On Oct. 7, 1969, The St. Louis Cardinals traded outfielder Curt Flood to the Philadelphia Phillies in a blockbuster deal involving slugging first baseman Richie Allen. Flood refused to report to the Phillies and would take baseball to court over the reserve clause that binds a player perpetually to one team.
Although Flood would lose the case, it would eventually lead to the end of the "reserve clause" in baseball and open the doors for free agency. Here was our original report from the trade.
Outfielder Curt Flood, traded to the Phillies in the Richie Allen deal, said today, "I have decided to retire from organized baseball.