October 25, 1973: Two Unpopular Baseball Trades

Fergie Jenkins

October 25, 1973: The Chicago Cubs trade 6-time 20-game winner Ferguson Jenkins to the Texas Rangers for 3rd baseman Bill Madlock and utility man Vic Harris. "Fergie" has led the Cubs in wins in each of the past 7 seasons‚ the only pitcher ever to do so for a club and then be traded.

Although Madlock will win 2 batting titles with the Cubs, they will be out of contention while he is with them. They trade him to the San Francisco Giants, who then trade him to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he will win 2 more batting titles, and help them win the 1979 World Series.

Bill Madlock

By contrast, Jenkins will pitch the Rangers to a 2nd-place finish in 1974, their best-ever finish until 1994. He would also pitch for the Red Sox, finishing 2nd with them as one of the "Buffalo Heads" in 1977. He did, however, return to the Cubs, and help them win the 1984 Division Title.

Meanwhile‚ the San Francisco Giants trade 3-time home run champion Willie McCovey‚ a Giant since 1959 and their most popular player since their 1957-58 move from New York‚ together with a minor leaguer named Bernie Williams (no relation to the Yankee Legend of the same name)‚ to the San Diego Padres for pitcher Mike Caldwell.

Willie McCovey. For once, saying that a player

"didn't look right in a Padre uniform"

had nothing to do with the uniform's style, or lack thereof.

This was a bad trade, as Caldwell did nothing for the Giants, but developed one of the best curveballs in the game in helping the Milwaukee Brewers mature into a Pennant winner in 1982. As Jenkins did with the Cubs, McCovey later rejoined the Giants, a second act that would include winning NL Comeback Player of the Year in 1977, and his 500th career home run in 1978. He finished with 521 homers.

Mike Caldwell, with the Brewers

Jenkins and McCovey are in the Hall of Fame. Madlock has his supporters for election, but will probably never make it. Caldwell isn't even close, although he had a good career, finishing with a record of 137-130.

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October 25, 1973 was a Thursday. The baseball season had ended 4 days earlier, when the Oakland Athletics beat the New York Mets in Game 7 to win the World Series. Football was in midweek. There was only 1 game played in professional basketball, and it was in the ABA, not the NBA: The Carolina Cougars beat the Utah Stars, 115-104 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City.

There were 3 games played in the NHL:

* The New York Islanders and the Minnesota North Stars played to a tie, 1-1 at the Nassau Coliseum.

* The Boston Bruins beat the Buffalo Sabres, 9-4 at the Boston Garden. Phil Esposito had 2 goals and an assist. Chris Oddleifson also had 2 goals. Bobby Orr had a goal and an assist.

* And the Montreal Canadiens beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-0 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia.

And there were 2 games in the World Hockey Association. The New England Whalers beat the New York Golden Blades, 8-3 at Madison Square Garden. And the Chicago Cougars beat the Quebec Nordiques, 4-2 at Le Colisée de Québec.