Murcer was going to be the next Mickey Mantle only he wasn’t, Bonds was compared to Willie Mays, only he was a far cry from Willie, while Rivers was a singles hitter who was almost as fast as Mantle had been but who didn't have Mantle's arm. Figueroa was a young pitcher who had been in the big leagues only two seasons. It was a fascinating trade that would turn out in the Yankees favor when Rivers and Figueroa became key parts to a pennant in 1976 and World Championships in 1977 and 1978.
It is now 2003. How many actual trades are made with the sole objective of attempting to improve the team? The answer is very few because today, a player’s contract, team payroll, and ownership’s commitment to winning are all factors that must be weighed. How much a player will help a team is no longer the only or even the primary criterion. When evaluating if a trade helped a team, invariably it is said that the trade saved (or didn’t save) the team money. When speculating about acquiring or getting rid of players, a disclaimer often is, “But who would want to take on his salary?”
Back to December 11. The same day that the Yankees traded Bonds for Rivers and Figueroa, they sent Doc Medich to Pittsburgh for Willie Randolph, Ken Brett, and Dock Ellis. Can you imagine what it must have been like for Yankees fans that day and for the rest of the winter? Forget football. There are a few things we have to discuss.
Medich was one of the Yankees top young pitchers who was supposed to team up with Catfish Hunter to bring the Yankees a championship. He was gone. Brett was a journeyman pitcher who might have hit better than he pitched, Ellis was an emotional, flamboyant pitcher who once hit the first three batters he faced in a game he started against Cincinnati, and Randolph was an untried youngster with great potential who would become a Yankees fixture, both as a player and later as a coach. What fun it was to discuss what happened, what was happening, and what would happen.
Back to 2003. The Yankees still make trades but the team is built by signing free agents or trading minor league prospects and money for established stars other teams no longer want to or can afford to retain. Sending Armando Benitez to Seattle for Jeff Nelson was a trade but it was not discussed much because most Yankees fans
Go To Page: 1 2
