While those men all have cases on the field that make them fit for admission to Cooperstown, gambling and the use of performance-enhancing drugs have made it easier to discount their accomplishments.įlood, though, is the only player in the sport who quite literally changed how the game works and how the players are treated, as valuable employees with certain labor rights. Just ask Barry Bonds, Pete Rose or Roger Clemens. No one holds a grudge like baseball’s establishment. I was let down, but not shocked, to find out I was wrong. But his lasting legacy goes far beyond the playing field.
Curt flood wikipedia series#
293 in his 15-year career, won seven Gold Gloves, made three All-Star teams and played in three World Series, including the 1964 Series against the Yankees. In all, Flood has been passed over 19 times.Īfter Brad Snyder’s 2006 Flood biography "A Well-Paid Slave," the trendy hashtag #FloodToTheHall, the T-shirt campaign in 2021 and his widow, Judy Pace Flood, and son, Curt Flood Jr., going on record about what it would mean to them for Curt to enter the Hall, I thought the man would get his due, if only posthumously.įlood batted. He will not be eligible for election again until 2026, when the Golden Days committee meets for quorum at the MLB Winter Meetings. Despite another year for the committee to think through Flood’s case, he still was not selected. The Golden Days committee did not meet in 2020, due to the pandemic, but did in 2021. His accomplishments on the field and off warrant induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame."
Curt flood wikipedia professional#
He courageously sacrificed his career to take a stand for the rights of all players in professional sports, bringing the issue of free agency to the forefront of national discussion. The players' associations released a joint statement pleading for his induction: "Curt Flood’s historic challenge of the reserve clause a half century ago transcended baseball. The letter was supported by players' associations representing the MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and NFL. He and 101 Congressmen signed a letter in February 2020 urging the BBWAA to induct Flood to the Hall. Trone organized a bipartisan and bicameral coalition to foster Flood’s induction. It’s about time we all come together to recognize these distinctly American actions and induct Curt Flood into the Hall of Fame." "Curt Flood changed the game of baseball when he courageously spoke truth to power in the name of what was right," said Congressman David Trone, a Maryland Democrat. "Flood sacrificed his own career so players after him could have free agency, leaving one of the biggest impacts on the game to this day. In 2020, Flood even had congressional support. In 2019, Cole led the American League in ERA, strikeouts and colorful stories about the man he owes an unpayable professional debt.Ĭurt Flood was a two-time World Series champion and three-time All-Star, but his biggest impact came off the field.
As John Buck would say, excuse my language, ‘Get your f-ing book reports ready, kids. "I hope everyone has that conversation about Curt Flood on the bus. "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," Cole said. So, on the occasion of signing of one of the richest contracts in baseball history, a white guy from Newport Beach, California, told anyone who would listen how much he admired a Black man from Oakland. I want everybody to know, because challenging the reserve clause was one of the first stepping stones to ultimately the system we have today, which I believe brings out the most competitive - you know, genuine competitiveness - that we have in baseball."įlood is not only a man Cole has come to admire but also a historic figure to whom he owes a debt of gratitude.
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