Pioneer Flood denied free agency by Supreme Court
Curt Flood left an indelible mark on the game of baseball, just as those who saw him play as a youngster in Oakland always believed he would.
But instead of being remembered as a three-time All-Star, two-time world champion and arguably the game’s best defensive center fielder during his 15year career, Flood’s name is synonymous with something else.
It was Flood and his twoparagraph letter to commissioner Bowie Kuhn a little more than 50 years ago that started baseball’s age of free agency. Flood, who had just been dealt by the Cardinals to the Phillies after the 1969 season, became a pioneer by refusing to report to Philadelphia and demanding the commissioner make him a free agent.
While Flood’s protest helped start the cause that still benefits players today, it came at quite a cost for the former Oakland high school legend.
Flood’s battle against baseball’s reserve clause, which tied a player to the
team drafting him throughout his career unless a team decided to trade or release him, essentially cost him his baseball career. He suddenly became a baseball pariah. He also suffered personal and financial hardships along the way that reportedly led to his alcoholism and the splitting of his family.
Flood and the players union had banded together to file a lawsuit against major league baseball that was first dismissed. But Flood’s appeal and fight quickly went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Yet, it was on this date in 1971 the Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of Flood’s lawsuit.
By that time, Flood had already paid a price with his career. He sat out the 1970 season after refusing to report to the Phillies. The whole year he kept getting piles of hate mail from fans. He received 4-5 death threats a day from fans saying he was trying to ruin baseball, his former teammate Bob Gibson once claimed.
Flood was later shipped to the Washington Senators, with whom he played in just 13 games in 1971. He then sensed it was time for him to leave the game, admitting what others warned him about, “You can’t buck the establishment,” he said.
The fight Flood started didn’t end, though. With head of the players union Marvin Miller leading the way, baseball’s reserve clause was finally struck down in 1975, clearing the way for free agency.
A ruling by arbitrator Peter Seitz in favor of players rights was made in the name of pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally, a fact not lost on Flood, who believed racism may have played a role in his initial denial.
“All the groundwork was laid for the people who came after me. The Supreme Court decided not to give it to me, so they gave it to two white guys,” Flood had said. “I think that’s what they were waiting for.”
This was the Dec. 24, 1969 letter that Flood sent to commissioner Kuhn that had triggered the backlash against him.
“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,” Flood wrote. “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 decisions. I, therefore, request that you make known to all the major league clubs my feelings in this matter, and advise them of my availability for the 1970 season.”
When Flood first challenged the reserve clause, players had an average yearly salary or a little less than $25,000. The advent of free agency that he helped create is a significant reason why today’s players earn on average a little more than $4 million per year.
Flood’s fight also led to the creation of “The Curt Flood Rule,” which gives players “10-and-5” rights — namely the right to refuse a trade after being in the majors 10 years and at least five with the club attempting a deal.
His letter pretty much sealed the end of his career and brought him hardship. Flood died in 1997 of throat cancer at age 59, never realizing much personal gain from his crusade. But more than 50 years later, Flood’s sacrifice for the good of others is still being acknowledged.
“If there had not been the person who was going to step out there and take the bullets, there wouldn’t have been anything,” said Flood’s widow, actress Judy Pace, a few months ago.
Miller, the longtime players union leader who took the free-agent baton from Flood, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. There’s now been a renewed push for the veteran’s committee to have Flood join Miller in Cooperstown.
Flood is eligible to be elected by the Golden Days Committee in voting in December.
Star pitcher Gerrit Cole, who signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with the New York Yankees this past winter, is among those who think more attention needs to be paid to Flood.
“Challenging the reserve clause was essential to the blossoming sport we have today,” Cole said. “I just think it’s so important that players know the other sacrifices that players made in order to keep the integrity of the game where it is, and so I hope everybody has that conversation about Curt Flood on the bus.”
Also on this date ...
2019: In their final regularseason at Oracle after 47 seasons, the Warriors don their old jerseys from the “We Believe” era while handing the Clippers a 131-104loss. 2010: Warriors’ Don Nelson became the winningest coach in NBA history in a 116-107 victory over the Timberwolves in Minnesota. Nelson’s 1,333rd win enabled him to surpass previous leader Lenny Wilkens (1,332). Anthony Tolliver scored 34points, and rookie Stephen Curry added 27to lead Golden State’s win. 1978: U.S. Court of Appeals upheld MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn’s decision two years earlier to void two attempted player sales by A’s owner Charlie Finley. It ruled Kuhn was within his rights to cancel Finley’s selling of Vida Blue to the Yankees for $1.5 million and Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi to the Red Sox for $1million each.
1963: San Leandro’s Tony Lema finished in second place in the 27th Masters, one shot behind Jack Nicklaus, who wins the first of his six green jackets.