Curt Flood
[1][2][3] He was a center fielder who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washington Senators.Flood became one of the pivotal figures in the sport's labor history when he refused to accept a trade following the 1969 season, ultimately appealing his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.[5] Although his legal challenge was unsuccessful, it brought about additional solidarity among players as they fought against baseball's reserve clause and sought free agency.[10] Batting leadoff in the World Series against the New York Yankees, he hit only .200 but scored in three of the Cardinal victories as the team won in seven games for its first championship since 1946.As team co-captain (with Tim McCarver) in 1968 he had perhaps his best year, earning his third All-Star selection and finishing fourth in the MVP balloting (won by teammate Bob Gibson) on the strength of a .301 batting average and 186 base hits.Against the San Francisco Giants that year, Flood was involved in the final outs of the first back-to-back no-hitters in major league history.[12][13] Torrential rains the night before had soaked the Busch Stadium field, and had he not momentarily lost his footing chasing a Jim Northrup fly ball (ruled a triple) with two out in the seventh inning of game 7 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, the Cardinals might have won their third championship of the decade; Detroit scored twice on the play, with Northrup later coming in for a 3–0 lead, and won the game, 4–1.Up to that point, Flood had been enjoying the best series of his career despite dealing with personal problems at home,[14] hitting .286 with three steals.He believed Busch, with whom he had previously enjoyed a close personal friendship, was expressing his displeasure over the error that had likely cost the team the Series.He believed that Major League Baseball's decades-old reserve clause was unfair in that it kept players beholden for life to the team with which they originally signed, even when they had satisfied the terms and conditions of those contracts.On October 7, 1969, the Cardinals traded Flood, Tim McCarver, Byron Browne, and Joe Hoerner to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dick Allen, Cookie Rojas, and Jerry Johnson.Flood refused to report to the moribund Phillies, citing the team's poor record and dilapidated Connie Mack Stadium, and for what he alleged were belligerent—and racist—fans.[15] He met with Phillies' general manager John Quinn, who left the meeting believing that he had persuaded Flood to report to the team.According to Marvin Miller, Flood told the executive board of the players' union, "I think the change in black consciousness in recent years has made me more sensitive to injustice in every area of my life."On January 16, 1970, Flood filed a $1 million lawsuit against Kuhn and Major League Baseball, alleging violation of federal antitrust laws.Additionally, former Dodgers star pitcher Sandy Koufax, who staged a highly-publicized joint holdout with teammate Don Drysdale before the 1966 season, praised Flood: "I have to give Curt the greatest amount of credit for believing in what he's doing.[26][27][28] Flood's attorney, former Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, asserted that the reserve clause depressed wages and limited players to one team for life.[9] During this period he was bombarded with hate mail from fans, who accused him of trying to destroy baseball; his teammate Bob Gibson estimated "He got four or five death threats a day.
Center fielderHouston, TexasLos Angeles, CaliforniaBatting averageHome runsRuns batted inBaseball ReferenceCincinnati RedlegsSt. Louis CardinalsWashington SenatorsAll-StarWorld SeriesGold Glove AwardSt. Louis Cardinals Hall of FameMajor League BaseballGold GlovebattedNational Leaguesinglesputoutsfielding percentageWillie MaysRichie Ashburn1969 seasonU.S. Supreme Courtreserve clausefree agencyOakland, CaliforniaMcClymonds High SchoolVada PinsonFrank RobinsonOakland Technical High SchoolJohnny Keanedoublestriplesstolen basesat batsTaylor DouthitLou BrockNew York Yankeestotal chancesBoston Red SoxcaptainTim McCarverthird All-Star selectionBob GibsonSan Francisco Giantsno-hittersGaylord PerryWillie McCoveyRay WashburnJim NorthrupDetroit TigersGussie BuschAnheuser-BuschMontreal ExposLarry JasterJarry Parkexpansion draftBowie KuhnByron BrowneJoe HoernerPhiladelphia PhilliesDick AllenCookie RojasJerry JohnsonConnie Mack StadiumracistJohn Quinnplayers' unionMarvin MillerBaseball Commissionerfree agentFlood v. KuhnantitrustslaveryJackie RobinsonHank GreenbergBill VeeckCarl Yastrzemskibench playersPete RichertSandy Koufaxjoint holdoutDon DrysdaleSupreme CourtArthur Goldbergstare decisisFederal Baseball Club v. National LeagueLewis Powellstruck down in December 1975 in a caseDave McNallyAndy MessersmithEstablishmentWillie Montañez1971 seasonTed WilliamsMajorcaOakland AthleticsSenior Professional Baseball AssociationUnited Baseball LeagueLiberty MediaFox SportsJoe DiMaggioJudy Pacethroat cancerchemotherapyUCLA Medical CenterLos AngelespneumoniaInglewood Park CemeteryInglewoodCongress105th CongressJohn Conyers Jr.MichiganOur GangPhilip RothKen BurnsBaseballBaseball ReliquaryBaseball Hall of FameList of Gold Glove Award winners at outfieldList of Major League Baseball career putouts as a center fielder leadersList of Major League Baseball career assists as a center fielder leadersList of Major League Baseball career double plays as a center fielder leaders