▁million ▁signing ▁bonus . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁Miller ▁encourag ed ▁two ▁other ▁pitch ers ▁Andy ▁Mess ers m ith ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁D od gers ▁and ▁Dave ▁Mc N ally ▁of ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁Ori oles ▁to ▁play ▁out ▁the ▁succeed ing ▁year ▁without ▁signing ▁a ▁contract . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁year ▁had ▁el apsed , ▁both ▁players ▁file d ▁a ▁gr iev ance ▁arbitr ation . ▁ ▁The ▁en su ing ▁Se itz ▁decision ▁declared ▁that ▁both ▁players ▁had ▁ful filled ▁their ▁contract ual ▁oblig ations ▁and ▁had ▁no ▁further ▁legal ▁t ies ▁to ▁their ▁ball cl ubs . ▁ ▁This ▁effectively ▁er adic ated ▁the ▁reserve ▁clause ▁and ▁us her ed ▁in ▁free ▁ag ency . ▁ ▁As ▁an ▁econom ist , ▁Miller ▁clearly ▁understood ▁that ▁too ▁many ▁free ▁agents ▁could ▁actually ▁drive ▁down ▁player ▁sal aries . ▁Miller ▁agreed ▁to ▁limit ▁free ▁ag ency ▁to ▁players ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁six ▁years ▁of ▁service , ▁hoping ▁that ▁restrict ing ▁the ▁supply ▁of ▁labor ▁would ▁drive ▁up ▁sal aries ▁as ▁own ers ▁bid ▁for ▁an ▁annual , ▁finite ▁pool ▁of ▁free ▁agents . ▁ ▁Miller ' s ▁hopes ▁were ▁fr ustr ated ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁as ▁baseball ▁own ers ▁engaged ▁in ▁coll usion ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁agreed ▁among ▁themselves ▁not ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁any ▁player ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁free ▁agent . ▁ ▁Miller ▁led ▁the ▁ball player ' s ▁union ▁in ▁two ▁more ▁actions ▁against ▁the ▁Major ▁League ▁own ers , ▁the ▁second ▁during ▁ 1 9