His brother was arrested during the season. In 1969, despite the lower pitching mound instituted that season, which saw a general rise in batting average league-wide, Flood's batting average slipped to. While Busch eventually relented, Flood took it personally when Busch publicly chewed the team out after most players boycotted spring training before the 1969 season for a week, accusing players of forgetting that fans were what kept the sport going (although he did not mention any player by name). He believed Busch, with whom he had previously enjoyed a close personal friendship, was expressing his displeasure over the error that had likely cost the team the Series. 286 with three steals.Īfter the season ended, Flood was upset when Cardinals' president Gussie Busch, and CEO of team owner Anheuser-Busch, offered him only a $5,000 raise, far short of the $90,000 salary he believed he deserved after his stellar regular season. Up to that point, Flood had been enjoying the best series of his career despite dealing with personal problems at home, hitting. Had he not momentarily lost his footing chasing a Jim Northrup fly ball (ruled a triple) with two out in the seventh inning of game 7 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, the Cardinals might have won their third championship of the decade Detroit scored twice on the play, with Northrup later coming in for a 3–0 lead, and won the game, 4–1. The next day, he caught Willie McCovey's fly ball for the final out of Ray Washburn's 2–0 no-hitter. On September 17, he struck out for the final out of Gaylord Perry's 1–0 gem. Against the San Francisco Giants that year, Flood was involved in the final outs of the first back-to-back no-hitters in major league history. As team co- captain (with Tim McCarver) in 1968 he had perhaps his best year, earning his third All-Star selection and finishing fourth in the MVP balloting (won by teammate Bob Gibson) on the strength of a. In game 1, he advanced Brock to third base twice, putting him in position to score both runs in a 2–1 victory in game 3, he drove Brock in with the first run of a 5–2 win. In the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, he hit a woeful. 335 average (though his other batting totals fell off from previous years), helping the Cardinals to another championship. In 1967, he had his highest batting mark with a. In that year he received the first of his seven consecutive Gold Gloves. 302 and scoring a career-high 112 runs, third-most in the NL he also had career bests in doubles (34), triples (9) and stolen bases (17) and collected 200 hits in an NL-leading 662 at bats. He continued to improve offensively in 1963, hitting. He had his breakthrough year at the plate after Johnny Keane took over as manager in 1961: he batted. Louis although he struggled at the plate from 1958 to 1960, his defensive skill was apparent. For the next 12 seasons, he became a fixture in center field for St. However, Flood was deemed expendable with future star centerfielder Vada Pinson preparing to be promoted to the majors. MLB careerįlood signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1956 and made a handful of appearances for the team in 1956–57. Flood transferred to Oakland Technical High School, from which he graduated. All three would eventually sign professional contracts with the Cincinnati Reds. Although his legal challenge was unsuccessful, it brought about additional solidarity among players as they fought against baseball's reserve clause and sought free agency.īorn in Houston, Texas, and raised in Oakland, California, Flood played in the same outfield in West Oakland's McClymonds High School as Vada Pinson and Frank Robinson. He retired with the third most games in center field (1683) in NL history, trailing Willie Mays and Richie Ashburn.įlood became one of the pivotal figures in the sport's labor history when he refused to accept a trade following the 1969 season, ultimately appealing his case to the U.S. Flood also led the National League in putouts as center fielder four times and in fielding percentage as center fielder three times. He led the National League (NL) in hits (211) in 1964 and in singles, 1963, 1964, and 1968. Flood was a three-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winner for seven consecutive seasons, and batted over. Louis Cardinals, and Washington Senators. He was a center fielder who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. September 9, 1956, for the Cincinnati RedlegsĪpril 25, 1971, for the Washington SenatorsĬurtis Charles Flood (January 18, 1938 – January 20, 1997) was an American professional baseball player and activist.
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