Quote:
Originally Posted by Painmantle
Teams like the Cards, Yankees and Dodgers were the reason for things like the Bonus rule and Rule 5 Draft.
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Not the latter. That goes all the way back to the latter 19th century.
Aside from the bonus rule, there was also what was then known as the First-Year Player Draft, not to be confused with the amateur draft which currently uses that moniker. The First-Year Player Draft was MLB's attempt to curb signing bonuses to amateur players after the two attempts at the bonus rule failed.
Here's an article detailing how that draft worked.