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The Reserve Clause, 1879

This is the 1879 contract for Ezra Sutton, a fine-hitting utility infielder, who played with the Boston Red Caps from 1876 to 1888. This contract is the earliest known surviving players contract and mentions the reserve clause, which was a clause common to all player contracts that essentially prohibited a player from joining a competing team by reserving his services for the following season as a condition for his compensation. (Sutton was paid $30.00 to play that year.)
In 1969, Curt Flood challenged the reserve clause and won a landmark lawsuit that allowed players to become free agents. This contract is signed by Sutton, Red caps owner Arthur Soden and Red Caps manager Harry Wright.

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See the type of baseball that was used during the 1850s and 1860s.