The MLB Players Association has a reputation as one of the strongest unions in the world ... but it did not start with that moniker. In fact, it took a near century for baseball players to be represented as a group to bring the playing population forward. That man was Marvin Miller, but he had a long road ahead of him to help the players realize their value collectively versus individually.

But during baseball's infancy, restrictive rules and savvy businessmen kept the players down as much as possible. The reserve clause, MLB's antitrust exemption, grievance hearings, suspensions, legal maneuvers, the list goes on how baseball operated sometimes without its players' best intentions.

Welcome to the Service Time Podcast, hosted by Dominic Cotroneo and Scott Sweeney. We'd love to hear from you as we embark on these deep dives together.

Website: ServiceTimePodcast.Substack.com

Email: ServiceTimePod@Gmail.com

Instagram: @ServiceTimePod

Welcome to our introductory episode of the Service Time Podcast. In this prologue we lay out the schedule ahead for the show and what we hope to gain out of the time we take to present what we've learned to you.

We hope to create a full audiobook-length catalog by the end of the nine episodes we have scheduled, ready to deliver the history of baseball's labor negotiations and what it means for the future of the 2027 CBA.

Hosts: Dominic Cotroneo & Scott Sweeney

Website: ServiceTimePodcast.Substack.com

Email: ServiceTimePod@gmail.com