A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood's Experience

When people talk about the greatest centerfielders in the history of baseball, the usual suspects tend to come up: Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mays, Mike Trout, Mickey Mantle, Ty Cobb and Joe Dimaggio. Cool Papa Bell and Oscar Charleston factor into those debates too if the people debating are true scholars of the game, but as "what if?" subjects rather than truly being in the debate. But there are some others who often creep into the conversation too because of their defensive prowess despite some offensive flaws. Guys like Jim Edmonds, Carlos Beltran, Kirby Puckett, Richie Ashburn, Tris Speaker and Andruw Jones also factor into a lot of people's rankings for the position's all-time best, however none of these players had the impact on ALL professional sports as much as Curt Flood.

Flood was a great player. He made three all-star games and won seven consecutive Gold Gloves while being a very strong hitter for one of the best teams in baseball. He covered tons of ground, recording more outs than any other outfielder in the National League during the late 1960s, and he had a strong arm too. But Flood's story is about more than just his performance on the field, it is about his admirable battle for players' rights that cemented his place in history and arguably makes him a worthy Hall-of-Fame candidate despite not achieving certain statistical benchmarks. Curt Flood was a player whose importance goes well beyond the short window of time he had to display his athletic talents, he's a player who will be remembered a hundred years after his retirement and that seems to me to be a pretty darned good reason to put him in Cooperstown.

Flood died back in 1997, so a conversation with him was out of the question, but I was able to get in touch with his son. Greatness is often seen in how those closest to a person remember them, and with Curt Flood Jr. (to be referred to as "Junior" from here on out) it was obvious the impact his father had on him. Junior has spent many years working hard to cement his father's legacy and has been involved in the push to have him enshrined as a player in Cooperstown. In speaking with Junior, I was given a perspective on Flood the man, a loving and doting father who cared deeply for those closest to him and who felt immense pain from the racism and hate thrown his way. Through the conversation Junior frequently lamented about his father's lack of recognition as a player and how his fight for rights often overshadowed the great player he truly was. Flood's book "A Well-Paid Slave" gives a lot of insight into Flood's experience fighting to establish free agency in MLB (and by extension into all other major professional sports).

After the 1969 season, the St. Louis Cardinals traded their star center fielder, Curt Flood, to the Philadelphia Phillies, setting off a chain of events that would change professional sports forever. At the time there were no free agents, no no-trade clauses. When a player was traded, he had to report to his new team or retire. Unwilling to leave St. Louis and influenced by the civil rights movement, Flood chose to sue Major League Baseball for his freedom. His case reached the Supreme Court, where Flood ultimately lost. But by challenging the system, he created an atmosphere in which, just three years later, free agency became a reality. Flood's decision ultimately cost him his career, but it made him a hero with a legacy that goes well beyond his amazing ability to track down a fly ball and to move Lou Brock from second to third with a well placed ground ball.

FOR MORE OF CURT FLOOD'S STORY, LOOK FOR THE SECTION IN MY UPCOMING BOOK:  "YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE: STORIES OF DISCRIMNATION AND EXCLUSIONARY PRACTICES IN BASEBALL"