March Maneuvers

[Guest Edgy DC]

Joe McDonald at Inside Pitch rated the top ten spring training trades in Mets history. This is tough business because once McDonald commits himself to the task, it's tough to find all that much there. That's unsurprising considering the Mets are deep in the red in their trading history. Joe ends up resorting to including cash deals, but still doesn't convince me that these are ten deals that each truly helped the cause, when all has shaken out.

10) April 1, 1963: Cash to the Dodgers for Duke Snider.

9) March 31, 1996: Ryan Thompson and Reid Cornelius to the Indians for Mark Clark.

8) March 18, 2000: Jesse Orosco to the Cardinals for Joe McEwing.

7) March 30, 2994: Anthony Young and Otis smith the Cubs for Jose Vizcaino.

6) March 26, 1988: Randy Milligan and Scott Henion to the Pirates for Mackey Sasser and Tim Drummond.

5) February 28, 1981: Steve Henderson to the Cubs for Dave Kingman.

4) February 28, 1975: Cash to the Giants for Dave Kingman.

3) April 6, 1972: Tim Foli, Mike Jorgensen, and Ken Singleton to the Montral Expos for Rusty Staub.

2) April 1, 1982: Lee Mazzilli to the Rangers for Ron Darlign and Walt Terrell.

1) March 27, 1987: Ed Hearn, Rick Anderosn, and Mauro Gozzo to the Royals for David Cone and Chris Jelic.

I've got to bump Kingman I (and isn't it cool that they got him on the same day both times) ahead of the Staub deal. Much as I love Rusty and his place in this team's history, you look at it dispassionately and they gave up like 4,500 hits, even if Crazy Horse refused to take a walk.

Most of the rest of these are more or less washes.

[G-Fafif]

No. 7 brought to us by Zager & Evans...

In the Year 2994
AY Ain't Gonna Be a New York Met No More
Vizcaino's Gonna Take His Place
He Won't Be Part of a Pennant Race
Wuh-oh

[Guest Edgy DC]

You know, everything else I typed was correct.

Mostly.

[dinosaur jesus]

I really didn't like the Henderson-for-Kingman deal. I actually got a letter in Times about it. That was a kick--me, an eighteen-year-old kid in Pennsylvania. I wrote, "Steve Henderson will still be hitting .300 when Dave Kingman has uppercut his way into oblivion." And I'm not going to change my mind on that now, just to be fashionable.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Nice.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The thing about Dino J. is that he doesn't really disappear. He's all about RMPL, and if that means posting every two weeks, so be it.