Motion for Preliminary Injunction, March 1949 - BL-4506.71 (2 copies) Folder 20 Preliminary Injunction decision, April 1, 1949 Box 2 Martin & Lanier Case Folder 1 Brief for plaintiffs and appellants, April 20, 1949 BL-4509.71 Folder 2 Memorandum in support of defendants motion to dismiss the alleged cause of action for lack of an indispensable party - May 6, 1949 BL-4508.71 Folder 3 Demand for Jury, July 28, 1949 Folder 4 Notice of Motion and Affidavit, July 29, 1949 Folder 5 Correspondence, Graham Claytor to Chandler, Aug 1, 1949 Documents in Martin & Lanier case, Volume 1 BL-4507.71 Answer of Albert B. Chandler, July 29, 1949, corrected Folder 6 Correspondence, 1950 1954 - Chandler vs. Corbett - Chandler vs. Kowalski - Toolson vs. NY Yankees Jack Corbett & El Paso Case Folder 7 Summons and Complaint, April 14, 1951 - Correspondence April May 1951 Folder 8 Brief of Plaintiffs-Appellants, 1952 BL-7042.71 Reply Brief of Plaintiffs-Appellants, 1952 BL-7043.71 Folder 9 Appellees Brief, Chandler, September 3, 1952 BL-4041.71 Folder 10 Petition for Writ of Certiorari, March 1953 BL-7045.71a,b - Petitioned by Corbett Folder 11 Brief of Respondents in Opposition to Petition of Certiorari - April 1953 BL-7046.71
Folder 12 Reply Brief of Petitioners, May 1953 BL-7044.71a,b Brief for Petitioners, September 1953 BL-7047.71 Folder 13 Brief for Respondents, October 1953 BL-7048.71 Kowalski Case Folder 14 Correspondence, 1951 Folder 15 Appellees Brief, Chandler, September 1952 BL-7022.71 Brief of Plaintiff-Appellant, September 1952 BL-7024.71 Reply Brief of Plaintiff-Appellant, September 1952 BL-7023.71 Folder 16 Petition for Writ of Certiorari to Court of Appeals - March 20, 1953 BL-7026.71a,b Brief for Respondents in opposition to Petition for Writ of Certiorari, April 24, 1953 BL-7026.71 Folder 17 Reply Brief of Petitioner, May 7, 1953 BL-7025.71a,b Petitioner s Reply Brief, October 10, 1953 BL-7029.71 Transcript of Record, Supreme Court BL-7031.71 - October Term 1953, No 23 Folder 18 Brief for Petitioner, Kowalski, September 1953 BL-7028.71 Brief for Respondents, Chandler, October 1953 BL-7030.71 Box 3 George Earl Toolson Case Folder 1 Appellees Reply Brief, NY Yankees, May 1952 - BL-2273.80, BL-7032.71 Folder 2 Folder 3 Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit & Brief in Support Thereof, March 7, 1953 - BL-7035.71a,b Brief for Respondents in Opposition to Petition for Certiorari - April 9, 1953 BL-7033.71 Petitioners Reply Brief to Respondents Brief in Opposition to Petition for Certiorari, April 29, 1953 BL-7034.71 Folder 4 Petitioners Opening Brief on Writ of Certiorari to the Court of Appeals, September 16, 1953 BL-7039.71 Petitioners Reply Brief on Writ of Certiorari - October 12, 1953 BL-7036.71
Folder 5 Brief for Boston American League Club as Amicus Curiae - September 30, 1953 BL-7038.71 Brief for Respondents, NY Yankees, October 2, 1953 BL-7037.71 Folder 6 Supreme Court decision, November 9, 1953 BL-7017.71 On Writ of Certiorari, Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit - Toolson vs. NYY On Writs of Certiorari, Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit - Kowalski vs. Chandler - Corbett vs. Chandler Folder 7 Petition for Re-argument, November 21, 1953 - Toolson vs. NYY - Kowalski vs. Chandler - Corbett vs. Chandler