Player contract question

[bbcard1]

I came across an official American League contract to Jerry Lumpe from the 1960s...it is unsigned by the player, but does bear a Charles O. Finley sig...It's real nice condition, four page player contract...any idea of the value? I came across it in my friend's effects...it is the collection that keeps on giving. Is it something I should trot out on ebay or BST or is Finley's significance enough to warrant a small auction to be interested?

[drc]

I've before seen player contracts signed only by the President or owner. Presumably, the player turned it down/wanted changes.

[thecatspajamas]

Could it also be the case that the contract signed by both the player and President or owner was retained by the ball club, and another copy signed by the President or owner was given to the player for their own records, which may or may not have been signed by the player? Not necessarily that the player didn't agree with something in the contract, but that they didn't feel the need to sign something that was essentially a duplicate of the contract on file.

I don't know one way or the other. It just seems like if there was paperwork stating something that was rejected by the player, it would have been destroyed or have notations of corrections rather than filing away something that was never agreed to.

[mr2686]

Lance, I was thinking the same thing. The player would have one for his records and would not feel the need to sign it himself, but would sign a copy for the team and for the league office.

[71buc]

I am attaching of pictures correspondence between the SF Giants and a player they were negotiating with in 1966. The contract, which I also have, is only signed by Chub Feeney. The correspondence provides insight into such contracts being signed only by the club. It is also entertaining to read when considering today's salaries and the attitudes of front office staff and players back in the days before the players union gained it's strength.

[thecatspajamas]

I laughed out loud reading that second letter from Feeney! Holbert's note sounded much like a curt response from a modern-day player, but to read Feeney taking him to task for his lack of thought and politeness in his reply: PRICELESS! Can you imagine how a modern-day ball player (or their agent) would receive such a dressing-down?

[drc]

All I know on the subject is I won a collection of stuff that belonged to the President or General Manager of the NY Jets and it contained a few contracts only signed by him.

[pclpads]

The Chubster's second letter to the Giants' player is an example of his earlier and milder, in-your-face tactic. Years later, working in a similar position for the SD Padres, Chubbo had mastered the middle-finger response, which he flagrantly used once on booing Pad fans at the Q. He was promptly relieved of his affiliation with the Padres.