After the 1969 season, the St. Louis Cardinals traded Flood, their star center fielder, to the Philadelphia Phillies. At the time there was no such thing as free agency, no no-trade clauses. When a player was traded, he reported to his new team or retired.

Unwilling to choose either option and influenced by his participation in the civil rights movement, Flood sacrificed his career to sue Major League Baseball for his freedom.  His case reached the Supreme Court, where Flood ultimately lost, but created an atmosphere in which, three years later, free agency became a reality.  For today’s generation of multi-million dollar athletes, Flood is a Jackson Robinson-like figure who gave them the opportunity to choose where and for whom they played.