Profiles in Player Empowerment Pt.1: Curt Flood
This is the first in a series of stories about players, agents, and labor attorneys who fought for athletes to earn fair market wages
When most people are asked who is the most impactful player in baseball history, Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente are usually mentioned. But one player who deserves to be recognized here is Curt Flood. Simply put, every baseball player who signs a large contract should be thanking Curt Flood for his sacrifice.
Inspired by the Civil Rights movement that took place in the United States in the 1960s, Curt Flood came to the realization that the Reserve Clause, which allowed teams to hold exclusive rights to any player who was on the team at the end of the previous season, was unfair and violated the terms of his contract. In 1969, after he was traded to the Phillies, Flood petitioned MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to make him a free agent.
Kuhn denied this request; Flood responded by filing a $1,000,000 suit against Major League Baseball. The case would be argued in front of the Supreme Court in 1972; however, Major League Baseball was able to win the case.
In December 1975, the MLBPA was finally able to secure free agency for players after pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally played the entire previous season without a contract. The effect of this ruling was massive. Before 1974, Willie Mays had the highest salary of any player at $200,000; the following season, Jim “Catfish” Hunter was able to sign a $3.35 million contract with the New York Yankees.
Sadly, Curt Flood did not get to benefit from his battle with the league. He was essentially blackballed from the league after the 1971 season and would later enter bankruptcy. He passed away in 1997 at the age of 59 as a largely forgotten player. However, in 1998, Congress passed the Curt Flood Act of 1998, which stripped Major League Baseball of its Antitrust status. Today, MLB players enjoy the Curt Flood rule (10/5 rule), which allows players who have played at least 10 seasons in total and at least five seasons with their current club to block any trade involving them.
Every baseball player who is able to sign with their hometown team, chase titles with a team on the brink of glory, or choose to sign a massive extension with their original franchise should be incredibly grateful for Curt Flood, a man who sacrificed his career to save baseball. At Couro, we salute Curt Flood for his heroic efforts to allow for players to earn what the market would pay them. Not every sport is as fortunate as baseball was to have a Curt Flood; Couro wants to make sure that athletes can earn the wage they deserve.
By Austin Schoff