![]() You’ll learn a lot about the Supreme Court too, which is useful on its own. This story is so important in the history of baseball/pro sports, and indeed in labor relations history as a whole, that the book overall is worth it. But he quit his law firm job to write this book according to the acknowledgements and I respect the hell out of that. I kind of wish he would have condensed some of it for the sake of not getting too mired in legal issues - especially in the last third where it really does. Snyder is a lawyer so he does spend a lot of time on the legal stuff here, which can be challenging if you’re not really a legal mind like myself. He also rightly emphasizes the struggles of Flood and his contemporary Black ball players in the midst of the civil rights movement and the rabid racism they often faced. Brad Snyder (whose excellent earlier book on the Homestead Grays made me pick up this one) does a good job balancing the explanation of Flood’s legal case and the often self destructive story of Flood’s life, and how he was screwed over by basically everyone constantly (up to the Supreme Court itself). Interesting read on a very worthy topic in professional sports and the law: the case of Curt Flood, who sued MLB in order to become a free agent. It's a story that needs to be told, and never forgotten. Now, if they could just make a movie about Curt's battle like they did about the Maris-Mantle home run battle (*61). All in all, this is just a fascinating book, and I am glad Mr Snyder quit his day job to tell this story. This book not only opened up my eyes to the sacrifices Curt Flood made, it also serves as a behind the scenes look at the Supreme Court. And don't get me started on Arthur Goldberg. I'll never understand why the Union didn't take better care of him. Shame on them! He ended up so broke, he couldn't afford to get home, yet MLB players were benefiting from his sacrifice. He put everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, on the line, and not only did his fellow players not show up for him when he started his trial-there were 2 teams playing in NY, which meant there was ALWAYS a steady stream of ballplayers passing through town-when he died, not one current player even bothered to show up at his funeral. Wow.Ĭurt Flood is one of the most heroic & tragic figures I have ever read about. I don't know if that's when I became aware of Curt Flood, or from my grandpa, the Cards fan. I've always loved baseball, so much so, that I wrote my 1st research paper on MLB's strikes in '80, '81, & '85 when I was in HS. As Jesse Jackson said when speaking at Flood’s funeral: Flood lost his case, but turned public opinion and the fortunes of the Player’s Union around, setting the stage for the player’s victory in achieving free agency. Still, this is an important story, and if you are willing to slog your way through you will be rewarded by what you can learn. A better writer would have included less detail for greater drama. When writing about court proceedings, Snyder included such trivial minutiae as the order in which the justices were seated. Every person named in the book, from Flood’s relatives, teammates, and girlfriends, managers, Baseball and Union executives, lawyers, judges, sports writers, bat boys (okay, not bat boys) received mini biographies, from childhood onward. Author Brad Snyder, a lawyer, wasn’t quite up to weaving these elements into a readable story. It was a long, strange trip to find out.Ĭurt Flood’s story was a complex one. I had always been curious to better understand just how Flood’s Supreme Court loss became the catalyst for the Player’s Union’s eventual victory. Yet his loss is celebrated as the opening salvo in the battle that won economic freedom for Major League baseball players. ![]() He stood to gain nothing if he won and lose everything if he failed, but went all in anyhow for the benefit of other players and his sense of fair play. His failed bid to overturn baseball’s Reserve Clause in the courts is legendary. Curt Flood sacrificed his baseball career for a principal. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |