In terms of actual importance in Baseball, Curt Flood is in the top ten, if not the top five, in the game.
When Flood challenged the reserve clause in Baseball, objecting to a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies. It led to a lawsuit, and Flood sat out for an extended period, ultimately ending his career. It also led to Free Agency, and every time a baseball player signs a big contract, they should get down on their knees and thank the baseball gods for Curt Flood, who never financially benefited from what he stood for.
As a player, Flood was a star with an excellent St. Louis Cardinals team in the 1960s that won the 1964 and 1967 World Series championships. Flood was an outstanding defensive Outfielder who won seven Gold Gloves. Offensively, Flood batted over .300 six times and led the National League in Hits in 1964. The three-time All-Star was also first in Singles three times.
The trade mentioned above to Philadelphia happened in 1970 when he was 32. He played only a few more games with the Washington Senators in 1971, but his career was over. Flood left with 1,861 Hits, and one of the most important legacies in Baseball.
Comments powered by CComment