Players hold strong during 12-day strike April 12, 1972 – Players remain unified during a 12-day strike. The dispute ends when owners make a $500,000 contribution to the Players’ pension fund, setting the stage for a 1973 CBA that increases minimum salaries, establishes salary arbitration for Players with at least two years of service, and allows all five-year Players to block a demotion to the minors. “Money is not the issue,’’ Miller tells reporters. “The real issue is the owners’ attempt to punish the players for having the audacity not to crawl.”