The Yankee brass had treated Maris badly, failing to publicly support him as he set a single-season home run record of 61 in the 1961 season, helped them to win 5 American League Pennants and the 1961 and 1962 World Series, and suffered through a misdiagnosed hand injury in 1965.
Now, they had traded him for a nothing infielder who had already failed with 5 teams, including the New York Mets. In terms of decency, this one is right down there with the Mets' 1977 trade of Seaver for the worst in New York baseball history.
Free of Yankee management and the New York media, and happy to play for a team and a fan base that made him feel welcome, Maris helped the Cards win the 1967 World Series and the 1968 National League Pennant, then accepted Cardinal and Anheuser-Busch owner Gussie Busch's retirement gift of a beer distributorship in sunny Gainesville, Florida -- quite a prize for someone who grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota. He died in 1985.
Free of Yankee management and the New York media, and happy to play for a team and a fan base that made him feel welcome, Maris helped the Cards win the 1967 World Series and the 1968 National League Pennant, then accepted Cardinal and Anheuser-Busch owner Gussie Busch's retirement gift of a beer distributorship in sunny Gainesville, Florida -- quite a prize for someone who grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota. He died in 1985.
As for Smith? In 2 seasons in The Bronx, he batted .224 with 10 homers and 45 RBIs. At age 30, the Yankees traded him, and after another year he had played his last big-league game. He died in 1994.
Number 6. At least they didn't give him Roger's number.
They gave 9 to Steve Whitaker, not exactly worthy of it.
*
December 8, 1966 was a Thursday. Baseball was out of season. Football was in midweek. Two games were played in the NBA. The Chicago Bulls beat the Baltimore Bullets, 132-120 at the Baltimore Civic Center (now the CFG Bank Arena). And the San Francisco Warriors beat the St. Louis Hawks, 124-106 at the Cow Palace outside San Francisco in Daly City, California. Rick Barry scored 50 points for the Warriors.
Two games were played in the NHL. The New York Rangers beat the Detroit Red Wings, 4-2 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit. And the Chicago Black Hawks beat the Boston Bruins, 10-2 at the Boston Garden. Doug Mohns scored 3 goals and an assist. Bobby Hull, the Golden Jet, and his brother, Dennis Hull, the Silver Jet, each scored a goal. The Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs were not scheduled.
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