He didn't appreciate hearing about it from a front-office underling. Flood had several problems with the deal. In 1969, the Cardinals sent Flood to the Philadelphia Phillies as part of a seven-player trade. 293.īut his baseball legacy is fated to have little connection with his accomplishments on the field.Ĭurt Flood won seven Gold Gloves in his 12 seasons with the Cardinals.įlood is best remembered for his courage in challenging the reserve clause, a move as crucial to the economic rights of players as Jackie Robinson's was to breaking the color barrier. 2 batter who had at least 200 hits twice, his lifetime batting average was. 300 six times and won seven Gold Gloves in his 12 seasons with the Cardinals. Louis teams in the 1960s, Curt Flood hit better than. And Curt, to his everlasting credit, said, 'But would it benefit all the other players and future players?' And I said, 'Yes.' And he said, 'That's good enough for me,' " says Marvin Miller on ESPN's SportsCentury series.Ī superlative centerfielder on three pennant-winning St. Subjects: African American History, People Terms: Media - Radio and Television, 20th Century (1900-1999), United States-Washington D."I said to Curt - unless some miracle takes place and the Supreme Court reverses itself - you're not going to win. Through his actions off the field, Curt Flood became one of the most influential individuals in the fight for Major League Baseball player rights. In 1975, Major League Baseball began to dismantle the reserve clause, allowing players to obtain free agent status upon the conclusion of their Major League contracts. Although he lost his battle with the reserve clause, other major league players would benefit from his actions. After he retired, Flood spent time as a broadcaster for the Oakland Athletics.Ĭurtis Charles Flood passed away in 1997 at the age of 59 as a result of throat cancer. He played with the Senators for two months before quitting the team and leaving for Europe where he spent time painting and writing his autobiography The Way It Is, which was released in 1971. Supreme Court, which ruled 5-3 in favor of Major League Baseball.įlood sat out the 1970 season and was signed by the Washington Senators in 1971. Kuhn worked its way quickly through the court system to the U.S. Flood then filed a $1 million lawsuit in 1970 against Kuhn and Major League Baseball. He petitioned the League’s commissioner Bowie Kuhn to allow for him to become a free agent, which meant he would have the right to go to the team of his choice. Louis Cardinals to trade Flood without his consent. Instead he and the Major League Baseball Player’s Association (MLBPA) challenged the Major League Baseball reserve clause, which allowed for the St. Flood refused this trade, giving up a $100,000 annual salary. Louis Cardinals to the Philadelphia Phillies – a team which at the time had a struggling record and according to Flood, had racist fans. After the 1969 season, he was traded from the St. During his eleven seasons with the Cardinals, Flood became one of the premier outfielders in the American League, going 226 games without an error, winning the Golden Glove Award seven times and helping the Cardinals win two World Series Championships in 19.Ĭurt Flood, however, is more widely known for his actions off the baseball field. Louis Cardinals in 1958 where he played until 1969. After two seasons with the Reds, Flood was traded to the St. Showing great promise he signed a contract in 1956 with the National League Cincinnati Reds while he was an 18-year-old senior at Oakland Technical High School. Curt Flood, an American Major League Baseball player best known for his challenge of the “reserve clause,” was born Januin Houston, Texas and was raised in Oakland, California.įlood began playing baseball as a youth.
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