First Look at 2009 Panthers

The only important part of any preseason game is the plays where the first team plays. Last night the Carolina Panthers were in New Jersey to play the Giants and head to head the Giants won.

Late in the game the Panthers had tied the score with the fourth team quarterback in the game and were driving but it looked as if the game would go into overtime until Cantwell the fourth team QB for the Panthers was hit, fumbled the ball and the Giants scooped it up and scored on the last play of the game. This not only saved both teams from playing over time but it saved the few fans still watching from having to endure an overtime with no names in the game.

I just don't get it. Just before midnight last night Dustin Ackley, Alex White and others signed the major league contracts at the last possible minute before they would have to wait until next year.

I understand holding out for more money but, why sign now for the same contract you could have gotten two months ago. Now they have all missed a summer of playing pro baseball.

I could understand it if each got three million more last night for waiting until the last minute. When you are going to make five million a year, what's 5.2 million after taxes?

I think players would better be served sometimes to negotiate for themselves instead of having an agent.

The only experience I have with an agent was way back in those days of being a bat boy for the Ahoskie American legion team. In those days members of the legion in Ahoskie would drive the players to games. I was always in the car with Gene Nixon, Freddie and Francis Coombs and Jimmy Hunter. They were the Perquimans County four.

I remember Carlton Cherry an Ahoskie lawyer driving us to a game and he was talking with Jimmy about if he ever needed any lawyer work related to playing baseball he would be glad to help. Sure enough when Jimmy signed his major league contract Carlton Cherry was his lawyer.

In 1974 after Jimmy Hunter had won the Cy Young award as the best pitcher in baseball he sued Charles Finley for breach of contract. Jimmy had signed a contract which stated that he wanted 50,000 dollars per year used to buy farm land in Perquimans County. Finley failed to give him the 50,000 in 1974.

In the hearing in mid December 1974 before an arbitrator in New York City, Cherry and Hunter argued that Finley had breached his contract and wanted payment. The arbitrator agreed but ruled that because Finley had breached his contract that Hunter was a free agent and could sign with any team.

So Jimmy Hunter went into the meeting wanting his $50,000 and walked out thinking he had lost because he didn't get his money.

Who would ever figure that today's players who make millions can credit that to a country lawyer from Ahoskie who used his office to negotiate the first free agent contract.

On December 31st 1974 Jimmy Hunter in the office of Carlton Cherry on Main Street in Ahoskie with George Steinbrenner present signed a 4.5 million dollar contract.

Today's free agency was all started in Ahoskie.