“Whether it was the establishment of our organization formally in ’66 with Marvin, or when Muhammad Ali took the position he did in not going to war in ’67 or John Carlos in the Olympics taking the position he did on the stand like he did or this letter being written in ’69 and the subsequent arbitration in ’70 - all those confluence of events leading to Messersmith and McNally in ’74-75, I view that letter as an important steppingstone and foundation piece in our organization and our industry’s history,” said MLBPA executive director Tony Clark. Flood had already written the letter, said his widow, and was seeking support from the union for his cause. Judy Flood traveled with Curt Flood to San Juan in early December 1969 for the annual players’ association meeting. “How he went about showing respect was just magnificent, it really was,” said Judy Flood. “Just super pleased.”įlood’s widow, Judy Flood, was equally thrilled. “When I heard that from Gerrit, I was blown away,” said Flood’s son, Curt Jr. That Cole brought up Flood’s name pleased Flood’s family. Just one week before the anniversary of Flood’s letter, the newest Yankee, Gerrit Cole, gave a shoutout to both Miller and Flood for their efforts allowing contracts like Cole’s (nine years, $324 million) and other elite baseball players to be realized. ![]() The impact of free agency on the economics of baseball, as well as in the other professional leagues in the US, can hardly be overstated, and it can be traced to a letter written at a critical juncture in US history. ![]() The clause allowed owners to retain exclusive rights to a player, with the player unable to have any say in which team he played for throughout the course of his career.įlood’s appeal paved the way for collective bargaining progress made by the Major League Baseball Players Association, headed by Marvin Miller, culminating in the 1975 arbitration ruling that granted free agency to pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally. But each court decision chipped away at the reserve clause baseball’s owners were clinging to.
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