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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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