CURT FLOOD - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED CHECK 09/25/1994 - HFSID 290541

CURT FLOOD
The center fielder writes a check for $74.66, sealed in a PSA/DNA case.
Check signed: "Curt Flood", 5¾x2½. Sealed in a PSA/DNA, 9½x4½ plastic casing. Los Angeles, California, 1994 September 25, Check No. 296, drawn on the account of Curt Charles Flood and Judy Flood at the Fidelity Federal Bank, Culver City, California, payable to Price Colt Co. for 74.66. Filled out and signed in Flood's hand. Curt Flood (1938-1997) played Major League Baseball from 1956 to 1969, and made a brief reappearance in 1971. Flood was a reliable hitter who topped .300 three times in an era when pitching dominated the game. But Flood's greatest talent was in centerfield, which he roamed for the St Louis Cardinals, beginning in 1958. One of the finest defensive players of any era, Flood had 223 consecutive games without an error, and made no errors at all in 1966. A three-time All-Star, he won seven consecutive Gold Glove awards. He played in all seven games of three World Series for the Cardinals: victories over the Yankees and Red Sox in 1964 and 1967, and a loss to the Tigers in 1968. He was one of only four Cardinals to appear on all three teams. After the 1969 season, the Cardinals traded Flood to the Phillies. Flood refused to go, and challenged the "reserve clause" which had long denied players the right to negotiate with multiple terms for the best offer. He sat out the 1970 season, taking his suit against Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bowie Kuhn all the way to the Supreme Court. The Major League Players Association endorsed his suit, but not one active player was willing to appear in court on his behalf. With former Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg as his lawyer, Flood lost by a 5-3 vote in the Supreme Court. He made a brief return to baseball with the Washington Senators in 1971, but his skills were gone, and he soon retired. Flood fought law suits and the Internal Revenue Service for the rest of his life. He twice tried to organize a new baseball league, but was unsuccessful. In 1975, an arbiter voided the reserve clause in cases involving two other players, and the era of free agency began. Flood had been five years ahead of his time. Ink notes (unknown hand) on front and verso. Bank processing stamps on verso (light show through). Otherwise, fine condition.
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