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February 28
Koufax and Drysdale Holdout February 28 1966
February 28, 1966 – The Koufax-Drysdale Holdout
On this day in 1966, Los Angeles Dodgers aces Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale refused to report to spring training, launching a historic joint holdout. The duo demanded a three-year, $1 million contract to be split evenly, which would have made them the highest-paid players in baseball—eclipsing Willie Mays’ $125,000 salary with the Giants.
Koufax remained bitter over the previous year's contract negotiations, believing that the Dodgers had leaked false salary demands to the press in an attempt to turn the fan base against him. He also felt the team was pitting him against Drysdale, as Dodgers GM Buzzie Bavasi had publicly stated that Drysdale, who won more games in 1965, was asking for less money than Koufax ahead of the '66 season.
At dinner one night, Drysdale confided that the same tactic was being used on him. His wife, Ginger Drysdale, suggested that they join forces. The two agreed and enlisted the same agent, J. William Hayes, to negotiate on their behalf.
The Holdout Begins
As the stalemate dragged on, Koufax and Drysdale held firm, skipping spring training entirely. To hedge their bets, both players signed contracts to appear in the movie Warning Shot, starring David Janssen, in case their absence extended into the season. Koufax also agreed to co-write his autobiography, Koufax, with journalist Ed Linn, something he only pursued as a financial safety net.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers launched a public relations offensive against their star pitchers, framing them as greedy and ungrateful. As a result, press coverage overwhelmingly favored the team ownership. Koufax later reflected in his book:
"It was astonishing to me to learn that there were a remarkably large number of American citizens who truly did not believe we had the moral right to quit rather than work at a salary we felt—rightly or wrongly—to be less than we deserved... Just take what the nice man wants to give you, get into your uniform, and go a fast 25 laps around the field."
In stark contrast to the team's public campaign, both players refused to engage with the media or escalate tensions. Drysdale later wrote in his autobiography that they agreed to "add no fuel to the fire whatsoever."
A Threat to Baseball’s Power Structure
Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley made it clear that he would not negotiate with the players as a unit, recognizing the larger implications of their stand. He stated:
"I admire the boys' strategy, and we can't do without them, even for a little while. But we can't give in to them. There are too many agents hanging around Hollywood looking for clients. If two players can do this, what stops an entire team from negotiating collectively?"
Other owners viewed the holdout as a direct challenge to their dominance over contract negotiations. Behind closed doors, there were concerns that Koufax and Drysdale had set a dangerous precedent for player unity.
March 30 – The Deal is Done
After a month-long standoff, actor Chuck Connors helped arrange a meeting between Bavasi, Drysdale, and Koufax. A deal was finally reached:
Koufax signed for $130,000, making him the highest-paid player in baseball.
Drysdale signed for $105,000.
Bavasi later reflected on the outcome:
"To tell the truth, I wasn't too successful in the famous Koufax-Drysdale double holdout. When the smoke cleared, they stood together on the battlefield with $235,000 between them, and I stood there with a blood-stained cashbox. They had a gimmick, and it worked... But be sure to stick around for the fun the next time somebody tries that gimmick. I don’t care if the whole infield comes in as a package—next year, they'll be wondering what they’re doing playing for the Nankai Hawks."
The Aftermath
The owners took no chances moving forward. In the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), they inserted language to prevent collusion, fearing that more players would take the same approach as Koufax and Drysdale. Ironically, this clause later cost the owners billions of dollars in legal rulings after they were repeatedly caught colluding against free agents.
Since 1966, no two players have ever colluded in contract negotiations—a testament to the lasting impact of the Koufax-Drysdale holdout.
Enjoy the podcast with Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale!
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Trivia:
Who was the only .300 hitter on the 1965 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers?
Hint: The answer is below
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February 28, 1959 — Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees ends his holdout after one day. Mantle agrees to a salary of $72,000 and a bonus of $2,000. He had been asking the Yankees for $85,000 after batting .304 with 42 home runs and 97 RBI in 1958.
February 28, 1966 — Refusing to report to spring training, Los Angeles Dodger pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin their joint holdout, asking for a $1 million, three-year contract, to be divided equally between them. The deal, equivalent to an annual salary of $167,000 for each hurler, will make them the best-paid players in baseball, easily surpassing Willie Mays’ $125,000 yearly paycheck with the Giants. Although the deal didn’t happen, On March 30, Drysdale and Koufax will end their holdouts, with each signing one-year contracts worth under $150,000. Koufax, however, will become the highest-paid player in the game.
February 28, 1975 -- The New York Mets purchase slugger Dave Kingman from the Giants. The 26-year-old first baseman/outfielder was drafted by San Francisco as the team's first pick in the initial round of the secondary phase of the 1970 amateur draft. Kingman a well-traveled player will play with several franchises over 17 seasons and hit 442 home runs. He will have 2 stints with the Mets and he will hit 154 home runs over 6 seasons with the Mets.
February 28, 1986 — In Major League Baseball’s sternest disciplinary move since the 1919 Black Sox were banished for life, Commissioner Peter Ueberroth gives seven players who were admitted drug users a choice of a year’s suspension without pay or heavy fines and career-long drug testing, along with 100 hours of drug-related community service. Joaquin Andújar, Dale Berra, Enos Cabell, Keith Hernandez, Jeffrey Leonard, Dave Parker, and Lonnie Smith will be fined 10 percent of their annual salaries to drug abuse programs. The commissioner also doles out lesser penalties to 14 other players for their use of drugs.
February 28, 1989 – The Veterans Committee elects Red Schoendienst and Al Barlick to the Hall of Fame. Schoendienst served as a second baseman and manager of the 1967 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and Barlick was a major league umpire for over 29 seasons, best known for his booming voice.
The pair joins last month’s BBWAA selections Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski.
February 28, 2011 — The U.S. government places a plaque at Jackie Robinson’s former apartment in Montreal as a tribute to the Canadian city for their exemplary treatment of the future Hall of Fame infielder. The season before he broke the color barrier, the Dodger farmhand led the hometown Royals to the 1946 International League championship with a .349 batting average and earned the circuit’s Most Valuable Player for his outstanding performance with the team. Robinson had homered in his first at bat for the Royal’s.
Passed away February 28, 2015 No one could quite figure how to motivate Alex Johnson, a surly yet talented hitter with a great arm who never achieved popularity despite his skills. He is best remembered for edging the popular Carl Yastremski in the AL batting race in 1970, .3289 to .3286. Known as an aggressive contact hitter who didn’t strike out much and who hated to walk or talk, Johnson admitted that he never gave 100% and never hustled. He once told a reporter, “I’m just paid to hit.” As a result of this lackadaisical attitude, he spent time with eight different teams in his 13-year career.
Quote of the day:
"It was astonishing to me to learn that there were a remarkably large number of American citizens who truly did not believe we had the moral right to quit rather than work at a salary we felt—rightly or wrongly—to be less than we deserved... Just take what the nice man wants to give you, get into your uniform, and go a fast 25 laps around the field."
Sandy Koufax
MILESTONES
Birthday Boys!
Dick Kokos, Frank Malzone, Howie Krist, Marty Perez and Ron Samford
Passings.
Alex Johnson, Harvey Kuenn, Ike Delock, Johnny Antonelli and Tom Sturdivant
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Trivia Answer: Don Drysdale. He hit exactly .300, 39 for 130 and was 7th on the team with 7 homeruns. He also lead the team in OPS 839, Slugging .508 and ops+ 140.
