Keith Romer

But when he rolled over and picked up the phone at 4 a.m., a middle manager from the Cardinals front office told Kurt Flood he had just been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

But Kurt Flood did not really have a choice.

The way baseball worked at the time, when you got drafted by a Major League Baseball team, you played for that team.

If they wanted to trade you, you went where they traded you.

You didn't like it, you could quit baseball.

This was explicit in every player's contract.

It was called the reserve clause because teams reserved the rights to each player.

Kurt Flood thought this was ridiculous.

His case went all the way to the Supreme Court, kind of ruined Curt Flood's life, and it helped change professional sports forever.

Hello and welcome to Planet Money.

I'm Keith Romer.

Can I say hello and welcome to Planet Money?

It's been a long time.

I'm Jacob Goldstein.

Are we getting the band back together?

I'm Robert Smith.

It's Alumni Day at Planet Money.

Jacob and Robert, you both used to host Planet Money.

Welcome back.

Thank you.