Best MLB players not in the Hall of Fame: St. Louis Cardinals, Curt Flood
WAR value: 42.3
Curt Flood is a special inclusion on this list because his impact was felt off the baseball diamond as well. He was a key figure in the fight for free agency and took the case all the way up to the Supreme Court.
Flood did not win the case, but what he did was put his name and reputation on the line in order to fight for what was right. For that alone, he belongs in the Hall of Fame. But let’s look at what he did on the field as well.
Flood was also a three-time All-Star who won seven Gold Gloves as well. He won two World Series titles with the team and his WAR value ranks eighth all-time among Cardinals batters. So it is not like Flood would only get in for his labor battle. He was an All-Star player who put his name on the line for that fight.
Sadly, Flood passed away at the age of 59 back in 1997. Hopefully, voters on one of the committees can get him in for both his play and his fight for free agency. Who knows what would have happened if Flood just stayed quiet and didn’t make it a national issue. Others may have been too scared to step up and do the same.
The Hall of Fame is supposed to include not only star players, but those who had a positive impact on the game. Floods being left out is a glaring omission.