December 15, 1920: The New York Yankees trade 2nd baseman Del Pratt, catcher Herold "Muddy" Ruel, pitcher Hank Thormahlen and right fielder Sammy Vick to the Boston Red Sox for pitchers Waite Hoyt and Harry Harper, catcher Wally Schang and infielder Mike McNally.
Pratt gave the Sox a .300 season, and Ruel later helped the Washington Senators win their 1st 2 Pennants, including 1924 when they edged the Yankees. But Hoyt, a Brooklyn native, became the 1st real Yankee ace since Jack Chesbro in the founding Highlanders era, helping the Yankees win their 1st 6 Pennants. Schang was the catcher on the 1st 3 of those.
McNally was an afterthought. So was Harper, but he went on to have an interesting political career. As a Republican in New Jersey, he ran successfully for Sheriff of Bergen County, and unsuccessfully for the State Assembly and Congress. He also served in the Cabinets of Governors Walter Edge and Alfred E. Driscoll.
Hoyt went 237-182 for his career, including 157-98 for the Yankees. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He later became a broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds. He and his Yankee manager, Miller Huggins, a Cincinnati native who had played for the Reds, are both buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.
*
December 15, 1920 was a Wednesday. Baseball was out of season. Football was in midweek. The NBA hadn't been founded yet. The NHL season hadn't started yet. So there were no scores on this historic day.
No comments:
Post a Comment