CURT FLOOD MADE FREE AGENCY POSSIBLE FOR FREE
CURT FLOOD MADE FREE AGENCY POSSIBLE TRIAL
CURT FLOOD MADE FREE AGENCY POSSIBLE FREE

“If you can be a coach and end up being a Hall of Fame coach, if you can be the head of a union and end up getting in the Hall of Fame that way, why can’t you get in the Hall of Fame for being somebody that revolutionized the game?” Hawkins told me last week. “But it’s a fair question.”įormer major league pitcher LaTroy Hawkins doesn’t hesitate to say Flood should be in the Hall of Fame as a contributor, at the very least. I asked Selig if he felt Flood was worthy of induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. But his greatest contribution to the game was resisting the Major League Baseball power structure and status quo. Flood was a genius-level defensive player and amassed a 223-game errorless streak. Louis, including the Cardinals’ World Series-winning teams of 19. In 1968, Sports Illustrated called Flood the best center fielder in baseball. In both cases, those character traits were put to the test.” Both were very strong-willed, both were very determined and both had this tremendous self-belief.

CURT FLOOD MADE FREE AGENCY POSSIBLE TRIAL

That probably is why you saw Jackie at the trial to give his support. Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, said, “Those two individuals were quite similar, probably more similar than people have given them credit for. There was a connection between Flood and Robinson. “I remember these words very well,” Flood wrote, “ ‘You can’t be out there by yourself and I would be remiss if I didn’t share these burdens with you.’ ” When Flood told Robinson, “I really appreciate your taking the time and effort to do this,” Robinson replied, “Well, you can’t be out there by yourself.” Flood described the moment in his book, The Way It Is. One of the most dramatic moments of the trial occurred when Robinson, whose health was declining because of diabetes, walked to the front of the courtroom using a cane. A retired Jackie Robinson, however, testified on Flood’s behalf. Short had recently acquired Denny McLain from the Detroit Tigers.įew stars of Flood’s day publicly supported him in his decision. Flood lost his career.īob Short (left), owner of the Washington Senators, introduces his newest “big-name” star, Curt Flood (right), to the Washington press corps at RFK Stadium in 1971. Granted, the stakes were much higher in the case of Attucks, who lost his life.

CURT FLOOD MADE FREE AGENCY POSSIBLE FREE

That ruling officially ushered in the era of free agency.īut it was Flood who, in my mind, became the Crispus Attucks of Major League Baseball. The turning point came in 1975 when pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally won arbitration. “Was it important in the context of baseball history? Absolutely,” said Selig, who believes Flood paved the road to free agency while owners “weren’t quite ready for it in 19.” His contribution to baseball, although highly debated at the time, is generally recognized as a benefit to players and the game.

CURT FLOOD MADE FREE AGENCY POSSIBLE FOR FREE

He began the process of emancipation that freed players from the tyranny of owners and set the stage for free agency. “It was an important moment in time because it was the precursor to all the events that took place in the 1970s that brought free agency to baseball,” former MLB commissioner Bud Selig said during a phone interview last week.įlood’s bold act of resistance transformed the business of baseball. Although he lost his challenge, Flood made his mark. Historic Dodgertown to be renamed Jackie Robinson Training Complexįlood challenged baseball’s restrictive reserve clause and the game’s antitrust status.Athletes and activism: The long, defiant history of sports protests.Jackie Robinson’s righteous rage fueled his passion for change.Jackie Robinson was asked to denounce Paul Robeson.In a letter to commissioner Bowie Kuhn, Flood wrote: “After 12 years in the major leagues I do not feel that I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes.” Editor's Picks It was a decision that sent tremors throughout the sports world. Louis Cardinals’ star outfielder and a 10-year veteran, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. Across Major League Baseball, April 15 has been designated as Jackie Robinson Day in honor of the memory and legacy of the man who broke baseball’s color barrier and helped change the United States.īut Major League Baseball should also recognize the 50th anniversary of the actions of a man who revolutionized baseball’s business model and boldly began the process of setting his fellow players free.

Curt flood made free agency possible