In 1968 Flood ’s status as a player was well publicized by his appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which declared him the best center fielder in the major leagues.Īlthough Flood did not become actively involved in the rising black militancy in sports in the late 1960s, he supported the trend. During those seasons, Flood finished fourth and fifth in batting in the league, with averages of. The Cardinals won the pennant again in 19, and beat the Boston Red Sox in the 1967 World Series. During one stretch he set a major league record by playing 223 consecutive games without an error, for a total of 568 flawless fielding chances in a row. Helping to maintain the Cardinals as a contender during the 1960s, Flood generated exemplary statistics as a fielder. Armed with other high-quality players such as pitcher Bob Gibson and outfielder Lou Brock, the Cardinals won the National League pennant that year and defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series. By 1964 he was considered by many to be one of the best center fielders in the major leagues. Louis Cardinals in 1956, Flood improved steadily to become one of the mainstays of the team. “I used to break into tears as soon as I reached the safety of my room, ” he said of this era in The Hard Road to Glory. While playing in the South, Flood was denied entry into gas station restrooms and faced other indignities because of his race due to Jim Crow laws. After entering the minor league system of the Cincinnati Reds, he faced discrimination as the only black on his team in the Carolina League. Flood ’s suit against major league baseball over the rights of players to determine their own value on the open market opened the door to greater player rights in the decades that followed.įlood came into baseball in the mid-1950s during an era when blacks were still relatively uncommon in the major league ranks. Louis Cardinals, Curt Flood is known more today for his precedent-setting challenge of major league baseball ’s reserve clause in 1970. Retired professional baseball player, executiveĪlthough he amassed an impressive record as an outfielder and hitter while playing for the St.
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