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Alex Belth, purveyor of Bronx Banter, has written a fine book about the life and times of Curt Flood, the fine centerfielder who challenged baseball’s reserve clause all the way to the Supreme Court. Alex’s book is a well-told story of a talented, sensitive and courageous man who did much for baseball and, by extension, all of us.
Alex chronicles Flood’s early years in Oakland, including the influence of his coach George Powles and his early interest in art. Most importantly, Alex notes that Curt didn’t personally experience many of the horrible racial attitudes and practices he would encounter later in life. This environment, the blessings of his family and the influence of people like Powles built a strong foundation for Flood’s personality and actions later in life.
Things changed during his minor league years and Alex chronicles the behavior (such as a father encouraging his sons to yell “black bastard” at Flood) and pain those years caused Flood. It is hard, in this day and age, to recall what conditions were like for black players in the 1950’s. The book also talks about the rivalry between Vada Pinson and Flood and how the Reds, deciding that Pinson would likely be the better player, traded Flood to the Cardinals.
The book describes Flood’s major league career and gives particular attention to his postseason appearances. But it is the off-field stories that were most interesting to me. After the Cards won the World Series in 1964, Flood and his family rented a house in Alamo, California. The boyfriend of the person who rented the house was evidently incensed that a black family had purchased it, and he threatened to be “waiting for them with a shotgun” if they moved in. Flood moved his family into the house anyway, a characteristic move for this highly idealistic and courageous man. Living in the neighborhood proved to be too stressful for the family, however, and they eventually moved out.
The heart of the book is Flood’s challenge of the reserve clause under the guidance of Marvin Miller. It is sometimes easy to forget that Flood actually lost that case, and that many baseball players were against him at first. The impact of his legal challenge to the “Lords of Baseball” has been deep and permanent, however. The details are all here, including the backroom dickering, the outcome and the ramifications.
It is a credit to Alex’s writing that you’re not surprised Flood did what he did; that having the strength and vision to challenge the Reserve Clause was almost a natural extension of the man and his times. This is a very important story in baseball’s and America’s history, and Alex handles it magnificently. Congratulations.
You can buy Stepping Up: The Story of Curt Flood and his Fight for Baseball Players’ Rights, at Amazon.com.