Brooklyn Dodgers prez Walter O'Malley talking with, from left, Cards VP Richard Meyer; Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley; and Cubs biz manager James T. Gallagher (AP Photo/Harry Harris)

The Rundown: Potential Bellinger Suitors Emerging, Cubs Among Sasaki’s Top Suitors, Phillies Entertain Soto

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterNovember 22, 2024

We are 16 days shy of the Winter Meetings, which probably used to be a lot more fun when deals were done under the influence of tall bourbon pours and cigar smoke in the seedy recesses of a hotel bar. I’m not sure how the following 1977 trade went down, but I like to think a few rounds of drinks were involved.

  1. The Pirates needed pitching and outfield help but needed to get creative to do so. They knew the Mets were willing partners because New York had traded Tom Seaver to the Reds four months earlier for Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, Dan Norman, and Pat Zachry. So Pittsburgh acquired outfielder John Milner from New York to start the festivities.
  2. The Braves then sent Willie Montañez to the Mets.
  3. Both teams needed an assist from the Rangers, so Texas sent Adrian Devine, Tommy Boggs, and Eddie Miller to Atlanta, then packaged Tom Grieve and a PTBNL (Ken Henderson) to New York with Bert Blyleven going to Pittsburgh.
  4. In return, the Pirates sent Al Oliver and Nelson Norman to the Rangers. Texas also acquired Jon Matlack from the Mets.

That’s four teams and 10 players, plus one expensive bar tab for some lucky GM. Ironically, the Mets traded Montañez to the Rangers the following winter for Ed Lynch and Mike Jorgensen. The Pirates were the big winners because they won the 1979 World Series.

The best trade that never happened died on the vine in 1947 because the executives got a little too inebriated. According to baseball historian Glenn Stout, Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey and Yankees owner Dan Topping agreed to trade Ted Williams for Joe DiMaggio while drinking and dining at Toots Shor’s in Manhattan. New York sports writer Dave Anderson claimed a lot of scotch was involved, and the deal ultimately failed because Topping refused to include Yogi Berra.

Could you imagine the impact if the Winter Meetings were covered then the way they are today? With that in mind, I give you “Chet Baker Sings” while you peruse the rest of today’s Rundown.

Cubs News & Notes

Odds & Sods

I suppose Stan Musial is a big deal but that Rheingold Beer sign caught my attention. Someone needs to bring Falstaff back to Chicago.

Central Intelligence

Friday Stove

Shohei Ohtani was named NL MVP, making him and Frank Robinson the only players to win the award in both leagues.

Aaron Judge was selected for the honor in the American League.

Phillies leadership met with Soto and his reps, and the two entities could be a perfect match.

Big Papi David Ortíz believes Soto will sign with the Red Sox. That would be tremendous for baseball.

MLB execs expect the Reds to be among the busiest teams this winter.

The Angels seem intent on adding players with local ties. Kyle Hendricks, Travis d’Arnaud, and Kevin Newman all have SoCal roots. Maybe it’s just a coincidence.

Ichiro Suzuki has the best chance to be the next Hall of Famer elected by unanimous decision.

Mayor-elect Keith Wilson believes Portland is one of the finalists for MLB expansion to 32 teams.

SoxFest is returning for White Sox fans, but with a new name, format, and, unfortunately, a non-discreet location.

MLB is eyeing long-term media rights plans for all 30 teams.

Extra Innings

I love the Cubs’ Monday Mix Tape Series.

They Said It

  • “We talk to Tom [Ricketts] all the time, he asks us questions and pushes us, we do research and all those different things, but ultimately those are our decisions and we own them. That’s the best thing you could ask for is that he respects our experience and intellect to make those decisions and he considers us the experts. That’s the best kind of ownership.” – Hoyer
  • “I honestly feel like if you get too involved, you’re probably not adding much value. And also, if you’re making the personnel decisions and the team doesn’t do well, what happens next? There’s no accountability. Going back to Jim [Hendry], Theo [Epstein], and Jed, I’ve always stayed out of the player decisions. Not only are they better equipped to make those decisions, it’s their reputation, it’s their careers. They want to be responsible for them and accountable for them.” – Ricketts

Friday Walk-Up Song

I prefer this version to the one by the Isley Brothers.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterNovember 22, 2024
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