I believe that any system which produces that result violates my basic rights as a citizen.”Īside from a very brief stint with the Washington Senators in 1971, this lawsuit ended Flood’s career in baseball. Flood said in a letter to commissioner Bowie Kuhn, “After 12 years in the Major Leagues, I do not feel I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, however, reaffirmed the reserve clause.Īll of that laid the groundwork for Flood and MLBPA executive director Marvin Miller to challenge the reserve clause when the outfielder refused to report to the Phillies. Because the highly competitive Yankees had complete control over his career, he could not willingly play for another team that might afford him a better chance to realize his dream of pitching in the majors. Toolson refused to report, saying that the reserve clause was a restraint of trade. The Bears, however, dissolved, so Toolson was sent to the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate the next year. He joined the Yankees in ’49, reporting to the Newark Bears. Toolson spent the 1946-48 seasons with the Triple-A affiliate of the Red Sox in Louisville. The reserve clause was more seriously challenged in 1953 when Yankees minor league pitcher George Earl Toolson filed a lawsuit against the Yankees. He claimed that was an unfair use of monopolistic power and said that the 1922 Supreme Court ruling no longer applied given the exponential growth of the sport. Gardella was banned five years because he played in the Mexican League. New York Giants outfielder Danny Gardella sued then-commissioner Happy Chandler. wrote, “The business is giving exhibitions of baseball, which are purely state affairs.” The Supreme Court maintained that the business of baseball did not qualify as interstate commerce as it pertains to the Sherman Antitrust Act. The Sherman Antitrust Act prohibits in interstate commerce anticompetitive agreements and attempts to create monopolies. National League, that the Sherman Antitrust Act did not apply to Major League Baseball. Supreme Court held in 1922, in Federal Baseball Club v. The Major League Baseball Players Association wasn’t created until 1966, but the reserve clause was challenged prior to Flood. Their options were: accept the below-market salaries offered by their teams or sit out the season in protest. That is why many well-known players in the 1960’s and prior spent their entire careers with one team. Browning was really the only player of the bunch that didn’t pan out, as he never exceeded Double-A before his career in baseball was finished in 1975 at the age of 23.īaseball’s reserve clause tied players to their teams even when their contracts expired. Allen, in fact, would go on to win an MVP Award. Allen, Rojas, Montañez, McCarver, and Hoerner all had lengthy, productive major league careers. The trade became one of baseball’s most famous and not because of the quality of players involved. On this day in 1970, the Cardinals sent Willie Montañez and Jim Browning to the Phillies in lieu of Flood. Flood challenged baseball’s reserve clause, sitting out the 1970 season. Flood famously refused to report to the Phillies, citing the club’s poor record, stadium disrepair, and racist fans. The Cardinals sent Flood, Tim McCarver, Joe Hoerner, and Byron Browne to Philadelphia in exchange for Dick Allen, Cookie Rojas, and Jerry Johnson. The Cardinals and Phillies agreed to terms on a trade involving outfielder Curt Flood on October 7, 1969. Feel free to share which transactions stand out to you in the comments. It won’t always be the most exciting or most impactful transaction, but always something interesting. As a recurring column idea, Bill will expound upon one interesting transaction that occurred on a particular day in baseball history.
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