A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Floods Fight
for Free Agency in Professional
Sports by Brad Snyder
If You're A Baseball Fan, You Should Read This
Curt Flood and the landmark Supreme Court case that changed
professional sports forever
Upon being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1969, Curt Flood, an All-
Star center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, wanted nothing more than
to stay with St. Louis. But his only options were to report to Philadelphia
or retire. Instead, Flood sued Major League Baseball for his freedom,
hoping to invalidate the reserve clause in his contract, which bound a
player to his team for life. Flood took his lawsuit all the way to the
Supreme Court, and though he ultimately lost, his decision to sue cost
him his career and a chance at the Hall of Fame. But Flood’s place in
baseball history, like that of Jackie Robinson’s, extends far beyond his
accomplishments on the ballfield. Just three years later, the era of free
agency that all professional athletes enjoy today became a reality. In A
Well-Paid Slave, the first extended treatment of Flood and his lawsuit, Brad
Snyder examines this long-misunderstood case and its impact on
professional sports. He reveals the twisted logic and behind-the-scenes
vote switching behind the court’s decision and explains Flood’s decision
to sue in the context of his experiences during the civil rights movement.
Astutely and dramatically told, A Well-Paid Slave will appeal broadly to
fans of sports history, legal affairs, and American culture.
Personal Review: A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Floods Fight for Free
Agency in Professional Sports by Brad Snyder
It has been so many years since the events depicted in "A Well Paid
Slave" took place that I had largely forgotten a good deal of the story. In
fact, I am ashamed to admit that I was unaware or had completely

forgotten that Curt Flood passed away more than a decade ago. The story
of Curt Flood was one that desperately needed to be told. I certainly
needed to be reminded of the tremendous sacrifices that this man made
when he gave up literally everything to challenge baseball's sacrosanct
reserve clause in 1970. Oddly enough author Brad Snyder thought that
the story of Curt Flood was so compelling that he abruptly quit his job at a
prominent Washington D.C. law firm in order to devote full time to writing
"A Well Paid Slave". This is a story of a man who was willing to put it all on
the line for the principles he believed in. He seemed to be fully aware of
the ramifications of his decision. Yet, as you will discover Curt Flood paid
a price far greater than he, his legal team, or his small cadre of supporters
could ever have imagined. Indeed, life would never ever be the same for
the former St. Louis Cardinals centerfielder.
By way of review, or for those too young to remember, the event that
triggered this historic chain of events was the news shortly after the 1969
season that the St. Louis Cardinals had sent Curt Flood to the Philadelphia
Phillies as part of a seven player swap. After a dozen notable seasons
with the Cardinals what really irritated and hurt Flood the most was that he
first learned of the deal from a reporter. And when the Cardinals finally did
call to inform him of the trade the caller was not General Manager Bing
Devine but one of his assistants. Flood was furious and immediately
vowed that he would never report to the Phillies. In Flood's view baseball
players were being treated like cattle. The reserve clause essentially
bound a player to his team for life. For 90 years, baseball players had been
bought and sold without any regard whatsoever to the players wishes.
Flood recalled the time in 1957 when as a young Cincinnati Reds
farmhand he was told that he had been traded to St. Louis. Curt Flood
vowed right then and there that he would never again submit himself to a
trade. True to his word Curt Flood announced that he would retire rather
than report to the Phillies.
The idea for suing Major League Baseball over the reserve clause was first
proposed in a meeting Flood had with St. Louis attorney Allan H. Zerman
in early 1970. This was Zerman's idea. The more Curt Flood thought about
it the more he was convinced that he was the man to challenge Major
League Baseball's anti-trust exemption and ultimately the reserve clause.
Shortly thereafter he decided to call Marvin Miller. The rest is history.
Throughout "A Well Paid Slave" author Brad Snyder does a workmanlike
job of tracing the long and winding road that Flood's legal case would take.
Curt Flood and his legal team were under no illusions. They knew they
were in for a long and bloody battle that they were likely to lose. MLB
would use its vast influence and political connections to make sure that the
status quo would be preserved. And like Curt Flood, readers are bound to
get a bit upset when they read about some of the shenanigans that took
place at the Supreme Court while this case was being considered. Brad
Snyder also spends a great deal of time focusing on Curt Flood's personal
life both during the time of the litigation and after. Sad to say this part of
the story has more downs that ups but it is very important that people
understand what Curt Flood went through in order to change a blatantly
unfair system. In the end Curt Flood would fail in his attempt to overturn

the reserve clause. But no one can deny that it was his courageous
decision to press the issue that paved the way for free agency as we know
it today.
Without a doubt, "A Well Paid Slave" is one of the most meticulously
documented books I have ever read. There are 80 pages of notes at the
end of the book! This book grabbed my attention in the first few pages
and I simply could not put it down. Like the man this book is about "A Well
Paid Slave" certainly deserved a lot more attention than it got. This is a
book that can be enjoyed by a wide audience that would include sports
fans, history buffs and general readers as well. Obviously, it goes without
saying that this one should be required reading for all professional athletes
who owe a debt of gratitude to a man who chose to make a stand. Very
highly recommended!
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