As I said a couple days ago, I spent Sunday afternoon making progress in getting ready for my 1966 NL replay. I have decided to honor the real life transactions that took place during the season so I took the time to make those changes.
I first found the list of transactions on BaseballReference.com and copied them to a spreadsheet. After deleting the irrelevant ones and the ones outside the scope of the baseball year, I got to work of moving players back to the teams they originally started on in 1966.
Some of it seemed tedious. For example, pitcher Chuck Estrada won’t see time with the Cubs until May 14th. Estrada appeared in nine games all year so his appearance in April won’t make or break anyone but it’s better to be thorough, in my opinion.
Other trades were more significant both for my replay and for baseball in general. I won’t have to wait long for one of these. On April 21, my dear Cubs make one of their best trades of their franchise history:
| April 21, 1966 |
| The Chicago Cubs traded Bob Buhl and Larry Jackson to the Philadelphia Phillies for John Herrnstein, Fergie Jenkins and Adolfo Phillips. |
The Cubs obtained the services of a young Ferguson Jenkins and Adolfo Phillips from the Phillies for aging starters Bob Buhl and Larry Jackson. Jenkins, of course, went on to be one of the Cubs best pitchers of all time and Phillips was a very serviceable centerfielder for them for the next few years. As for Buhl and Jackson, both were out of baseball in two years (though Jackson had a couple decent years).
Jenkins received a B for his work in 1966 but interestingly only started 12 times.
A few weeks later, we see another trade that had historical significance:
| May 8, 1966 |
| The San Francisco Giants traded Orlando Cepeda to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ray Sadecki. |
“Baby Bull” Cepeda was traded mid-season by the Giants to the St Louis Cardinals in return for Ray Sadecki. Eventual Hall of Famer, Cepeda was the big star and didn’t stop producing after the trade. In 1967, he won the NL MVP for the Cards, leading the league with 111 rbis.
His 1966 card is fine but not spectacular (1-5-6 with 44-7 and a 10).
Sadecki, while not the star Cepeda was, outlasted him playing till 1977 and racking up 135 wins for his career.
This next trade stuck out at me:
| May 10, 1966 |
| The Los Angeles Dodgers sent Johnny Podres to the Detroit Tigers as part of a conditional deal. |
I’ll bet this stuck in the craw of many Dodger fans back in Brooklyn. Podres retired three years later in 1969.
It seems that 1966 was the year that many stars enjoyed (or suffered?) their last year. And as it turned out, many of those players were traded mid-season.
Harvey Kuenn, Bob Friend, Frank Thomas and Robin Roberts all played their last season of their career in 1966 and were traded mid-season to their last team. Add Curt Simmons to the list who retired the next year.
My Cubs will enjoy Robin Roberts’ last hurrah as tries his best not to give up that long ball.
It didn’t take long to get all transacted players back to the teams they were with on opening day 1966. My cards are set and I’m just about ready to begin my replay.
Oh boy, I hope you are ready to experience one of your (mine to) Cubs worst seasons ever. The only highlight was new skipper Leo Durocher joining the team. The good news is a year later the team rises from the mud and stays good for five years or so….
Well John, the Cubs lost their first two to the Giants. It didn’t help that they had to face Marichal.
Also didn’t help that their leadoff hitters were Ty Cline and Carl Warwick (I’m using actual lineups for a few weeks). The Cubs must have thought it still Spring training.
Oh man…… Way to highlight one of the worst trades my beloved Phillies ever made. We gave the Cubs two future hall of famers for Jackson, Buhl and years later Sandberg ( and bowa) for Ivan dejesus!!!! I’ll trade that though for our current run of success that I never thought I would see!!!!
Trades or looking back is always interesting. I never realized (or more likleely didn’t remember lol) that one time Baby Bird Chuck Estrada was ever with the Cubbies. Estrada and other young arms including Milt Pappa were going to put the Orioles on the road to respectability.
It didn’t happen with that group but instead with Palmer, McNally and the player that they received in trade for Uncle Miltie- Frank Robinson.
Cluke
The Phils seem to enjoy giving the Cubs future Hall of Famers. Don’t forget the City Of Brotherly Love gave us Pete Alexander (1917) & Chuck Klien (1933) for a sack full of nothin’.
Thanks for more pain John…… we learned our lesson and are now exacting our revenge on the Houston Astros!!!!!