ARTICLE: Hall of Fame Trial - Curt Flood

[Brian the Automator]

www.brewerfan.net/ViewArt...icleId=217

 

splitterfj takes a look into Curt Flood's career and his hall of fame credentials. Discussion of the article is definately encouraged.

 

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[DHarris34Phan]

So he's the reason guys like Carlos Beltran get 119 million dollar contracts....sweet.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

Wow! Great job on the article. Really well written. These are the people that get forgotten in history ... and shouldn't.

[endaround]

No, the reason Beltran gets $119 million contracts is because MLB makes billions of dollars and the players are the most important part of why. Just like in a law firm, the most important input is labor and the best lawyers will make huge money if they produce.

 

If baseball didn't make huge amounts of money , players wouldn't get huge contracts.

[brettac1]

Hardball Times had an article about him the other day:

 

www.hardballtimes.com/mai...tangibles/

[pogokat]

I think they should have an exhibit on the history of free agency, but i don't think curt flood should be in the HOF..

 

he was a nice player...but he wasn't a hall of famer...

 

besides, i don't think he needs to be in the hall of fame just to be remembered....besides, his contributions are already there...

 

so, No...i guess..

[Member]

I won't go into the Keltner list for Flood, but just hit on a few key things:

 

His career, as a player, was essentially that of a Jose Cardenal, or a Gary Maddox. It was pointed out by John Brattain in The Hardball Times that he was, essentially, at the same level of performance at the time of "the trade" as Lou Brock.

 

Lou, however, played four/five more seasons than Curt. And in those extra seasons, he got 3,000 hits and he broke a record no one thought would be broken (Cobb's career SB total).

 

That, unfortunately, is a huge difference in the eyes of the Hall of Fame. And even though Curt did something that ended up drastically changing the game of baseball (if not pro sports as a whole), that isn't enough to put him in the Hall, IMNSHO.

[splitterpfj]

ClosetBrewer, thank you, I'm glad you liked it.

 

I don't think Flood should be judged on the basis of his stats, or his playing ability here. He was an excellent player, but there's no way I would have done an article on him just on the numbers.

 

I do think Flood should be recognized, players were absolutely abused by owners for decades before he said no. I don't like the economics of the game at this point, and I hope things improve there as much as possible, but I don't hold Curt responsible for what others have done in the years since he sued. Curt did the right thing, and paid a heavy price for it.

 

My vote is yes.

[davego]

I would think there is a creative way for the Hall to 'honor' or at least point out how important he was for the game, even if it does not involve him being put into the Hall.

[gregmag]

I don't think a player's off-field achievements should land him in the HoF. Flood, for reasons others have given, doesn't make the cut as a player. That said, your recap of Flood's lawsuit is excellent, and I absolutely agree that we should remember Flood as a hero -- especially in an era where the pendulum has swung in the other direction. Give me a choice between the reserve clause and monster contracts, and I'll take the monster contracts without a second thought. Baseball has problems today, but good people of goodwill can solve those problems. The reserve clause was a cheat and a sham, and Flood v. Kuhn is one of the Supreme Court's most blatantly stupid opinions.

 

Greg.

[UeckerAddict]

Great article, but I can't comment on HOF. I already promised Pete Rose and Chili Davis that I wouldn't concentrate on others until they were both in. This could take a while.

[splitterpfj]

I think Flood should be honored, if the Hall of Fame itself won't do it, the MLBPA definitely should. Both Flood and Messersmith should be honored by every player who ever puts on a uniform.

 

It's kind of like when George Mikan died, he was the NBA's first superstar, but died broke because the huge money came long after he was done. He wound up with significant medical bills, and was shut out of the windfall by the NBA players........in a goodwill gesture, Shaq wound up paying for his funeral.

 

Curt's family, and Messersmith deserve a lot more than the players have ever given them, which brings me to a whole different discussion..........Don Fehr is a short-sighted, greedy jerk.

[plowjockey]

Great article and compelling argument. Still vote no. I always thought Flood was a better player than Brock. He was a center fielder and batted 2nd in the line up. He could do everything, including hit well in the clutch. But for me I am not sure I like what he did. When I was a kid, I devoured the Sporting News every week. Stats, minor league prospects, everything. The players were heroes, bigger than life. After Flood and Messersmith, all they talked about was how much money was made and details of contracts. They stopped talking about baseball and started talking about $$. Boring garbage for a young baseball junkie. I never forgave Flood for that. I'm glad the players are doing well, but I liked it the old way so much better. Just think if the Braves lost Aaron or Spahn after just 4 years of service.

[splitterpfj]

Great post plowjockey, it would be nice to just be a fan again.

 

Keep in mind, when those great Braves teams were built, there wasn't even a draft.........hope a scout offers you a deal, and take it. It's a completely different world now.

 

I don't think there's any question baseball should have a salary cap, and should also enforce some minimums to stop the kind of garbage going on in Tampa Bay. The system is still a long way from perfect, but Flood did the right thing.

 

The Reserve Clause was a total sham, just as the Devil Rays pocketing their revenue sharing is now. For the life of me, I can't figure out why the parties involved can't come up with a balanced economic system. There are billions of dollars available to share, PLENTY for the players, the owners, and everyone in between.