Card Statistics
Curt Flood is presented in Helmar’s T4 series with Cincinnati in a low, ready fielding stance, his knees bent and his weight carried forward as the glove is held open in front of his body and the throwing hand remains poised beside it. The cream uniform, vivid red cap and undersleeves, striped red stockings, and small chest emblem give the figure a strong Cincinnati identity, while Flood’s wide base and forward lean suggest the alertness of an infielder or outfielder anticipating the next play. The pose captures him as a young player before the St. Louis years that would define most of his major-league career.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. The composition is built around the broad triangle formed by Flood’s legs and lowered glove, which gives the figure stability while preserving a sense of readiness. The repeated reds in the cap, sleeves, stockings, and uniform trim pull the eye through the figure, while the tan glove provides a warm central counterweight. Valiukavich keeps the field behind him relatively open, using soft green washes and a low, distant horizon so the crouched body remains easy to read. The handling of the grass is more active in the foreground, where darker vertical strokes suggest texture and depth, then softens rapidly into flatter color farther back. That change in mark-making gives the card a convincing spatial progression without crowding the scene with unnecessary detail.
Curtis Charles Flood became one of the finest defensive center fielders of his generation and one of the most important figures in the history of player rights. He began his major-league career with Cincinnati in 1956 while still a teenager, but his career changed dramatically after he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals following the 1957 season. In St. Louis, Flood developed into an elite defender, excellent contact hitter, and central member of a club that became one of the strongest teams of the 1960s.
Flood won seven consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1963 through 1969, was selected to three All-Star teams, and finished his career with a .293 batting average and 1,861 hits. He helped the Cardinals win World Series championships in 1964 and 1967 and another National League pennant in 1968. After the 1969 season, Flood challenged baseball’s reserve clause rather than report after a trade to Philadelphia, a legal fight that ultimately helped accelerate the movement toward modern free agency and greater player control over employment.
Numbered #88, the Flood card presents an early Cincinnati chapter in the career of a player later identified closely with both St. Louis and the struggle for baseball labor rights. The low defensive stance, open glove, vivid red uniform accents, and textured foreground grass give card #88 a strong fielding character within the T4 series. Flood’s seven Gold Gloves, three All-Star selections, two World Series championships, and historic challenge to the reserve clause make him one of the most significant subjects in the issue beyond statistics alone.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: Leaning forward, glove in front
- Team: Cincinnati Reds
- Population (# Sold): 6
- First Date Sold: 2025-04-23
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-09-08
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 3
- Highest Auction: $ 57.01
- Average Auction Result: $ 29.46
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Visit these teammates on the Cincinnati Reds in the Helmar T4 series
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