Robert Smith

At 4 a.m.

on October 8th, 1969, Kurt Flood got woken up by a phone call.

Flood was 31 years old at the time, and he'd spent the last 12 years, almost his entire adult life, playing center field for the St.

Louis Cardinals.

He was an all-star.

He'd led the Cardinals to the World Series three times, Sports Illustrated called him the best center fielder in baseball, and he planned to finish out his career in St.

Louis.

Kurt Flood didn't want to go to Philadelphia.

They'd just finished second to last in their division.

And on top of that, Kurt Flood was Black, and Phillies fans had a history of treating the team's Black players badly.

One Black Phillies player in the 60s actually wore a helmet in the outfield because Phillies fans threw batteries at his head.

In fact, he didn't just think it was ridiculous.

He thought it was illegal.

So he decided to sue Major League Baseball for a right that most of us take for granted.

The right to work for whatever employer might want to hire him.

So it's 1969, and Curt Flood is one of the highest-paid players in baseball.

He made $90,000.

Whoa!

Robert Smith, do you want to guess how much that is in inflation-adjusted $2026?

I mean, highest-paid players in baseball?