CRUISING WITH CURT FLOOD

Well, a book about him anyway(s). One of the great things about cruising is the freedom to read. I know what you're thinking--come on, you're retired; you have plenty of time to read. And you're right. I guess, I'm a little like the bumper sticker "So many books--too little time".

One of the very first things I did when we got aboard our ship was head to the library. The good books seem to go quickly on a cruise ship, and since we rarely pack enough to have to check luggage, I only brought one book which I finished on the plane. So I headed to the library. I was disappointed. No David McCullough. What? I've been on a cruise with him. I've heard him lecture on a cruise ship. Twice. And Royal Carib. doesn't even have one of his books?

So shut out of one of my favorite authors, I went for a new one. Boy, am I bad; I don't even remember the author (perhaps Parker?). But I remember the book --A Well Paid Slave. About a childhood hero of mine, Curt Flood.

I had met Curt, Jr., at a Cardinal game back in 1990 when he lived in St. Louis. Our daughter at age 10 would talk and sit with him at the games. He always had good seats behind home plate.

One night while Curt Jr. was with news anchor Robin Smith, he invited us to sit with him and his dad. We talked and I told him how much the modern player should be indebted to him for his sacrifice. If one man is responsible for the escalation of pro athletes' salaries, it's Curt. He challenged the reserve clause that bound a player to a team for life. His challenge went all the way to the Supreme Court. It costs him hundreds of thousands of dollars and his career.

Surprisingly, he seemed genuinely appreciative of my comment on what players owed him. My comment, sincere to me, was probably offered a thousand times to him, I figured. For literally years, I wondered why he seemed that pleased at my comment. After reading the book, I had my answer.

Not one major league player at the time testified for him. Many current players don't even know who he was. He received plenty of hate mail telling him he was ruining the game, and who was he to turn down $90,000 a year to play baseball? "A well paid slave is nonetheless a slave," was Curt's comment to Major League baseball.

What an enjoyable evening it was. I even got to try on his World Series ring. The ball he signed for our daughter that night still holds a place of honor at our son's house. The reading of the book 17 years later even heightens the experience more. It's one time, I'm glad for a McCullough-less library.