2025 Curt Flood Award

The Curt Flood Award honors "a former player, living or deceased, who in the image of Flood demonstrated a selfless, longtime devotion to the Players Association and advancement of Players' rights." The two former Players below were nominated by a panel of seven distinguished former and current Players Association executives.

The 2025 nominees are Scott Sanderson & Don Baylor:

SCOTT SANDERSON

Scott Sanderson is remembered by his contemporaries for his leadership during the historic 232-day strike in 1994-95, when he was at the forefront of the effort to keep players informed and unified during a turbulent time. He set up the phone bank used to disseminate information and attended virtually every union meeting. At the most widely attended session, Scott stood up first and crystallized the players’ mission: “I’d like a show of hands. Who among us wants to leave to the players who come after us less than what we received from the players who went before us?” Coming from a universally respected veteran of four work stoppages, that remark cut to the heart of the debate and invoked one of the union’s founding principles -- that the protection of players’ rights spans generations. It was a seminal moment that injected new energy and clarity toward players’ efforts to stop MLB’s attempt to break their union and implement a salary cap. After his retirement, Scott continued advocating for players as a respected agent until his death in 2019.

DON BAYLOR

 Don Baylor gained an appreciation for the importance of the Players Association’s mission as a young player in the Baltimore Orioles’ clubhouse, where he embraced the example of such union stalwarts as Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Mark Belanger, Bobby Grich and Dave McNally -- a seminal figure in the players’ fight for free agency rights. Don eventually ascended to the role of club representative and American League representative, providing valuable counsel to Executive Directors Marvin Miller and Donald Fehr from his seat on the Executive Subcommittee. Don played a pivotal leadership role through seven strikes and lockouts during his 19-year career with the Orioles, Angels, Yankees and three other clubs. He was a signatory to the 1980 collective bargaining agreement and was influential in keeping players focused and unified during the 1981 strike, which forced the cancellation of 712 games in the middle of the regular season. When it came to giving his time or advocating on behalf of his fellow players, Don never wavered.