July 20, 1916: The New York Giants Trade Edd Roush

July 20, 1916: The New York Giants trade pitcher Christy Mathewson, center fielder Edd Roush and 3rd baseman Bill McKechnie to the Cincinnati Reds for infield Charles "Buck" Herzog and outfielder Wade "Red" Killefer.

This isn't quite as lopsided a trade as the one the Giants made to get Mathewson from the Reds, 16 years earlier, when he hadn't yet won a major league game, and the man they gave up, ace pitcher Amos Rusie, never won another. But it was lopsided, and not because they gave up Mathewson, their most popular player, who was approaching his 36th birthday and only had 1 win left in him.

Giving up McKechnie meant little, although he would later manage Pennant winners with the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates, the 1928 St. Louis Cardinals, and the 1939 and 1940 Cincinnati Reds. As for what they got back, Herzog was a minor player, and Killefer only played 2 games for the Giants, and then disappeared from the major leagues.

The reason this trade is lopsided is that they gave up Roush. Born in 1893 in rural Indiana, he once told an interviewer, "I didn't know if I'd make it to the major leagues, but I didn't care. I just had to get away from those damn cows." The Giants picked him and McKechnie up from the folded Newark Peppers of the Federal League, but didn't keep either one. Committed to an outfield of George Burns (not the comedian) in left, Benny Kauff (another pickup from the Peppers) in center, and Dave Robertson in right, the Giants were willing to let Roush go.

In 1917, he batted .341 to lead the National League. In 1918, he batted .333, finishing just .002 short of the Brooklyn Robins' Zack Wheat for another batting title. In 1919, he batted .321, to lead the NL, and led the Reds to win the World Series. As the last surviving player from that Series, on either side, living until 1988, he always insisted that the Reds would have won even if the 8 Chicago White Sox players who were later banned for "throwing" the Series had played it on the level. In addition, he developed a reputation for having the best outfield arm in baseball.

So why did the Giants make the trade? Maybe manager John McGraw sensed something. Roush rarely showed up for Spring Training on time, and held out several times, missing the 1st month of the 1921 season, and most of 1922. McGraw wouldn't have wanted to deal with that.

Or would he? The Giants reacquired Roush in 1927, but he missed much of 1928 due to an injury, and retired in 1930 rather than take a pay cut. The Reds talked him out of retirement for 1931, and he played 1 more season. He retired with a .323 batting average, and 2,376 hits, including 339 doubles, 182 triples and 68 home runs. He was elected to the Hall of Fame.

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July 20, 1916 was a Thursday. These baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Giants did not better on the field than they did in the front office. They lost to the Chicago Cubs, 1-0 at Weeghman Park in Chicago. (It became Cubs Park in 1920, and Wrigley Field in 1926.) Rollie Zeider singled Max Flack home with the winning run scored with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

* The New York Yankees lost to the St. Louis Browns, 4-2 at the Polo Grounds. Bob Groom outpitched Cliff Markle. George Sisler went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox, 3-2 in 13 innings at Fenway Park in Boston. Harry Coveleski (Stan's brother) went the distance for the win. Babe Ruth relieved Rube Foster, pitched the last 5 innings, and took the loss, going 0-for-2 at the plate. Ty Cobb went 3-for-6 with 2 RBIs.

* A doubleheader was split at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The Cleveland Indians won the opener, 4-2. The Philadelphia Athletics won the nightcap, 2-0. Bullet Joe Bush pitched a 4-hit shutout. Tris Speaker went 1-for-4 in each game.

* The Washington Senators swept a doubleheader from the Chicago White Sox, 4-3 and 2-1 at National Park in Washington. (It became Griffith Stadium in 1920.) Both games went 10 innings. In the 1st game, Clyde Milan grounded out, but it got Danny Moeller home, to make a losing pitcher of Eddie Cicotte, who relieved Lefty Williams, the 2 pitchers among the "Black Sox." Joe Boehling went the distance for the win.

Patsy Gharrity doubled home Same Rice to win the 2nd game. Harry Harper went the distance for the win. Over the 2 games, Eddie Collins went 3-for-9, and Shoeless Joe Jackson went 0-for-6.

* A doubleheader was split at Redland Field in Cincinnati. (It became Crosley Field in 1934.) The Philadelphia Phillies won the 1st game, 6-0. Grover Cleveland Alexander pitched a 2-hit shutout. The Cincinnati Reds won the 2nd game, 5-3.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Boston Braves, 5-2 at Robison Field in St. Louis.

* And the Brooklyn Robins (as the Dodgers were known while Wilbert Robinson managed them from 1914 to 1931) and the Pittsburgh Pirates were rained out at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader 2 days later. The Robins swept, 7-1 and 3-2. Over the 2 games, Zack Wheat went 1-for-8 with 2 walks and 2 RBIs, including a sacrifice fly that got the winning run home in the top of the 15th inning of the 2nd game. Honus Wagner went 0-for-10, and was a year away from retiring.