On October 6, 1969, long-time St. Louis Cardinals' center fielder Curt Flood was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Major League Baseball labor system bound a player to one team, with the team b..
On October 6, 1969, long-time St. Louis Cardinals' center fielder Curt Flood was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Major League Baseball labor system bound a player to one team, with the team being able to trade players at will and set their salaries. Flood, who was involved with entrepreneurial and philanthropic efforts in St. Louis, rejected his trade to Philadelphia and sued Major League Baseball. This paper examines the implications of Curt Flood’s lawsuit against Major League Baseball on sports labor and compares that to other labor movements in the United States. It argues that Curt Flood’s legacy must be discussed through both the lenses of race and labor. By analyzing rhetoric in both local St. Louis newspapers and national newspapers, readers comprehend the framing of the Flood lawsuit by media outlets.
