Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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Charles O. Finley & Co., Inc. v. Kuhn | 569 F.2d 527 (1978)
Following the infamous nineteen nineteen world series scandal involving the Chicago White Sox, Major League Baseball or MLB named its first commissioner to protect the sport's integrity. Teams then entered into an agreement known as the Major League Agreement to give the commissioner broad authority to investigate acts detrimental to the best interests of the game, and to take appropriate preventative, remedial, or punitive action. Over the years, teams have modified the MLB commissioner's contractually granted best interests power. In Charles O. Finley and Company versus Kuhn, the seventh circuit considered whether this power gave the commissioner the right to reject the assignments of contracts for three players. Charles O. Finley and Company owned the Oakland Athletics, which we'll call the A's.
In addition, in the mid-1970s, Joe Rudy, Raleigh Fingers, and Vida Blue were all members of the A's active roster with expiring contracts. On June fifteenth, nineteen seventy six, which was MLB's trade deadline, the A's and Blue agreed to a three year contract extension. However, Rudy and Fingers hadn't been extended beyond the nineteen seventy six season and were set to become free agents. Around the same time, the A's assigned Rudy's and Fingers' contracts to the Boston Red Sox for two million dollars.
In addition, the A's assigned Blue's contract to the New York Yankees for one point five million dollars. Blue's three year extension transferred to the Yankees as part of the deal, and Rudy and Fingers were still set to become free agents at the end of the season. Three days later, MLB's commissioner, Bowie Kuhn, disapproved of the assignments, concluding that they were inconsistent with the best interests of baseball.
Namely, Kuhn expressed his concern for the weakening of the A's team, the lessening of competitive balance of professional baseball, and the unsettled circumstances of baseball's reserve system. Subsequently, Finley sued Kuhn in federal district court, challenging the commissioner's authority to disapprove the assignments. Following a bench trial, the court entered judgment of dismissal in favor of Kuhn. Finley appealed to the seventh circuit.
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Get more case briefs explained with Quimbee. Quimbee has over 42,700 case briefs (and counting) keyed to 988 casebooks ► quimbee.com/case-briefs-overview
Charles O. Finley & Co., Inc. v. Kuhn | 569 F.2d 527 (1978)
Following the infamous nineteen nineteen world series scandal involving the Chicago White Sox, Major League Baseball or MLB named its first commissioner to protect the sport's integrity. Teams then entered into an agreement known as the Major League Agreement to give the commissioner broad authority to investigate acts detrimental to the best interests of the game, and to take appropriate preventative, remedial, or punitive action. Over the years, teams have modified the MLB commissioner's contractually granted best interests power. In Charles O. Finley and Company versus Kuhn, the seventh circuit considered whether this power gave the commissioner the right to reject the assignments of contracts for three players. Charles O. Finley and Company owned the Oakland Athletics, which we'll call the A's.
In addition, in the mid-1970s, Joe Rudy, Raleigh Fingers, and Vida Blue were all members of the A's active roster with expiring contracts. On June fifteenth, nineteen seventy six, which was MLB's trade deadline, the A's and Blue agreed to a three year contract extension. However, Rudy and Fingers hadn't been extended beyond the nineteen seventy six season and were set to become free agents. Around the same time, the A's assigned Rudy's and Fingers' contracts to the Boston Red Sox for two million dollars.
In addition, the A's assigned Blue's contract to the New York Yankees for one point five million dollars. Blue's three year extension transferred to the Yankees as part of the deal, and Rudy and Fingers were still set to become free agents at the end of the season. Three days later, MLB's commissioner, Bowie Kuhn, disapproved of the assignments, concluding that they were inconsistent with the best interests of baseball.
Namely, Kuhn expressed his concern for the weakening of the A's team, the lessening of competitive balance of professional baseball, and the unsettled circumstances of baseball's reserve system. Subsequently, Finley sued Kuhn in federal district court, challenging the commissioner's authority to disapprove the assignments. Following a bench trial, the court entered judgment of dismissal in favor of Kuhn. Finley appealed to the seventh circuit.
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