Marvin Miller, one of the most important figures in 20th century American sports, has died. He was 95.
I had the opportunity to speak to Miller more than a dozen times when I was writing a book about Curt Flood and a few years later I visited his apartment to talk about the possibility of making a documentary about his life. He was gracious, bright, and funny.
I will compile all of the tributes to Miller later today or tomorrow so that you can get a full appreciation of the man and his lasting professional accomplishments.
Meanwhile, here is a Q&A I did with him talking about Flood for the Banter back in 2003.
Serious loss. Glad you got to know him, A. I think I remember you writing--after your visit to their apartment--that his wife was a tough cookie.
It's a shame he didn't make it into the hall of fame before he died.
1) That she was.
2) It just goes to show you about that institution. Tom Yawkey's in there, man. I don't blame the owners on the executive committee that have kept him out. But if any of the players haven't voted for him, that's shameful.
In the end, though, he was bigger than the Hall of Fame. And that's the truth.
[3] Alex, do you get a sense he really gave a shit about the HOF? I would think it really wouldn't be on his radar.
[3] Indeed. Besides, everyone knows Miller was a Hall of Famer. That the institution (still) hasn't formally acknowledged the fact takes nothing away from Marvin Miller's legacy. It is a criminal shame that he didn't experience being inducted while alive, and yet another tarnish on the institution's legacy.
I am saddened because that would have been one hell of a speech, and we are all the poorer for not having heard it. RIP.
Baseball has lost a giant. He was a true warrior and leader for a bunch of ungrateful players.
The voters who refused to voted for Marvin Miller should be ashamed until the day they die.
[4] From his comments, Marvin definitely cared that they refused to elect him to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
4) I think he'd dealt with the owners' vindictiveness for so long that part of him might not want to belong to any club...(Part of him.) He'd also dealt with selfish jocks for long enough to probably know that many of them would not be appreciative in that kind of public way, though I'm sure they'll all be full of praise for him in the coming hours and days.
I didn't know him well enough to know if being in the Hall or not really bothered him. My guess is that part of him would have liked the honor knowing that it was deserving. I suspect he was stung by it, yeah. But he was also too experienced to expect that it'd ever come in his lifetime.
But again, screw the Hall of Fame. He certainly didn't need it to validate his position as one of the most significant figures in US sports history.
People focus on his actions with the free agency and salaries, but people don't realize that it was Marvin Miller to pushed the owners to put in almost all the safety mechanisms that we and the players take for granted in the game e.g. outfield wall padding.
Rest in Peace, Marvin.
I loved reading Marvin's interviews. He was tough as nails and was proud of it. He called out the owner's greed, deceptiveness and vindictiveness without pulling any punches.
If he ever is voted into the Hall, those voters can screw themselves.