(FinalCall.com) -- Congratulations to Ozzie Smith for his election to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. South Central L.A. kid "makes good against all odds" is a fantastic conclusion to a storybook career. Ozzie even broke out a copy of the fairytale, "The Wizard of Oz," to draw an analytical parallel.

Baseball is a game of parallels. One significant parallel that continues to be ignored, particularly by those who have been elected to the Hall of Fame of late, is that many of their hall of fame careers may have ended early if not for the sacrifice of one man who is still not in the Hall�Curt Flood.

While Ozzie was never a free agent, he did have a "no-trade" clause within the first five years of his contract, something that would have been unheard of just 10 years earlier than Smith�s career began. Willie Mays, the greatest player ever, never had a no-trade clause in his contract. He found out he was traded to the Mets by news accounts, and he had to report�or retire.

Players didn�t say no to owners under baseball�s infamous "reserve clause," meaning owners reserved the right to hold sole control of a player�s services and thus, their careers. Before free agency, when ownership said "you were through," you were through. It was no going to another team. They owned you for life.

Curt Flood challenged baseball�s reserve clause when St. Louis tried to trade him. Flood said, "No, I won�t go," sat out the year and went to court. He lost the (court) battle but won the war when the Supreme Court favored the Andy Messersmith case that essentially used the Curt Flood legal argument.

Messersmith won the case and got to sell his services to the highest bidder. Curt Flood got the credit for germinating the seed and building the case, but had a Hall of Fame career shortened in the process. It�s time for Curt Flood to get his just due in 2003. Flood�s sacrifice has created a generation of Hall of Famers who need to know why they are where they are and who is responsible (aside their own performance).

For the past three years, I (and others) have been asking the question, Why is "the Father of Free Agency" not in the Hall of Fame? And I will continue to ask the question every year until he�s in. After the questionable selection of Bill Mazeroski last year by the Hall of Fame�s Veteran�s Committee (as a defensive player selection), the Hall of Fame underwent massive rule changes allowing all modern day players to be reconsidered under a revamped Veteran�s Committee that will consist of all living players in the Hall of Fame, most of whom were elected after 1980 and received the benefit of extending their careers through free agency.

The new rule changes call for the Veterans Committee to vote every two years now, so they didn�t have any selections this year. But they will next year, and the campaign begins. No matter how you cut it�offensive player, defensive player, contributions to the enhancement of the game�Curt Flood fits the bill. Flood batted over .300 six times in his politically-shortened 15 year career and his .293 career batting average is higher than a fifth of the 223 players currently in the Hall (including this year�s inductee, Ozzie Smith). Flood played on two world champion teams for the Cardinals (Ozzie, just one) and holds his own in the "offensive" category with such hall of famers as Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, Pee Wee Reese and exceeds last year�s inductee, Mazeroski.

If the Hall of Fame is now following a trend of honoring players for "defensive" excellence, Flood would be in the elite of this group. Flood won seven gold glove awards. Only two outfielders that played during the time that Flood played�Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente (both in the Hall)�had more gold gloves, but neither had more fielding records than Flood.

Flood set major league fielding records for most consecutive games without an error (226), and most consecutive chances without an error (568). Flood had a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 for one season.

For these contributions to the advancement and enhancement of sports (not just baseball, but sports, period), Time Magazine recognized Curt Flood as one of the 10 Most Influential Sports Figures of the 20th century. And guess what? He�s the only sports figure on the list that is not in his sport�s Hall of Fame. Shame on baseball. Shame on us for letting baseball do this.

Curt Flood died in 1997 a literal "outcast" of the game he changed forever. Not one active player on a current major league roster attended his funeral. Many retired players and teammates did, but the players that have benefited the most didn�t find the time to salute the player that gave many of them the choices they now have in their careers. We forget too easyily those who brought us across the bridge.

Curt Flood should be in the Hall of Fame. (Mr. Samad is a columnist based in Los Angeles.)