How Did Curt's Impact On Professional Sports
Curt Flood changed the face of professional sports forever with one decision. He sacrificed half of his career so that other players that followed him could enjoy huge salaries that resulted from free agency. Many professional sports players do not know Curt’s huge impact on their everyday lives. He stood up for something he believed in and payed a large price for doing that. The impact he had on the game is undeniable, and yet he is not recognized for his sacrifices. Curt Flood was born January 18, 1938 in Houston Texas, the youngest of six children. His parents were poor and worked a lot to care for their six children. When Curt was a toddler his family moved to Oakland, California. During the Second World War both of his parents
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He hit a phenomenal .620 in twenty-seven games. The coach, George Powles was a low level scout for the Cincinnati Redlegs, now known as the Reds. Curt signed with Cincinnati for four thousands and headed for camp in Tampa Florida. Growing up on the west coast Curt didn’t face a lot of segregation. He faced a huge shock when he arrived south in Florida. Curt was assigned to the Reds class B team in Thomasville, North Carolina for the 1956 season. During the year Curt led the league with a batting average of .340 and scored 133 runs, a league record. He also hit a team record twenty nine home runs and had 128 RBIs while leading the team to the pennant. Curt was also declared the league’s player of the year. Despite having a good year Curt still faced many racial problems. He was not allowed in the same hotels as his teammates and he often couldn’t eat in the same restaurants. Many of his teammates were also racist and resented him. Sometimes Curt would cry and think of quitting because of the treatment he was facing. Instead of quitting he said “Pride was my resource. I solved my problem by playing my guts out.” At the end of the season Curt was called up to the Cincinnati Redlegs. He made his major league debut on September 9, 1956 as a pinch runner. Despite going 0-1 in his only at-bat Curt had one of the highlights of his career when he got to play on the same field as …show more content…
After that incident he moved back to Oakland and went through rehab. He also broadcast games of the Oakland A’s for a season. He was featured in “Baseball” produced by PBS before his death on January 20, 1977(SABR). Curt Flood’s legacy still lives on after his death. His decision allowed players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to gain huge contracts through free agency(MLB). Curt was named by Time as one of the top 10 most influential athletes of the century(SABR). His Hall of Fame case is still persistent, as he had a very good career before the 1969 season. He received 7 Gold Gloves, won two WS rings, appeared in three ASG games, and had a .293 lifetime BA. Along with all of his statistical achievements, Curt also changed the way contracts of players would be dealt with forever. Curt Flood was perhaps the most influential professional sports player in the twentieth century. His decision to sue Major League Baseball changed the way professional sports would be played forever. Curt was a martyr for a cause that didn’t even recognize him until long after this death. Many fans and players still don’t know the man who altered professional sports into a new way of free agency, no trade clauses, and multi million dollar
He hit a phenomenal .620 in twenty-seven games. The coach, George Powles was a low level scout for the Cincinnati Redlegs, now known as the Reds. Curt signed with Cincinnati for four thousands and headed for camp in Tampa Florida. Growing up on the west coast Curt didn’t face a lot of segregation. He faced a huge shock when he arrived south in Florida. Curt was assigned to the Reds class B team in Thomasville, North Carolina for the 1956 season. During the year Curt led the league with a batting average of .340 and scored 133 runs, a league record. He also hit a team record twenty nine home runs and had 128 RBIs while leading the team to the pennant. Curt was also declared the league’s player of the year. Despite having a good year Curt still faced many racial problems. He was not allowed in the same hotels as his teammates and he often couldn’t eat in the same restaurants. Many of his teammates were also racist and resented him. Sometimes Curt would cry and think of quitting because of the treatment he was facing. Instead of quitting he said “Pride was my resource. I solved my problem by playing my guts out.” At the end of the season Curt was called up to the Cincinnati Redlegs. He made his major league debut on September 9, 1956 as a pinch runner. Despite going 0-1 in his only at-bat Curt had one of the highlights of his career when he got to play on the same field as …show more content…
After that incident he moved back to Oakland and went through rehab. He also broadcast games of the Oakland A’s for a season. He was featured in “Baseball” produced by PBS before his death on January 20, 1977(SABR). Curt Flood’s legacy still lives on after his death. His decision allowed players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to gain huge contracts through free agency(MLB). Curt was named by Time as one of the top 10 most influential athletes of the century(SABR). His Hall of Fame case is still persistent, as he had a very good career before the 1969 season. He received 7 Gold Gloves, won two WS rings, appeared in three ASG games, and had a .293 lifetime BA. Along with all of his statistical achievements, Curt also changed the way contracts of players would be dealt with forever. Curt Flood was perhaps the most influential professional sports player in the twentieth century. His decision to sue Major League Baseball changed the way professional sports would be played forever. Curt was a martyr for a cause that didn’t even recognize him until long after this death. Many fans and players still don’t know the man who altered professional sports into a new way of free agency, no trade clauses, and multi million dollar