Rube Foster for organizing and getting black baseball started as mainstream and helping African-Americans get an opportunity to play organized baseball on a semi-national stage.
Curt Flood for his reserve clause stance which has helped all baseball players with free agency regardless of race, and indirectly helped the owners reap huge profits , as well as possibly the TV revenue we see today.
Rube Foster had a finite window of influence , but Flood's influence is still felt over 40 years later with every free agent signing and multi billion dollar tv contract. Flood's effect transcends race and time .
Maybe I am giving Flood too much credit but I think he started the snowball rolling that is still rolling today.
I think Aaron should get some nods because he introduced baseball to the south and won over a lot of racial barriers also...but has he had as lasting as an effect on baseball as Rube Foster or Curt Flood? I say no.
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