Worst Trades of the 1960s + Trivia Contest

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Greg Frediani of Napa, CA, who correctly answered the trivia question and then was selected in a random drawing. He correctly identified pitchers Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Johnny Podres, and infielder Jim Gilliam as the four Los Angeles Dodgers we were looking for who played for the club in 1966 but also played for the club when it was in Brooklyn. He receives a Starbucks Gift Card for his efforts. John Roseboro also played in 35 games for the Brooklyn club in 1957. This week is a new week and a new Trivia Contest. The Prize this week again is a Starbucks Gift Card. 
 
NEW TRIVIA CONTEST:  IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A Starbucks Gift Card.  YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN, SO PLEASE READ ON.

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  In the 1960s Rocky Colavito was involved in eight different transactions. He was twice released, once signed as a free agent, once sold to a team and four times he was traded in the decade. Which was the ONLY team to purchase the slugger during the 1960s?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: There were five players who played on the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers pennant winning club, who also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. They were pitchers Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Johnny Podres and infielder Jim Gilliam. John Roseboro also played in 35 games for the 1957 Brooklyn club.

Every year during the Winter Meetings a number of key players change hands as teams who feel they are close to the Playoffs and teams trying to rebuild, scurry to get that right player to put them over the top, or lay the foundation for future winners. The Meetings are always a time of excitement for baseball fans hoping their team will make just the right move, putting them in the next World Series. Here are some of those hopes which did not pan out in the 1960s.

Everyone knows about the two worst trades perhaps which sent Lou Brock from the Cubs to the Cardinals for Ernie Broglio and of course the Frank Robinson trade which sent F. Robby from the Reds to the Orioles for essentially Milt Pappas. There were others including the trade which basically sent Mike Cuellar from Houston to the Orioles for Curt Blefry. 

The 1967 Pirates could hit despite the fall off from the Lumber Company of 1966. The club still needed pitching and thought one great pitcher would put them over the top. They set their eyes on one of the all-time greats; Jim Bunning, a future HOFer. The Phillies needed youth, the Bucs needed a Horse and Bunning was coming off another amazing season with a 2.29 ERA and a 17-15 recording while leading the league with 40 starts, 302 innings and 253 strike outs. He also led the league in shutouts with six. The perfect fit.

In return the Pirates send starting pitcher Woody Fryman to the Phils in a multi-player deal which included future all-star second baseman, Don Money. It totally backfired for Pittsburgh, totally was a winner for Philadelphia.

 

Bunning had the worst year of his career in Pittsburgh in 1968, ending 4-14 with an 3.88 ERA. He was traded to the Dodgers the following season and while coming back at 13-10 in 1969, was soon released. Fryman went onto pitch into the 1980s and won 141 games, Money (a four time all-star) had a 16 year career, batting .261 with 176 homers. 

The 1964 Cleveland Indians finished fourth in the AL and needed some power to compete, so they went after a real slugger; Rocky Colavito. In what turned out to be a massive three team trade in January 1965, the Indians got Colavito from Kansas City. They gave up, to the White Sox, future stars Tommie Agee, Tommy John and slugging catcher John Romano.

Colavito did slug 56 homers and drive in 180 runs in the following two seasons but the club only improved to fifth place both years. What the Indians had hoped for didn't work. Evidently they figured if they could finish in the second division with the Rock, they could finish in the second division without him. They shipped him to the White Sox for Jim King. Colavito never regained his form and hit 32 homers the rest of his career which ended at age 33 in 1968 with the Yankees.

Giving up Colavito proved to be a good thing but the return didn't improve the A's by much. The players they got, Mike Hershberger, Jim Landis and Fred Talbot were average players at best during their time in Kansas City.

A third trade involved a couple of minor league players and is the "who would have thunk it?" trade. The White Sox had a super minor leaguer who had been in their system for some time and he ended up in the Angels organization during the year of expansion. Joe Hicks was a pretty good slugger which the new Washington Senators liked. The Angels liked a young pitcher the Sens had signed by the name of Dean Chance. In December of 1960, they swapped the two players.

In two minor league seasons Chance went 22-12 with ERA's at 2.94 and 3.13. What the Angels saw in Chance and what the Senators saw in Hicks, only somebody in the stratosphere would know. Chance went on to become one of the best pitchers of the era. Twice he won 20 games and finished with 128 wins. Hicks came to bat only 455 times in his big league career, batting .221 with 12 homers. He was out of the big leagues by 1964 but continued to play in the minors through 1966. He did however hit 107 minor league homers over 11 seasons.

TRIVIA CONTEST; After reading this column you can enter the weekly trivia contest for a chance to win a Starbucks Gift Card. Enter via the following email. Send 1) your answer to the trivia question at the top of the column, 2) your name, address and email so where we know where to send the card if you win 3) any comment you have on the column. One winner will be selected at random each week based on correct answers with the odds being based on the number of correct entries.  Please cut and paste or enter the following email into your email system.
                             SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO; brillpro@gmail.com  
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Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book "Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. 
 

Bonus Baby Willie Crawford Needed the Minor Leagues + Trivia Contest

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Tim Nathan of Berkley, Michigan, who correctly answered the trivia question and then was selected in a random drawing. He correctly identified Felix Mantilla as hitting the second most home runs on the 1964 Boston Red Sox, with 30 behind Dick Stuart's 34. He receives a Starbucks Gift Card for his efforts. This week is a new week and a new Trivia Contest. The Prize this week again is a Starbucks Gift Card. 
NEW TRIVIA CONTEST:  IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A Starbucks Gift Card.  YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN, SO PLEASE READ ON.

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  How many Los Angeles Dodgers players were on the 1966 NL Pennant winners and who were also members of the Brooklyn Dodgers? You don't need to name them.

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Felix Mantilla hit the second most home runs on the 1964 Boston Red Sox, with 30 behind Dick Stuart's 34.

Willie Crawford was a phenom coming out of high school in Los Angeles who probably would have benefited more if Major League Baseball had the foresight to have changed its rules to help young players. Crawford, the son of former UCLA D-Back Willie Crawford, didn't have quite the career the Dodgers envisioned.

NOTE: For point of clarity, Willie Crawford did play in the minor leagues for parts of seasons from 1964-1968. However, it was the bonus baby rule which kept him in the big leagues for parts of the first couple of seasons. The article is meant to discuss how the BB rule really hurt players careers by forcing clubs to "force feed them." Thank you. 

He was a stud at Fremont High School. He had 9.7 speed in the 100-yard dash and could hit a baseball a ton. To say he was highly recruited as a running back by major colleges including those in Los Angeles, was an understatement. However, the Dodgers took notice too. Tommy Lasorda signed the budding star to a $100,000 Bonus Contract two days after he graduated high school.

Here is the rub. MLB rules at the time for Bonus Baby signings stated the player had to be on the roster and play that season and the next season. It was 1964 when Crawford made his much anticipated major league debut. He should have been in the minors, at least no lower than AA. He was barely 18, celebrating his 18th birthday a week earlier. Few, if any youngsters are ready for the limelight of the big leagues as teens, especially not in front of 56,000 in Los Angeles.

 He made his debut on September 16, 1964 as a fifth inning pinch-hitter for Jim Brewer against the Pirates Vern Law. Crawford popped out weakly to shortstop Dick Schofield. Three days later as a pinch runner he scored his first big league tally. A couple of games later he was again used as a runner. Eight days after making his first appearance he got his first hit; a pinch hit single off Larry Jackson. He would get 14 more at bats in September with four more hits to finish with a .313 BA, a stolen base and a caught stealing.

Over the next three years he would garner only 5 hits in 62 games in the big leagues.  Again, he should have been in the minor leagues to stay. The only bonus was, he was close to home. It was 1969 before he finally got to play on what can be considered a regular basis, with 129 games and 389 AB's. He batted .247 with 11 home runs. 

Crawford would do better in the 1970's hitting 14 homers and batting .295 in 1973. He was traded several times, and after a 14 year career ended with 86 homers and a lifetime .268 batting average. For all his speed it is hard to imagine Willie Crawford ended his career with 47 stolen bases in 83 attempts, or less than four steals per year on average. High lights of his career included getting the only two hits off Gary Nolan of the Reds in a 4-0 loss, and a pinch hit and a stolen base in the 1965 World Series against Minnesota.

Crawford died at the age of 57 of kidney disease. He is buried in Los Angeles.

TRIVIA CONTEST; After reading this column you can enter the weekly trivia contest for a chance to win a Starbucks Gift Card. Enter via the following email. Send 1) your answer to the trivia question at the top of the column, 2) your name, address and email so where we know where to send the card if you win 3) any comment you have on the column. One winner will be selected at random each week based on correct answers with the odds being based on the number of correct entries.  Please cut and paste or enter the following email into your email system.
                             SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO; brillpro@gmail.com  
 ==========================================================
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book "Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. 

Dr. Strange Glove or the Slugger + TRIVIA

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Rich Klein of Dallas, Texas, who correctly answered last weeks Trivia Question that Wally Moon's first at bat Home Run came as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. Rich is the winner of the PSA Graded 6 Wally Moon Topps 1960 baseball card.  Thank you for everyone who participated and this week you are playing for a Starbucks Gift Card by answering the next trivia question. Instructions on how to enter are directly below. Thank you to the many who submitted winning answers. This week is a new week and a new Trivia Contest.
 
NEW TRIVIA CONTEST:  IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A Starbucks Gift Card.  YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN, SO PLEASE READ ON.

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  Dick Stuart led the 1964 Boston Red Sox with 33 home runs. Who was second on the club with 30?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Former big leaguer Wally Moon, recognized by many for his home runs at the Los Angeles Coliseum as the "Moon Shots," recorded a home run in his first at bat. It came as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals during the season in which he was named NL Rookie of the Year. 

Mention the name Dick Stuart and you get two reactions; 1) Dr. Strangeglove & 2) Home runs. Both are warranted and you might say well deserved reputations. Even looking at the lifetime statistics and the history of players at his position, one has to agree both titles fit.

Stuart came up in the late 1950's and immediately became a hit, a home run hit with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Through the 1960's the dual reputation was aptly applied.  While platooning with Rocky Nelson at first base for the pennant winning 1960 club, he smacked 23 homers. The following season was the first time he cracked 30 in the big leagues (which he did three times) by banging 35 while batting .301.

Hitting 35 home runs was no easy task in spacious Forbe's Field. Remarkably, his split home and away was pretty close. He hit 16 at home and 19 on the road. Stuart's hitting prowess would continue but the Bucs had an up and coming slugger named Donn Clendenon, who was being groomed to play first.  

After the 1962 season in which he slumped badly to .228 and only 16 home runs, the Pirates shipped him to Boston along with pitcher Jack Lamabe for reliever Don Schwall and catcher Jim Pagliaroni. It was a trade which benefited both clubs. Pagliaroni became the Bucs regular catcher for a few years and Stuart took advantage of the Green Monster in Boston. Lamabe and Schwall had less than spectacular careers and bounced around after the trade.

In his first season in Boston, Stuart slugged 42 homers and led the league in RBI with 118. The interesting thing about this particular season is Stuart hit 25 of his 42 home runs in Boston, 17 on the road, but 37 of the 42 came off right-handed pitching! It must be remembered because of the Wall in left, opposing clubs rarely started leftys against the Red Sox.

He followed it up in 1964 with 33 dingers and 114 RBI before he was sent to the Phillies for pitcher Dennis Bennett. His 28 homers were second only to Johnny Callison on the 1965 Phils. It was his last productive year. He finished up with short stints on the Mets, Dodgers and Angels before calling it a career in 1969.

When it comes to Stuart's prowess as a fielder, seven times he led his league in errors committed at first base. His lifetime fielding average was a paltry .983. Perhaps more importantly he is listed as no. 42 on the all time list of first baseman with the most errors in a career with 169. Before you jump to any conclusions; ahead of him on that list are Lou Gehrig, Willie McCovey, Sunny Jim Bottomley, Andres Galarraga and Charles Comiskey. All had longer careers than Stuart however. 

For the record, Stuart belted 228 homers in what amounted to 10 seasons in the big leagues, batting .264 and committing 169 errors, while striking out more than 100 times in seven different seasons. He never won a Gold Glove, but he did get MVP votes on multiple occasions.  In the minor leagues twice he hit 30 or more home runs and in 1956 while playing A-Ball in Lincoln he set the minor league record with 66. The following year he hit 45.

TRIVIA CONTEST; After reading this column you can enter the weekly trivia contest for a chance to win a Starbucks Gift Card. Enter via the following email. Send 1) your answer to the trivia question at the top of the column, 2) your name, address and email so where we know where to send the card if you win 3) any comment you have on the column. One winner will be selected at random each week based on correct answers with the odds being based on the number of correct entries.  Please cut and paste or enter the following email into your email system.
                             SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO; brillpro@gmail.com  
 ==========================================================
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book "Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. 

The Indians Revolving Door + You Can Win Again Trivia!

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Timothy Nathan of Berkley, Michigan, who correctly answered last weeks Trivia Question that HOF Sportscaster Dick Enberg coached baseball at San Fernando Valley State College (later changed to Cal State Northridge). Timothy is the winner of a $10 Starbucks Gift Card which will go out to him today. Thank you for everyone who participated and this week you are going for a 1960 Topps Wally Moon baseball card graded PSA 6. Instructions on how to enter are directly below. Thank you to the many who submitted winning answers. This week is a new week and a new Trivia Contest.
 
NEW TRIVIA CONTEST:  IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A PSA GRADED 6, 1960 Topps Wally Moon baseball card.  YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN, SO PLEASE READ ON. This is the card you will win.

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  WallyMoon hit a home run in his very first at bat in the major leagues against the Chicago Cubs. For what team was Moon playing when he hit that homer?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: HOF Sportscaster Dick Enberg coached baseball at San Fernando Valley State College (later changed to Cal State Northridge).

Managers come and managers go and while most teams look for stability from their field generals the early 1960s Cleveland Indians had nothing like it. From 1960-1964, the Tribe went through no less than seven different managers. The club finished no higher than fourth and no lower than sixth during the span with an average of 78 wins a year for a .480 winning percentage. 

The decade started with holdover manager (he took over the Indians in 1959) Joe Gordon. Gordon announced he was quitting in 1959 after continued battles with GM Frank Lane. Lane fired him, but rehired him when negotiations with Leo Durocher broke down.

Then he was traded to Detroit in a trade of field skippers for Jimmy Dykes after 95 games.  Jo-Jo White took over for one game (a win) until Dykes arrived to run the club. Dykes lasted through all but one game of the 1961 season and with the Tribe 30 games out of first place he was gone. He was replaced for the final game by Mel Harder, who like White before him managed one game and took the team to a lone victory.

Management decided on Mel McGaha for the 1962 season and approaching 16 games out again, with two games left in the season, they reached for Harder again, and again he was undefeated. Birdie Tebbetts, with an allegiance to Indians GM Gabe Paul, signed a three year deal to take over the reigns in 1963 and managed (no pun intended) to stick around for the entire season. 

However, during spring training in 1964 Tebbetts suffered a heart attack but did return to take over the club in three months time. George Strickland ran the club in his absence and took the Tribe into first place by the end of April. They were there for almost two weeks, but soon Cleveland showed it's true form. A six game losing streak in May sent the club spiraling and was just 33-39 when Tebbetts returned. Much to Indians fans chagrin, they still finished 20 games out of first place. 

Tebbetts lasted until about two thirds of the way through the 1966 season. When the club was 15 games back of the league leading Orioles, he resigned in August. Strickland was called upon again to finish out the season. 

The most successful of the Cleveland managers during the five year run was definitely Mel Harder whom no one could fault for his 3-0 record. He was fired after the 1963 season, having spent the first 36 years of his adult life in Cleveland, much of it as a coach developing players such as Sam McDowell. Joe Adcock managed for one year in 1967 before Al Dark took over and stayed for the elongated tenure of four years!

  TRIVIA CONTEST; After reading this column you can enter the weekly trivia contest for a chance to win a 1960 Topps Wally Moon graded PSA 6 baseball card. Enter via the following email. Send 1) your answer to the trivia question at the top of the column, 2) your name, address and email so where we know where to send the card if you win 3) any comment you have on the column. One winner will be selected at random each week based on correct answers with the odds being based on the number of correct entries.  Please cut and paste or enter the following email into your email system.
                             SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO; brillpro@gmail.com  
 ==========================================================
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book

"Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column.