| BALL MANUFACTURER: Wilson BALL TYPE: Senior Professional Baseball Association PRESIDENT'S STAMP: Curt Flood BALL PRODUCTION DATES: 1989-90 COMMENTS / CONDITION: Scarce ball in new, unused condition. The Senior League struggled financially throughout their brief duration, meaning they weren't ordering tons of extra balls beyond what was immediately needed for game play, making unused examples particularly tough to locate. See photos for additional details including condition. Each ball will ship in an acrylic ball display holder. Combined shipping is available for multiple ball purchases. BIO: Curtis Charles Flood was born in 1938 in Houston, TX and died in 1997 in Los Angeles, CA. He played major league baseball from 1956 to 1971 as outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Senators, appeared in the 1964, 1967 and 1968 World Series, and was selected 3 times as an All-Star. Flood spent over a decade with the St. Louis Cardinals and was known for his defensive abilities. He did not commit a single error in 1966 and had a 223 consecutive game errorless streak during his career. However, he is best known for his challenge of baseball's reserve clause, which eventually opened the door to free agency. After his playing career ended, Flood was a radio broadcaster for the Oakland Athletics in 1978. From 1989 to 1990, he was the Commissioner of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. The SPBA was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over which began play in 1989 with eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule. Curt Flood served as commissioner of the league for its entire duration. Throughout the inaugural season, most clubs struggled with poor attendance. For its second season, four of the league's eight teams folded, one relocated, two teams were added, they dropped the minumum age to 34, and shortened the season. Even so, the league folded on December 28th, 1990, less than halfway through its second season. SKU: BB1383
Item: BB1383
|