November 27, 1972: The New York Yankees traded catcher John Ellis, 3rd baseman Jerry Kenney, right fielder Charlie Spikes and outfielder Rusty Torres to the Cleveland Indians for 3rd baseman Graig Nettles and catcher Jerry Moses.
Nettles was the key. He was the best defensive 3rd baseman the Yankees have ever had, and his lefthanded swing was ideal for Yankee Stadium. He led the American League in home runs in 1976, and helped the Yankees win 4 Pennants and 2 World Series. His fielding in Game 3 turned the 1978 World Series around, making what looked like a Los Angeles Dodger sweep into a Yankee win in 6 games.
Some people have alleged that the fix was in: Indians general manager Gabe Paul knew he was going to be named GM of the Yankees when Cleveland native George Steinbrenner, denied the chance to buy the Indians, finalized a deal to buy the Yankees.
When that deal was announced on January 3, 1973, there were 4 men on the Yankee roster who were still there when the Yankees won the World Series again, 5 years later: Roy White, Thurman Munson, Sparky Lyle and Graig Nettles.
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November 27, 1972 was a Monday. Baseball was out of season. On ABC Monday Night Football, the Miami Dolphins beat the football version of the St. Louis Cardinals, 31-10 at the Orange Bowl in Miami.
There were no games played in the NBA, the NHL, or the American Basketball Association. There was 1 game in the brand-new World Hockey Association: The New England Whalers beat the Cleveland Crusaders, 3-0 at the Boston Garden.
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