The Movement to a Level Playing Field (Part 2) - featuring Brad Snyder

This podcast is drawn from a multi-part program the Center hosted on October 12, 2022 entitled The Movement to a Level Playing Field. This second installment features Professor Brad Snyder commemorating the 50th anniversary of the landmark Flood v. Kuhn case. After the 1969 season, the St. Louis Cardinals traded Curt Flood, their star center fielder, to the Philadelphia Phillies. At that time, when a player was traded, he had two options – to report to his new team or retire. Unwilling to leave St. Louis and influenced by the civil rights movement, Flood instead sued Major League Baseball for his freedom. His case reached the Supreme Court, where Flood ultimately lost. By challenging the system, he created an atmosphere in which, just three years later, free agency became a reality. Flood’s decision cost him his career, but dramatically changed baseball. Professor Snyder published A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood’s Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports in 2007. He teaches constitutional law, constitutional history, and sports law at Georgetown University Law School.To see the video of this presentation, please visit the Jackson Center's YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/N41LPh0-qw0