The St. Louis Cardinals all-time best starting lineup based on WAR

Center Field: Curt Flood, 42.3

After playing only 8 games for the Cincinnati Reds from 1956 through 1957, the Cardinals traded for Curt Flood before the start of the 1958 season stuck him in Center Field, and watched him fly. Even though Flood's best season in WAR was 1963 with 5.8, Flood still beat out Jim Edmonds on our list here for starting center fielders by less than 5 points. Flood was nowhere near the bat Edmonds was, but, he played in St. Louis longer (1958-1969) and thus tallied up the needed stats and seasons to put him at the top of the all-time centerfield WAR list. He wasn't particularly bad either.

Flood put up respectable numbers throughout the 1960's batting .293 during his tenure with the Cardinals, being selected to three all-star teams, and winning seven consecutive gold gloves from 1963-1969. He helped lead a 1960's Cardinals flock that included, Ken Boyer, Orlando Cepeda, Bob Gibson, and Mike Shannon. Together they captured two World Series championships (1964, 1967) and one other NL Pennant in 1968.

What Curt Flood may be best known for though is his efforts in helping shape the major league free agency as we know it today. In the offseason of 1969, the Cardinals decided to trade Flood along with other players to the Philadelphia Phillies for All-Star Dick Allen. The only thing was, Flood refused to go. He sued MLB, sat out the 1970 season, and ultimately put a fork in his professional baseball career. Although Flood didn't win the case, he didn't care as much in the end because it helped pave the way for players to come to have rights of their own and not be viewed as "property of a team".

Give his HBO documentary a watch. "The Curious Case of Curt Flood".

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