Baseball History: Curt Flood and Albert Pujols

St. Louis Cardinals greats Curt Flood and Albert Pujols are linked in baseball history for the simple fact that without Flood, Pujols would not have signed a 10 year $254 million contract to play for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Flood was not the first player to challenge baseball’s reserve clause which eventually led to free agency, but his case was the most high profile. Here is a look at Curt Flood, Albert Pujols and how different the players had it then and now.

1969 would be then. Flood was an outfielder on one of the best teams in baseball history. The 31 year old was in his twelfth Major League season and ninth with St. Louis. In that time he had helped the team win two World Series in 1964 and 1967 along with a National League pennant in 1968. Flood was a 7-time Gold Glove winner on defense and three-time NL All-Star.

Flood’s first recorded salary with the Cardinals is $13,500, including signing bonus, for the 1961 season. In eight seasons his salary increased by $76,500 to the $90,000 he made in 1969.

2011 is now. Pujols is a first baseman who will go down in baseball history as one of the greatest players of all-time. The 31 year old just finished his eleventh major league season all with the Cardinals. Like Flood, he helped St. Louis win two World Series in 2006 and 2011 along with a pennant in 2004. Pujols is a Rookie of the Year, nine-time All-Star, three-time Major League Player of the Year and two-time Gold Glove winner.

Pujols’ first Major League salary was $200,000 in 2001. Over the next 10 years his salary increased by $14.3 million to $14.5 in 2011.

Back to then. Curt Flood made baseball history when after being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on October 7, 1969 he refused to go. Since there was no free agency at that time Flood had only two options. Report to Philadelphia or don’t play in 1970. He chose not to play. Not only that he challenged baseball’s reserve clause all of the way to the Supreme Court.

After sitting out the entire 1970 season, Flood was traded by the Phillies to the Washington Senators. He left after only playing 13 games with them in 1971. One of the best players in baseball history left the game a broken man. The Supreme Court ruled against him in June of 1972.

Albert Pujols finished the 2011 season as a world’s champion without a contract. Unlike in 1969 when the ball was in the Cardinals’ court, Pujols held all of the options and used them. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed a 10 year $254 million contract to play for the Angels. That’s over $253.5 million more than the $472,500 Flood made in his entire career with the Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinal greats Curt Flood and Albert Pujols. One man, Flood, sacrificed his career to make baseball history by challenging the establishment while the other, Pujols, benefited immensely from it.