Curt Flood was born Jan. 18, 1938, in Houston. He died of throat cancer on Jan. 20, 1997. The anchor for the great St. Louis Cardinal teams of the 1960s, Curt Flood was one of the best center fielders of his generation. Despite credentials worthy of the Hall of Fame, Flood will not be found in Cooperstown.

	Curt Flood won seven Gold Gloves in his 12 seasons with the Cardinals.

Flood hit better than .300 six times and won seven Gold Gloves in his 12 seasons with the Cardinals, who won three National League pennants and two World Series titles during Flood's tenure (1964 and 1967). A productive leadoff and No. 2 batter who had at least 200 hits twice, his lifetime batting average was .293.

But Flood's legacy remains his challenge of baseball's "reserve clause," which bound players to teams even after their contracts had expired. Flood's challenge was a bold step for players' rights and the first step on the road to free agency.

After the 1969 season, the Cardinals traded Flood to Philadelphia. Because his contract had run out when the season ended, Flood contested the trade, feeling that no team currently owned the rights to his services. He wrote a letter to Commissioner Bowie Kuhn asking Kuhn to declare him a free agent. When Kuhn refused, Flood first decided to retire rather than accept the trade. He later changed his mind and instead declared war on the reserve clause, filing an anti-trust suit.

Flood sat out the 1970 season and appeared in only 13 games for the Washington Senators in '71 before leaving the game for good. His suit ultimately was defeated before the U.S. Supreme Court in '72. A three-time all-star, Flood chose principle over fame and fortune.

The reserve clause was successfully challenged in 1975, in large part because of the groundwork laid by Flood. The free-agent era dawned, and players' salaries soared, all because one man was ahead of his time.

When he left baseball, he was vilified as an ingrate. By the time of his death he was remembered and honored as a pioneer.