Curt Flood facts for kids
Curtis Charles Flood (born January 18, 1938 – died January 20, 1997) was an American professional baseball player. He was also an important activist. He played as a center fielder for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washington Senators.
Flood was a three-time All-Star. He won the Gold Glove Award seven years in a row. He also had a batting average over .300 in six seasons. He led the National League (NL) in hits in 1964. He also led the NL in singles in 1963, 1964, and 1968. Flood was also great at defense. He led NL center fielders in putouts four times and in fielding percentage three times. He ended his career with the third most games played in center field in NL history. Only Willie Mays and Richie Ashburn played more.
Flood became a key figure in baseball history. He refused to accept a trade after the 1969 season. He took his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Even though he lost, his fight helped players come together. They fought against baseball's "reserve clause" and pushed for "free agency." This changed how players could move between teams.
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Early Life
Curt Flood was born in Houston, Texas. He grew up in Oakland, California. He played baseball in the same outfield at McClymonds High School as future stars Vada Pinson and Frank Robinson. All three of them later signed professional contracts with the Cincinnati Reds. Flood later graduated from Oakland Technical High School.
MLB Career Highlights
Flood signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1956. He played a few games for them in 1956 and 1957. But the Reds had another great center fielder, Vada Pinson, coming up. So, Flood was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in December 1957.
For the next 12 seasons, Flood was the main center fielder for St. Louis. He was amazing at defense from the start. In 1961, his hitting improved a lot. He batted .322. In 1962, he hit 11 home runs. In 1963, he batted .302 and scored 112 runs. He also had career bests in doubles (34), triples (9), and stolen bases (17). That year, he won his first of seven straight Gold Gloves.
In 1964, he was chosen for his first All-Star team. He batted .311 and led the NL in hits with 211. In the 1964 World Series against the New York Yankees, the Cardinals won in seven games. This was their first championship since 1946.
In 1965, Flood hit 11 home runs and had 83 runs batted in. He batted .310. He made the All-Star team again in 1966. That season, he did not make any errors in the outfield. He had an amazing error-free streak of 226 games.
In 1967, he had his best batting average at .335. This helped the Cardinals win another championship. In the 1967 World Series against the Boston Red Sox, he helped the team win.
In 1968, he had one of his best years. He was chosen for his third All-Star team. He finished fourth in the voting for the MVP award. He batted .301 and had 186 hits. In the 1968 World Series against the Detroit Tigers, the Cardinals lost in Game 7. Flood had been playing well in the series.
After the 1968 season, Flood was unhappy with his salary. He felt he deserved more money after his great year. He believed the team owner was upset about a play in the World Series.
In 1969, Flood's batting average was .285. He won his seventh Gold Glove that season. He also made history by getting the first hit in a regular-season MLB game in Canada. This happened on April 14 against the Montreal Expos.
Challenging the Reserve Clause
Even with his great playing career, Curt Flood is most remembered for his actions off the field. He believed that Major League Baseball's "reserve clause" was unfair. This rule meant that once a player signed with a team, they were tied to that team for their entire career. They could not choose to play for another team, even after their contract ended. Flood felt this was wrong.
On October 7, 1969, the Cardinals traded Flood and three other players to the Philadelphia Phillies. Flood refused to join the Phillies. He was unhappy with the team's poor record and old stadium. He also felt the fans were not welcoming. Flood said he did not want to move his life to another city after 12 years. He was also upset that he learned about the trade from a reporter, not the team's general manager.
Flood was set to lose a lot of money if he did not report to the Phillies. But after talking with Marvin Miller, the head of the players' union, he decided to take legal action. The union agreed to pay for his lawsuit.
Flood sent a letter to Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. He asked to be declared a "free agent." This would mean he could choose which team to play for.
- December 24, 1969
- After twelve years in the major leagues, I do not feel I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes. I believe that any system which produces that result violates my basic rights as a citizen and is inconsistent with the laws of the United States and of the several States.
- It is my desire to play baseball in 1970, and I am capable of playing. I have received a contract offer from the Philadelphia club, but I believe I have the right to consider offers from other clubs before making any decision. I, therefore, request that you make known to all Major League clubs my feelings in this matter, and advise them of my availability for the 1970 season.
Flood was inspired by the civil rights movement of the 1960s. He told the players' union that changes in how Black people saw themselves made him more aware of unfairness. But he also said he was challenging the reserve clause mainly as a baseball player.
Flood v. Kuhn
Commissioner Kuhn said no to Flood's request for free agency. He said the reserve clause was proper and part of Flood's contract. So, on January 16, 1970, Flood filed a lawsuit against Kuhn and Major League Baseball. He said the reserve clause broke federal antitrust laws. These laws stop big companies from unfairly controlling things. Flood compared the reserve clause to being owned like property.
Famous people like former players Jackie Robinson and Hank Greenberg spoke in court to support Flood. No active players spoke, and none even came to the trial. Even though the players' union fully supported Flood, many regular players were divided.
The case, called Flood v. Kuhn, went to the Supreme Court on March 20, 1972. Flood's lawyer argued that the reserve clause kept players' salaries low. It also tied players to one team for life. Baseball's lawyers said that if Flood won, it would ruin the sport.
On June 19, 1972, the Supreme Court ruled 5–3 in favor of Major League Baseball. They based their decision on an older ruling from 1922. The Court decided to stick with what had been decided before.
Later Legal Changes
Even though Flood lost in the Supreme Court, the players' union kept fighting the reserve clause. It was finally removed in December 1975 in a case involving players Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith. In July 1976, the union and team owners agreed to a new contract. This contract included "free agency." This meant players could now choose which team to play for after their contracts ended.
In 1998, the U.S. government passed the Curt Flood Act of 1998. This law took away baseball's special status that protected it from antitrust laws. This was a status baseball had for 75 years. This act did what Flood wanted. It stopped owners from having too much control over players' contracts and careers.
Flood also helped create the 10/5 Rule, also known as the Curt Flood Rule. This rule says that if a player has played for a team for five years and in MLB for a total of ten years, the team needs the player's permission to trade them.
After Baseball
After Flood's lawsuit failed, he faced difficulties playing baseball again. Many people thought he would not be able to play in MLB anymore. Flood later said it would be hard to come back. He felt that baseball was a very close-knit group, and no one would want to sign him.
Flood did not play in the 1970 season. During this time, he received a lot of criticism from fans. Some accused him of trying to harm baseball. His teammate Bob Gibson said Flood received many threats.
In November 1970, the Phillies traded Flood to the Washington Senators. He signed a contract but only played 13 games in the 1971 season. He batted .200 and his play in center field was not as strong. Flood left the team in late April and retired. He finished his career with a .293 batting average, 1,861 hits, 85 home runs, and 636 RBI. He also had a very good .987 fielding percentage. Later that year, Flood wrote a book called The Way It Is. In it, he explained why he fought against the reserve clause.
Retirement Life
After retiring, Flood bought a bar in Palma, Spain. He later returned to baseball as a broadcaster for the Oakland Athletics in 1978. In 1988, he became commissioner of a new league called the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He also enjoyed painting. One of his paintings sold for $9,500 in 2006.
Death and Legacy
On January 20, 1997, just two days after his 59th birthday, Curt Flood died in Los Angeles, California. He passed away from pneumonia after battling throat cancer. He was buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery.
Before his death, Flood's fight was recognized by the U.S. Congress in 1997. A bill was introduced to give major league baseball players the same antitrust protection as other professional athletes. The bill was numbered HR 21, which was Flood's uniform number.
Flood's struggle for free agency was shown in Ken Burns' documentary series Baseball in 1994. He was honored in the Shrine of the Eternals in 1999.
In 2020, over 100 members of the U.S. Congress and players' unions asked the Baseball Hall of Fame to include Flood.
Personal Life and Health
Curt Flood was married twice and had five children. His first marriage was to Beverly Collins from 1959 to 1966. They had five children: Debbie, Gary, Shelly, Scott, and Curt Flood, Jr. Flood later married actress Judy Pace in 1986. They stayed married until his death.
In 1995, Flood was diagnosed with throat cancer. He had treatments like radiation and chemotherapy. He also had throat surgery, which made it hard for him to speak.
See also
- List of St. Louis Cardinals team records
