CURT FLOOD’S BATTLE WITH THE MLBBy: Megan Leininger

CURT FLOOD’S MINI BIOGRAPHY

Born on January 18, 1938 in Houston, Texas but was raised in Oakland, California.

Entered the MLB and played for the St. Louis cardinals for 15 seasons before finding out about trade

Curt told his manager he did not want to go

He then took case to court and lost his case but won it later on for all major league sports

He died on January 20th, 1997 at 59 from throat cancer.

HOW IT STARTED

“On October 8, 1969, Curt Flood, the St. Louis Cardinals star center fielder for more than a decade, received a telephone call from Jim Toomey, an assistant to St. Louis general manager Bing Devine, to inform him that he had just been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.1 A trade in Major League Baseball was not unusual. It had happened many times before and to some of baseball's greatest stars.2 Curt Flood, however, vowed not to accept what he considered an affront to his basic human dignity. Instead of swallowing his pride and moving to Philadelphia, Flood decided to sue Major League Baseball and its commissioner, Bowie Kuhn”

HOW CU RT FLO O D HAS IMPACTED MY L IFE

♫Curt Flood was a remarkable baseball player, and he fought for what a believed in and wanted. He didn’t give up and pushed it to its limit. Curt Flood may not have impacted my life directly, but he defiantly made me think twice about giving up too easily. Curt Flood just like Jackie Robinson was crucial to the economical rights of all the major league sport players and were they wanted to be traded and if they wanted to go to a certain team. That’s how he impacted my life.

THE RESERVE CLAUSE

The Major League Baseball had a reserve clause that states that all players were bound to the original team they signed to. “The reserve clause was a clause in player contracts that bound a player to a single team for a long period, even if the individual contracts he signed nominally covered only one season. For most of baseball history, the term of reserve was held to be essentially perpetual, so that a player had no freedom to change teams unless he was given his unconditional release. The clause was widely believed to have been overturned in the 1970s, but in practice young players today are still bound for up to 12 years (6 in the minors and 6 in the majors) before they have free agent rights.”

CU RT FL OO D’S LET TER TO B O WIE KU HN

Mr. Bowie K. Kuhn

Commissioner of Baseball

680 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York 10019

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 sovereign 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 Major League Clubs my feelings in this matter, and advise them of my availability for the 1970 season.

Sincerely Yours, Curt Flood

SUMMARY

Curt Flood never gave up in what he wanted and what he believed in. With that he won free agency for all of the major league sports but sadly never got it for himself. It was an uphill battle for Curt, not only because had a slim chance of winning the case but because he was black. It was difficult for to win the case, even with the help of Bowie Kuhn he still didn’t win the case. But later on after he died, free agency was born for all major league sports, NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS“1938 - Curtis Charles Flood was born on January 19th in Houston, Texas.

1956 - On September 9th, Curt made his MLB debut, with the Cincinnati Red legs.

1969 - Flood was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and refused to play for them.

1969 - On Christmas Eve in 1969, he sent a letter to the commissioner; Bowie Kuhn, wishing to become a free agent.

1969 - Bowie Kuhn replied to Flood denying his request to be a free agent.”

CONTINUED TIMELINE

“1970 - Curt decided to take the commissioner to court, the trial started on May 19th.

1970 - On the 12th of August, the decision was made, the court rejected Flood.

1971 - Flood was back with the Washington Senators; he didn't do well at all that season, only playing in 13 games, he decided to end his career in the MLB.

1972 - The Final Appeal was heard on March 20th, Curt had lost the case.

1975 - Even though Curt lost the case, many more players challenged the reserve clause.

1975 - In the case of McNally-Messer smith vs. Major League Baseball, Arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled that upon playing one year for their team without a contract, that any player may become a free agent.

1978 - Flood returned back to the league as a part of the Oakland Athletics' broadcasting team.

1997 - On January 20th, Curt Flood was pronounced dead, losing the battle to throat cancer.”

INTERVIEW WITH CURT FLOOD AND WORLD SERIES GAME ONE

CARDINALS VS. RED SOX

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es5CUZYCdZ0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiSee3jCWkU world series game 1

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070315&content_id=1844945&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.

jsp&c_id=mlb

http://curtfloodfreeagency.weebly.com/time-line.html

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Reserve_clause

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/nine/v016/16.2edmonds.html

THE END!!!