Kurt Flood and the Philadelphia Phillies

Kurt Flood was a center fielder who played for 15 seasons in the majors with the Cincinnati red legs and most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1969, he was traded along with three other players to the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite a sizable $100,000 contract with the Phillies, Flood refused to report to the team. He sent a letter to the commissioner of baseball asking that he be declared a free agent.