The List: Readers Pick
Most Lopsided Trades
From the Page2 mailbag
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The List: Readers Pick Most Lopsided Trades From the Page2 mailbag | ||||
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1. Red Sox sell the Babe (292 letters) The reason the Red Sox won't win a World Series is that big prominent "B" on their hats. They carry the curse with them to every game. Consider some of the "B's" that have cursed them in the past: Bucky, Bill Buckner, Bagwell, BABE ... there's just no doubt that the worst/most lopsided trade EVER has truly cursed Beantown baseball & resulted in "The Curse of the Bambino" and Boston's inability to win a Series. Read Omaha, Neb. Ruth built a house for the Yankees. Frazee dug a grave for the Red Sox! Michael J. Richard Holyoke, Mass. The debate here should be for No. 2. No. 1: Babe Ruth. 1918. 'Nuff said. Justus Sackett Rensselaer, N.Y. The BoSox and the Babe Ruth firesale. Not many baseball swaps become folklore for an entire century weaving together two great cities. ... And to think a Broadway play caused this level of suffering for five generations now. As someone who remains skeptical about supernatural forces, I need no convincing about this one. That's why this trade gets my vote. Rob Nerenberg Philadelphia 2. Boston ships Jeff Bagwell to Astros for Larry Anderson (267 letters) The Deal: August 1990, the Red Sox deal hometown third-base prospect Jeff Bagwell to Houston in exchange for Larry Andersen, a veteran reliever who they felt would shore up a sagging bullpen as they stretched for the playoffs.
Paul White Shawnee, Kan. The Red Sox dealing Jeff Bagwell to the Astros for Larry Andersen belongs somewhere on the list. Granted, the Sox were no doubt helped to their division title that year by the 1.23 ERA Andersen posted in those innings, but they gave up Bagwell and were swept in the ALCS. Andersen left Boston for San Diego in the offseason. And Bagwell? He's worked out all right for the Astros. Tom Vetterling Houston 3. The Eric Lindros deal (88 letters) Just too funny to pass up. The now imfamous deal which sent "Eric the Concussed" to the Flyers and sent two Stanley Cups to the Nordiques (doesn't it almost make you feel bad for Quebec that the team left the year before they won the first Cup? I mean, do you remember just how bad they were at the time? There was a reason Lindros didn't want to play for them, however immature it might have been).
Darren Graham Fairlawn, N.J. Be careful what you wish for... I will openly admit I was one of the Philadelphia Flyer fans jumping for joy when arbitrator Larry Bertuzzi awarded Eric Lindros to the Flyers, which seemed like a tremendous acquisition at the time. The Flyers needed a marquee player to rebuild around, and there were none better than him. If only we knew then what we know now. Not only have I had to endure seeing the Quebec ftanchise in the form of the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup twice because of this trade, I've had to watch the stinkin' Rangers win it once because they didn't get Lindros (just think of the irony if Glen Sather trades for him now). This trade cost the Flyers six players, draft picks, and a boatload of cash for a guy who's playing that "I-don't-want-to-play-here-and-only-want-to-play-there" game he played in Quebec and Sault Ste. Marie in the past. Don't get me wrong, Lindros has great skills, he's a dominant player when he is at the top of his game, and has had several serious, legit injuries. However, I have also seen the phantom injuries and there was really only one season where he dominated well into the playoffs -- '97 but then disappeared in the finals. As for the six players, just ask the Avs if they'd even take Lindros straight up for Forsberg. Roy De Kler Wilmington, Del. 4. Hornets give up rights to Kobe Bryant for Lakers' Vlade Divac (70 letters) How about L.A. acquiring the draft rights to Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Vlade Divac in 1996? That trade became a building block, creating what is now known as the "Bling Bling Dynasty."
Francis Orejudos Los Angeles Kobe's 22 years old, owns two NBA titles and three All-Star appearences so far. ... He's the youngest player ever to appear in an NBA All-Star Game. ... Phil Jackson and Horace Grant compare him to MJ. ... Archive this message. Wait 10 years. Then ask yourself how you could have left this deal out of the top three. Lise Broer Pasadena, Calif. 5. Cowboys build dynasty around Herschel Walker deal (66 letters) The Herschel Walker trade stands apart as the worst trade in the history of sports. The Dallas Cowboys' success in the 1990s can be traced directly to this transaction as it gave Jimmy Johnson the "raw material" he needed to build his juggernaut.
Grant Ruple Arlington, Texas A lifelong Eagles fan, I didn't know who to hate more in the 90s: The Cowboys and their domination, or the Vikings and their stupidity. Greg Kane Sacramento, Calif. The Herschel Walker trade was the most lopsided trade ever. Dallas used the players recieved in the deal to win three Super Bowls. The only memorable thing Herschel Walker ever did for the Vikings was lose his shoe. Sam Bauman Minneapolis 6. Red Sox send Heathcliff Slocumb to Seattle for Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe, (59 letters) The Sox would have made themselves better by simply releasing Slocumb, but to get Varitek (one of the best catchers in the AL before his injury) and Lowe (one of the best closers in the game), well that was just a bonus. Thanks Mariners, Red Sox fans are still thanking you for that one! Ken Johnson South Dennis, Mass. I'm a die-hard Red Sox fan, through and through. I have watched them get raped and pillaged time and time again. However, the one trade that did work out for them, has to go down as one of the most lopsided in quite some time -- Heathcliff Slocum for two prospects. I think their names were Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek. After ridding themselves of garbage players like Paul Quantrill, Jeff Bagwell, Aaron Sele and Jose Canseco for such studs as Larry Anderson, Jim Leyritz and John "Way Back" Wasdin, they were bound to lose out on one of their trades. Gavin McDonough Lexington, Mass. 7. Orioles send Pete Harnisch, Curt Schilling and Steve Finley to the Astros for Glenn Davis (47 letters)
Matt Gonter Odenton, Md. The O's send 3 players who were productive throughout the '90s for the always injured Davis. While Harnisch and Schilling were racking up 15-win seasons and Finley was playing solid both offensively and defensivly. Davis had one 20-HR season for the O's, batting less than .280. The rest of his time in Baltimore he spent on the DL. Just think, if Peter Angelos had been there during this trade he probably would have shipped over Cal Ripken as well. Chris Chase Potomac, Md. 8. L.A. sends Pedro Martinez to Montreal for Delino DeShields (44 letters)
Ryan Clabo Victorville, Calif. Delino is the Jim Fregosi of his time, a nonimprovement of the player they replaced in the middle infield, and acquired for a budding ace. Only in this case, the Dodgers did not make a World Series two years later, and they still haven't truly recovered. James Reisdorf Tacoma, Wash. 9. Blackhawks send Dominik Hasek to the Sabres for backup goalie Stéphane Beauregard and a fourth-round draft pick (42 letters) I can't believe this trade wasn't mentioned. The Sabres acquired a two-time MVP and six-time Vezina winner for a terrible goalie whose name I don't even think I spelled correctly. Wait a second, the Blackhawks did draft Eric Daze with that fourth-round selection of the Sabres. That's why you must have left this trade off of your list.
Rodney Giove Niagara Falls, N.Y. Dominik has won countless Vezinas and two MVP awards. I think Beauregard is packing groceries somewhere in Saskatoon. Tim Kasprzak Cheektowaga, N.Y. 10. Celtics get Robert Parish and the No. 3 pick (Kevin McHale) (38 letters) The most lopsided trade has to be when the Boston Celtics got Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. That was the best trade of all time because it gave them two-third of the Big Three. Boston won three championships with these players, and they will always be thought of when you think of the Big Three. This is just one of the reasons why people think that Red Auerbach is the best coach/general manager in history. Marc Rodliff Brookline, Mass. Definitely the Parish/McHale deal. ... It isn't just that Red got Parish and the No. 3 pick (McHale) for the No. 1 pick; but don't forget the reason the Celts had the No. 1 pick in the first place is that Red convinced Detroit to throw in their first-round pick (which turned out to be No. 1 overal) in the deal for Bob McAdoo, whom Red would have paid to get rid of. Mike Phipps Boston Also receiving your votes: Atlanta Falcons send Bret Favre to Green Bay; Yankees trade Jay Buhner to the Mariners for Ken Phelps; White Sox trade Sammy Sosa to the Cubs for George Bell; A's trade Mark McGwire to the Cardinals for T.J. Matthews, Blake Stein, and Eric Ludwick.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |
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