Louis Cardinals ownership at the time.įlood met with players’ union head Marvin Miller (another whose import to the game is often underrepresented), and after discussing legal options, he chose to send a letter to the commissioner, Bowie Kuhn, requesting that he be declared a free agent rather than being forced by the reserve clause to report to the Phillies. He also reportedly heard of the trade from a member of lower status in Cardinals front office rather than the GM or owner, which also angered him, further inciting an already-divisive relationship Flood had with St. The beginning of all of the “issue” for Flood stemmed from an offseason trade in October of 1969 that would have sent Flood, Tim McCarver, and two other players to the Philadelphia Phillies for a package of three players headlined by Dick Allen.įlood cited historical racism from fans, a poor stadium, and the poor status of the team as reasons that he did not want to report to the Phillies. an 8.8% strikeout rate, nearly 1/1 for his career. 293/.343/.390 with 271 doubles, 44 triples, 84 home runs, and 88 stolen bases, posting a very respectable 6.4% walk rate vs. 300 batting average 6 seasons of his career. He never won a batting title, but he did lead the league in hits in 1964, clearing a. He was an elite defender, winning 7 Gold Gloves in the National League, with many of the era stating that only Willie Mays could hold a candle to Flood’s work in center field.įlood would not be a fantasy baseball superstar, as he did not rack up big home run or stolen base numbers, but he was able to consistently show good contact ability and would tally his share of doubles. Louis Cardinals, where he would make his on-field impact in the major leagues.įlood was a star center fielder for the St. The Reds signed all three, but before he could impact the Reds at the major league level, he was traded to the St. The Reds quite feasibly got a good look at Flood as they scouted his outfield mates, future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson and future All-Star Vada Pinson. Born in Houston, Texas, Flood graduated high school in Oakland, California. Louis Cardinals careerįlood was originally signed by the Cincinnati Reds in such a way that there is no definite date, back in the days of scouting where a scout may turn in multiple signings on the same day to his club. On what would be his 80th birthday today, we’ll look at the man, what he did, and what happened thereafter, and let you as the reader choose how Curtis Charles Flood should be remembered. Instead, Flood is seen in a much different light. Yet, there won’t be teams all wearing his favorite #21 on a set day, no special day of remembrance celebrated across the game annually, or any such thing. Louis Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood.įlood was a tremendous ballplayer who decided to take a stand that would forever change the way the business of baseball was run. However, that person is typically lauded later in life, receiving proper notoriety and respect for the change inspired by their acts. Often times, the landscape of baseball is shifted dramatically by the heroic actions of one person who takes ridicule, persecution, and ends up outcast for his or her acts of “rebellion” toward the institution of the game. The baseball world often overlooks the great contributions to the game of one of its tragic tales, former St.
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