Negro Leaguers Get Pension

Sam Jethroe and about two dozen other former Negro Leagues players will become eligible for pensions of $7,500 to $10,000 per season, baseball owners decided last week.

Jethroe, the 1950 National League Rookie of the Year, sued owners, claiming discrimination left him short of qualifying for baseball’s pension plan. But the suit was dismissed last Oct. 4 by U.S. District Judge Sean McLaughlin in Baltimore.

The decision by owners covers players who spent a total of four years or more in the major leagues and Negro Leagues combined.

All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez and the Texas Rangers reached agreement on the richest one-year contract ever in baseball, a $6.65 million deal that enabled the sides to avoid salary arbitration.

The Colorado Rockies and second baseman Eric Young have agreed to terms on a one-year contract. Terms of the deal were undisclosed.