The Hoosier Thunderbolt

Here we are at the end of another September and the baseball playoffs are just around the corner. Two of the 8 playoff teams have already clinched their respective post season spots and they just happen to be my favorite teams, the Yankees and the Cardinals. If I am lucky enough, I will be watching them in October facing off in a rematch of the 1964 Series. That's been 45 years ago, but it seems like it was only yesterday.

Back then, the aging Yankees were appearing in their 14th World Series over a span of just 16 years and the Cardinals were returning to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1946. It was a great Series with the Cardinals winning 4 games to 3. Although it was enjoyable to see Mickey hit 3 Home Runs in the Series, in the long run Bob Gibson, Ken Boyer, Curt Flood, Tim McCarver and Lou Brock were just too impressive to beat.

When I look at the run the Cardinals have had this season after the acquisitions of Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa and Julio Lugo, I can't help but think back to the Brock-Broglio mid-season trade of 1964. Ernie Broglio was a popular pitcher with the Cards during the early 60's who had a 70-55 record and led the league with 21 wins in 1960. Lou Brock was an unknown entity who was struggling with a .251 batting average in his third full year for the Chicago Cubs. Most Cub Fans were ecstatic about the trade and the Cardinal Fans were a bit apprehensive. Unfortunately for the Cubbies, Ernie Broglio only won seven more games in the Major Leagues over the next 3 years and Lou Brock...well, Lou stole a lot of bases, stole the hearts of the Cardinal Fans and became a Hall of Famer.

Speaking of trades, have you ever read about the trade the Cincinnati Reds made in December of 1900? They sent this Christy Mathewson kid to the New York Giants for Hall of Fame pitcher Amos Rusie. Amos (The Hoosier Thunderbolt) Rusie had a remarkable career with the Giants winning 244 games over 9 years. Unfortunately for the Reds, Amos won only one more major league game and young Christy became a Hall of Famer also by winning 373 games in his career. In 1916, an aging Christy Mathewson was traded back to the Cincinnati team who long ago had traded him before he ever had a chance to pitch. He pitched and won a single game for the Reds and promptly retired.

Another trade that I get a kick out of was the 6 player deal that sent Frank Robinson from the Reds (what's with these Reds anyway?) to the Orioles in December of 1965 for primarily, Milt Pappas. Milt hung around Cincy for 2 plus years, winning 30 and losing 29, while Frank, who had already won the NL MVP Award for Cincy in 1961, won the AL MVP Award with the Orioles in 1966 and got his plaque in the Hall.

There have been numerous lopsided trades throughout the years which have impacted the careers of many ballplayers and the fortunes of many teams. I'm sure most fans have their favorite trades and I have mine that I'd like to share with you here and now. At the beginning of 1973 the Yankees had been out of the World Series for 8 straight years. During spring training that year, the greatest trade in all of Major League Baseball history was announced. Two Yankee pitchers, Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson, announced that they had traded families. Fritz fizzled with an 8-15 record that year and Mike sizzled with a 14-9 record. However, Fritz and Susanne Kekich stayed together for 36 years and Marilyn Peterson walked out on Mike within a year. You might say that Mike Kekich struck out and drew a walk at the same time.