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A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood's Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports | 
 enlarge | Author: Brad Snyder
Publisher: Viking Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 500859
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 480
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.7 x 1.7
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.357092
ASIN: B000R344PM
Publication Date: October 5, 2006
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Book Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
 The Best Damn Sports Book I Have Ever Read. Period. March 2, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
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!
 Well researched and well written November 21, 2007
For anyone who knows the name Curt Flood but little of what compelled him to tilt at baseball's windmills. The book should be required reading for anyone who wonders how owners are falling over themselves to offer millions to the most pedestrian of today's players.
A disagreement with Arhtur Goldberg's grandson September 17, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Arthur Goldberg's grandson takes strong issue with Brad Snyder's excellent and wonderful book about Curt Flood for the singular, though substantial, reason that Mr. Snyder was, in Mr. Goldberg's view, unfair to his famous and respected grandfather, former Supreme Court Justice and former UN Ambassador Arthur Goldberg.
As someone who recently finished Mr. Snyder's book, and found it outstanding, I wish to respond to Mr. Goldberg's defense of his grandfather and defend Mr. Snyder:
When one notes everything Mr. Goldberg states in his earlier review, it remains true to the portrait Mr. Snyder has painted of Mr. Goldberg as more accurate than inacurrate. Goldberg's vanity did play a significant role in his leaving the Supreme Court to take the position of UN Ambassador. Goldberg did mislead Marvin Miller when he said he would not run for governor of New York when Goldberg already knew he was being approached to run for governor of New York against a then very vulnerable Nelson Rockefeller. Goldberg refused to work up the Flood case and take it as seriously as was needed. The reviewer Goldberg's statement claims Topkis and the other quoted associate lawyer had an ax to grind, with no evidence for this statement provided--which leaves me unpersuaded. Having been in the position of the associated lawyers in various lawsuits, and sometimes seeing lead lawyers concentrate on everything else but the case, it makes me strongly believe Topkis and the others, (Yes, I'm a trial lawyer by trade).
The other sources Snyder relied upon with reference to the Justices of the Supreme Court's views of the case make clear the written briefs, which Goldberg had little to do with, had persuaded the justices who voted for Flood's position. Goldberg's oral argument was not a good one--and again, there was a lack of preparation that is also not denied by his grandson.
My father, a retired lawyer, and I have always held Arthur Goldberg in high esteem. I still think the US was a poorer nation with the loss of Goldberg from that august bench. Yes, Snyder's book could have found some room to say that Goldberg was important in crafting Resolution 242 at the UN and may have been too harsh IF he said Goldberg's tenure at the UN was a "failure." But again, Goldberg's performance in the Flood case was a disaster no matter which way you try to spin it.
The greatest irony is that had Goldberg remained on the Supreme Court, he would surely have supported Flood, and might have been the difference for Flood.
Synder's book is, overall, fabulous and a great read--with lots of information and analysis that really opened my eyes to a lot of issues surrounding the Flood lawsuit and the times in which Flood lived. If anyone wants to read a book about baseball and American society, "A Well Paid Slave" is the place to start. It is an important achivement and should be recognized as such.
I edited this review on September 26, 2007 to fix some typos/grammar errors. I also wish to be clear that I intended to rate this book as having 5 stars, but the editing process won't let me change it. It is one of the best sports bios I've read in a long time, probably since the Vince Lombardi bio by Maraniss and the Jackie Robinson bio by Rampersad.
Well Paid Slave is a must read August 31, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Mr. Snyder I am reading your book about Curt Flood and I find it to be one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. I love baseball (but as a life long Texas Rangers fan, it has not loved me back) and have said on many occasions that each player in professional baseball should have two pictures that they carry with them; Jackie Robinson because he helped to make the game inclusive and Curt Flood, because he freed the players from their indentured servitude and gave them the ability to sale their services as they see fit. Now having said that, I have on more than one occasion cursed a player as he was leaving my team in free agency, to, as they say in the cliche "secure my family's future," but that is the fan in me and as a fan I am not required to be objective. When I think of what it would be like if I could not sell my skills to another company at a time and location of my choosing, I realize that what Curt Flood wanted from baseball is completely fair. Through reading your book, I see Curt as sort of a Christ-like figure; certainly not without his flaws, but possessing a level of principle and dignity that is sorely lacking in this day and age. To do what he did for others is the greatest self-sacrifice that one can aspire to.
Again, thanks for this book. I will recommend it to anyone who has a real interest in learning more about this important subject.
 Not an adequate work of history June 12, 2007
3 out of 12 found this review helpful
I gave this review a single star because it does shed some light on the events surrounding Curt Flood's courageous stance against management and the reserve clause. As a work of history, however, it falls far short of the demands required by the field. On reading it, I wasn't surprised that I obtained my copy from the remainder bin.
Simply put, this is an ugly book, and is much more a polemic than a work of historical inquiry. Given failings in its bibliography, it would not pass peer review, which claim I feel comfortable making given my doctorate in modern history. Reading Snyder's account, I was reminded of the words of an earlier and better historian, Gaetano Salvemini who declared that objectivity is a myth, but intellectual honesty is a duty, that an author had to be aware of their own limitations and prejudices, and the dangers that these presented to their readers. In this book, we have a clear example of an author who has failed in this regard.
Snyder's dislike of Flood's counsel, Justice Arthur J. Goldberg is palpable, and distorts his entire text. No personal failing is left unmentioned, and no accolade goes undiminished. Goldberg's time at the UN is described as a failure, with not a word about his diplomatic triumphs during the Six-Day War. Indeed, this narrative is not so much about the hero Curt Flood as it is about the goat Arthur Goldberg. Thus, uninformed readers, as witnessed by various reviews in this forum, feel comfortable making unwarranted charges against Arthur Goldberg such as that he was not a man of his word. This is outrageous given his proven reputation for unparalleled integrity. Disturbingly, the author's dislike of the erstwhile justice leads him into the murky waters of intellectual dishonesty. In one instance, he writes that Goldberg insisted on being chaffeured to and from his office. Several chapters later, he then quotes an anonymous (and as such, totally unacceptable) source who claimed that Goldberg got lost driving to the Supreme Court on the day of the hearing. Other examples include Snyder's condemnation of Goldberg's pro bono work at Paul, Weiss (surely something to be praised rather than mocked), which in the context of this book, is presented as evidence that Goldberg cost the law firm more money than he generated. That is a risible claim.
Snyder makes use of anonymous interviews which, while appropriate to a work of journalism, are utterly unacceptable in historical inquiry. This work is not about current events, but treats its matter as if it transpired in the present. As such, Snyder relies on interviews too much as prima facie evidence, citing as fact statements about Justice Goldberg made by men who have grievances against him. Indeed, we are left to believe that one such person was described by Goldberg as being the better lawyer, the only authority for this "fact" being the man who reported the claim and was, allegedly, its object. While interviewing these self-serving individuals, Snyder made no effort to interview persons who might have offered a more balanced assessment of Goldberg's role in this event, e.g., his longstanding personal secretary, the Justice's son, and the majority of his law clerks (only two were interviewed, and only one provided any information of substance, much of which falls into self-service).
Arthur Goldberg was my grandfather, and he was not without his limitations. Certainly, he had an ego, which is hardly a commodity in short supply among the nation's leaders. His performance in the Curt Flood case was not his best, but he did succeed in convincing several of the justices on the court to vote on Flood's behalf. This number initially included the Chief Justice, which was a remarkable achievement, given his hostility to the case. Snyder overlooks these points because they do not serve his jaundiced account of Arthur Goldberg's character.
Baseball has been described as a useful metaphor for more important matters. This instance is no exception. Even Hall of Famers strike out sometime. On this occasion, Goldberg did as well, but he hardly went down swinging at three pitches hanging over the middle of the plate. If we are to believe Snyder's account, we are to accept editorial presented as fact, and multiple citations based on anonymous interviews with persons who are at best, cowards, and at worst, liars. A truly objective and well-written history would find fault with some of Goldberg's arguments and even some of his actions, but his conduct in this matter was better, and his arguments were more successful than Snyder would have us believe. Finally, his personal qualities were much greater than a reader of this book would realize.
A lesser lawyer with uncertain historical skills has attempted to denigrate the memory of a greater man. It is a shame that Curt Flood has been so ill-used.
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