340 batting average, 133 runs, 29 home runs and 128 RBIs.Ĭurt Flood hit 29 home runs his first season in the minors. It was in North Carolina that he began to see the depths of unmitigated racism.įlood helped the High Point-Thomasville squad to a Class B Carolina League pennant on the strength of a. Once he signed with the Reds, Flood made his way to Thomasville, North Carolina. While he helped his sister take care of her children while she worked, Flood made a name for himself on the diamond.Īfter his graduation from high school in 1956, Flood signed a $4,000 contract with the Cincinnati Reds and was sent to their farm system in the American South. He turned his attention back to baseball and would eventually find himself in the same McClymond High School outfield with future MLB stars Vada Pinson and Frank Robinson.įlood would later transfer to Oakland Technical High School after moving in with his divorced sister, Barbara. Not wanting to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Carl (who struggled with heroin addiction and served jail time), Flood decided to stop the shenanigans after the truck incident. He also proved to be a bit cantankerous when, at age 10, he stole a truck and crashed it. Only a few years later, Flood parlayed his athletic ability and burgeoning talent into his role as catcher for a local youth league team. When he turned two, the Flood family relocated to the West Oakland area in California. #STLCards /bZ0kKvJnUOĬurtis Charles Flood was born on Januin Houston, Texas. The late, great Curt Flood was born on this date in 1938. However, he began the discourse which ultimately led MLB to shutter the clause. His desire to find employment with a different team was ultimately rebuffed. That began to change in 1969 when Curt Flood openly challenged professional baseball. Louis Cardinals / MLB, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsĪs is the norm, the most recent start to the Major League Baseball free agency period signaled a wave of new signings and huge contracts.įor the past several decades, MLB players have benefitted from the free agent process and been free to sign with the team of their choice.įor decades, MLB’s reserve clause meant that baseball teams could essentially keep their players in perpetuity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |