COMMENT : FAREWELL TO TWO BASEBALL `LOSERS' MATTINGLY WAS NOT ANTI-FLOOD.Byline: Gwen Knapp San Francisco Examiner The San Francisco Examiner is a U.S. daily newspaper. It has been published continuously in San Francisco, California, since the late 19th Century. History 19th century The beginning of the Examiner is a topic of some controversy. By the crudest estimations, they were both losers. But when it came time to say goodbye this week, neither was remembered that way. On the surface, Curt Flood v. en·trenched, en·trench·ing, en·trench·es v.tr. 1. To provide with a trench, especially for the purpose of fortifying or defending. 2. way of doing baseball business, coined the term ``free agent,'' insisted that players were not bound to franchises for a lifetime. The other stayed where he started, a model of stability and loyalty. Flood went to court and lost. Mattingly put on pinstripes the year after the Yankees went to a World Series and set them aside just before the Bronx rose again. Flood died Monday and obituaries saluted him as a brave visionary. Mattingly officially retired Wednesday and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of prepared to retire his number. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. conventional wisdom, their legacies should be at odds. Didn't Flood's crazy notions about self-determination bring chaos to the game? Even in defeat, wasn't he ultimately responsible for the monstrous salaries that set athletes apart from the public, that created Rent-A-Yanks and Port-A-Sox? Wasn't Mattingly the antidote to all of that? How is a baseball fan to reconcile the two? A suggestion: Remember that Flood was fighting for the right to stay put. The St. Louis Cardinals For the National Football League team that played in St. Louis from 1960 to 1987, see . The St. Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards" or "the Redbirds") are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies “Phillies” redirects here. For other uses, see Phillies (disambiguation). The Philadelphia Phillies are a professional baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. in 1969 and he balked balk v. balked, balk·ing, balks v.intr. 1. To stop short and refuse to go on: The horse balked at the jump. 2. . Years later, veteran players had the right to veto trades as well as the right to sell their services on an open market. Both ideas started with Flood. The ensuing chaos? An illusion. The game had only appeared manageable because power was concentrated in fewer hands. Mattingly, a Yankee forever, is not the anti-Flood. In an earlier era, he could have been dispatched on a front-office whim. Flood's fight gave Mattingly clout, made him a player in his own future. If free agency and inflated payrolls killed the game, what explains the Yankees of 1996? They had the highest payroll in the business. They had a platoon of mercenaries. And they couldn't have been more endearing. They made the World Series a pageant again. Detroit dumped Cecil Fielder's burdensome contract and made him a champion. He played at first base, Mattingly's old spot, and no New Yorker spared confetti during the victory parade Victory parade is a type of parade held in order to celebrate a victory. Because of that, victory parades can be divided into military victory parades and more frequent sport victory parades. . There wasn't a choice between the two. Loyalty to one didn't rule out appreciation for the other. The sports world Sports World are a British sports Retailer, formerly called Sports Soccer. Founded in the late 1970's by former county squash coach Mike Ashley, the group Sports World International is now the UK's largest retailer of sports clothing and accessories. aims at oversimplifications - winners and loser, champs and chumps. Then along comes a Mattingly or an Ernie Banks, defined by what they missed as much as what they gained. Along comes a Flood, who committed the ultimate sin, took his eye off the ball and fixed it on a principle. Flood's challenge seemed dangerous at the time. It scared even the players, some of whom testified against him. The game, they said, would never be the same. They were right. And so was Flood. What do you call that - a tie? Flood effectively gave up baseball when he went to court. He played one more season, a mere 13 games and 35 at-bats for Washington in 1971. He batted .293 in his career, won seven Gold Gloves in center field and two World Series rings with the Cardinals. He was a winner then, but he gave that up to become a pariah. Mattingly gave up baseball because he needed a break. His body had started going bad in 1990, when a back injury compromised his swing. His fans must wish he'd pulled himself through one more season. ``It was a double-edged sword this October,'' Mattingly said. ``I was rooting for the Yankees. But it was hard to watch. I'd be lying if I said differently.'' Did Flood's friends ever wish the same, that he could have stayed in the fold, found a way to endure the trade to Philadelphia? He lost so much by fighting. But he won something for Mattingly and his wealthy peers. A generation of Yankees fans will remember Mattingly's swing fondly, will think of him as part of their summers. None of those summers reached far into October, but they have enduring value anyway. As Curt Flood proved, even defeat can resonate forever. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Don Mattingly, a loyal Yankee, missed the great World Series year with the club. Daily News File Photo |
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