‘The Way It Is’: Curt Flood’s RevolutionBy Nasir A. Muhammad and Stephane Dunn
I lost money, coaching jobs, a shot at the Hall of Fame. But when you weigh that against all the things that are really and truly important, things that are deep inside you, then I think I’ve succeeded.
–Curt Flood
1968. It was a historic year and most will remember it as such for the great American tragedies that defined it: the assassination of Dr. King in April of that year followed by the June murder of Presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy. But it was also a historic year for revolutionary black athletes and three amazing photos document it. In the most familiar two, Muhammad Ali appeared on a 1968 Esquire cover impaled-after his controversial refusal to be inducted into the US Army and Tommy Smith and John Carlos quite literally fired up the Olympics with the Black Power fist salute the world has never forgotten. Yet, the world may have forgotten too quickly another signature cover shot that ironically set the stage for one of the great revolutionary stands in major sports: Baseball great Curt Flood on the August 19, 1968 cover of
Sports Illustrated as ‘Baseball’s Best Centerfielder.’
By August of that year, Flood, a St. Louis Cardinal, was arguably having his best career performance in a thirteen year career in Major League Baseball. A two time World Series champ, three time All Star, and five-time Gold Glove Award Winner, Flood held the Major League fielding record for most consecutive games without an error--226--and most consecutive chances without error--568. He had already achieved something that his legendary competitors, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, had not yet--a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000. When he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Flood was in elite company as one of the magazines few covers featuring a black baseball player. Flood, however, was about to become famous for more than his stats on the field.
The 1968 baseball season ended with the Cardinals squaring off against the Detroit Tigers in its third World Series appearance with Flood. Flood, the team’s co-captain, was having an ‘all-star’ performance in his best World Series performance until he misjudged a fly ball in the seventh inning of game seven. The Cardinals ended up losing. A year later, baseball underwent a series of changes and St. Louis began some restructuring efforts of its own, putting Flood at odds with the organization. Though Curt won his seventh Gold Glove, in October of 1969, after his twelve years with the team, the Cardinals decided to trade Flood and three teammates to the Phillies under baseball’s standard Reserve Clause. The reserve clause was a part of players’ contract that bound the player, one year at a time, in perpetuity, to the club owning his contract. So began the battle that made Flood, the “father of free agency.” In a dangerous career move, Flood famously resisted the trade, sacrificing a $100, 000 salary and the continuation of his storied career. After consulting with the Players’ union, Flood submitted a landmark manifesto to baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, demanding that he be declared a free agent: He stated, “It is my desire to play baseball, in 1970 . . . I have received a contract from the Philadelphia Club but I believe I have the right to consider offers from other clubs . . .”
His request was denied in favor of the Reserve Clause. Curt Flood took his fight to another level and sued MLB on the grounds that it had violated anti-trust laws. Flood stirred up baseball diehards and critics by likening the reserve clause to slavery. Flood was traded but sat out the 1970 season, refusing to be ‘the property of’ the Phillies or the Cardinals. Flood vs. Kuhn ended up in the Supreme Court, which ruled five to three in favor of MLB, upholding an earlier 1922 decision preserving the primacy of the Reserve Clause. Flood was subsequently traded again, this time to the Washington Senators with a $110.000 contract, but he came back to a hostile climate. 1971 was Flood’s last year in Major League Baseball. That same year Flood, who painted a portrait of King that hung in Coretta Scott King’s house, wrote the story of his battle in
The Way It Is. He lost his lawsuit but won the battle for future baseball players; in 1975, two white players played a year without a contract and the court reversed its earlier position on the reserve clause.
Today, baseball players enjoy unprecedented financial and physical flexibility. Meanwhile, baseball continues to hold its grudge against Flood for taking on America’s pastime. When he died in 1997, Flood was still being ignored year after year by the Baseball Hall of Fame. And he still is. When we recall revolutionary black athletes, we should remember Curt Flood, one of the game’s best defensive players, and keep number 21’s legacy alive: 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 . . .”
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