He was a multiple All-Star, helped the St. Louis Cardinals to win two World Championships and won several Gold Gloves, however, Curt Flood’s legacy is not on the field, but in the courtroom and in the money that players in all sports are able to earn. Flood did not win his court battle to change baseball’s reserve clause bounding players with their teams in perpetuity, but his fight eventually was won years later when a panel of arbitrators struck it down paving the way for free agency.
HBO looks at Flood’s on-field career and his life in a new documentary that airs the night after the MLB All-Star Game.
HBO SPORTS® DOCUMENTARY THE CURIOUS CASE OF CURT FLOOD, EXPLORING THE LIFE AND CAREER OF A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PIONEER, DEBUTS JULY 13, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO
HBO Sports, which has produced compelling character studies of baseball legends Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams, will explore the life and career of former St. Louis Cardinals centerfielder Curt Flood, one of baseball’s landmark figures. THE CURIOUS CASE OF CURT FLOOD debuts WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), the day after the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, exclusively on HBO.
Other HBO playdates: July 13 (3:45 a.m.), 16 (10:00 a.m.), 19 (4:00 p.m., midnight), 22 (6:00 p.m.), 25 (8:00 a.m., 2:30 a.m.), 28 (2:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m.) and 31 (11:30 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: July 15 (8:30 p.m.), 18 (11:30 a.m., 2:25 a.m.), 23 (8:00 a.m.) and 26 (12:30 a.m.)
HBO On Demand availability: July 18-Aug. 15
While he did not hit 500 home runs and is not enshrined in Baseball’s Hall of Fame, Flood’s impact on the sport was substantial. Interrupting his flourishing All-Star career to fight for free agency at age 31, he was a pioneering figure in challenging baseball’s reserve clause, foreshadowing the emergence of free agents in professional sports.
“Every player in every team sport owes a debt of gratitude to Curt Flood,” says Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. “His life story is a very complex character study. His battle to win free agency and have the right to choose where to work is an inspiring story. He is one of the giants in the history of sports, but has largely been forgotten.”
In 1956, Curt Flood signed with the Cincinnati Reds and made a handful of appearances for the club before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in Dec. 1957. While a member of the Cardinals, his career blossomed. An accomplished hitter and outstanding outfielder, Flood started for the Cardinals during the rise of the Civil Rights movement and was frequently the target of racism.
The 5’9” Flood was a three-time All-Star and a seven-time Gold Glove Award winner for his defensive prowess in centerfield. He made three World Series appearances with the Cardinals (who won in 1964 and 1967) alongside teammates and future Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Lou Brock.
However, Curt Flood’s legacy has little to do with his on-field accomplishments. His biggest contribution was paving the way for modern free agency. After being traded from the Cardinals to Philadelphia Phillies in 1969, Flood refused to report to his new team, challenging the reserve clause that bound a player to a team in perpetuity.
The Supreme Court case that ultimately ensued would not end favorably for Flood, who sat out the entire 1970 season as his case moved through the judicial system. While he received little support from influential active players at the time, Flood’s actions brought valuable attention to the slave-like provisions of baseball’s reserve clause. Today, he is remembered as the man whose courage and sacrifice turned even Major League bench players into millionaires.
Curt Flood was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1996 and passed away Jan. 20, 1997.
Interviewees include: Flood’s widow, Judy Pace Flood; his daughter, Shelly Flood; sister Rickie Riley; friends Bill Patterson, Sam and Ed Bercovich, Wendy Potyrala, Clark Parker and Karen Brecher; former St. Louis Cardinals stars Bob Gibson, Joe Torre and Tim McCarver; former Major Leaguers Elliott Maddox, Dal Maxvill and Jim “Mudcat” Grant; journalists Brad Snyder and Richard Reeves; historian Dr. Gerald Early; personal attorney Allan Zerman; former Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) officials Marvin Miller and Richard Moss; and attorney Lou Hoynes.
The executive producers of THE CURIOUS CASE OF CURT FLOOD are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; senior producer, Joe Lavine; producer, Ezra Edelman; writer, Aaron Cohen; narrator, Liev Schreiber; editor, Charles Marquardt; original music composed by Gary Lionelli.
Highlights of THE CURIOUS CASE OF CURT FLOOD:
Former Major League Baseball Players Association leader Marvin Miller: “I said to him, ‘If the million to one shot came home and you won it, you’re never gonna collect any damages.’ Curt thought about that for a minute and said, ‘Still, if we won, it would benefit all the other players…And the players to come…That’s good enough for me.’ ”
Historian Dr. Gerald Early: “But Curt Flood permits you see it as a moral issue. And it’s important for you to see it as a moral issue. He did that for you in a way that Messersmith, McNally and all those early free agents would not have done it for you.”
That’s it.
