From Pat–Jeremy and I have been in a league together for about fifteen years. Fortunately, Jeremy keeps a list of every trade made. This is his look of the worst ones ever.

For all of my legions of fans out there in the Blogosphere, I apologize for my absence since my much-talked about first blog entry. Seriously, stop with the phone calls and the email blasts – there is only so much of me to go around. I’ll hire a staff to answer your mail – it’ll be like a scene out of Miracle on 34th Street only without the Santa suit.

This entry will be all about trading and I am going to refer to my extensive list of deals made in my carryover AL-only Roto league. We started this league in 1994 with seven owners – just in time for that gala event known as the 1994 Baseball Strike! Side note – I’ll never forget that weekend in 1994 as everyone watched their final baseball games until the next year I was among the muddy and sleepy at Woodstock 94 where I managed to not have the foresight to go to the small stage to see Green Day play.

Anyway – I have done my best as commissioner of that league to keep a tally of our trades. Since March 1994 we have had 434 trades (a handful during the strike was lost) and 28 different people owning a team at one point or another. Titles have been won by six different franchises (a seventh is running away with the league this year). We have certainly had some great deals and we have had a series of terrible transactions. Because it is more fun…let’s talk about the worst ones and some of the more bizarre ones. At first glance, I found 21 trades that fall into that category. Remember that draft choices are based on a supplemental draft as most stars were already on teams. Here they are in chronological order with a brief comment:

1 – June 1994 - Juan Guzman, Matt Nokes and Eric Anthony and Yes’ Greatest Hits for Harold Baines, Danny Darwin, and Def Leppard “Hysteria” – The best part of this goofy trade is not the inclusion of Eric Anthony but of the music. Sure, you may say that Yes for Def Leppard is not an adequate trade, however you should know this…I had two copies of that Yes album!

2 – March 1995 - Kevin Maas and Zane Smith for Mark McGwire – This is before McGwire juiced up more than the Violet Beauregard in Willy Wonka. My favorite trade that I ever made.

3 – February 1996 - Jason Giambi and Benji Gil for 1996 1st rd pick (Tony Tarasco) – Which is worse…Benji Gil or Tony Tarasco. Heck, Tarasco couldn’t even stop Jeffrey Maier! Pat is at fault for this one – although he did manage to filch Giambi right back shortly thereafter and eventually trade him to me for Tim Hudson. Of course, I gave up on Giambi when his body looked worse than Keith Richards’ and then he went on a tear after I dealt him for Randy Johnson who in turn fell apart. No. I’m not bitter.

4 – Also Feb 1996 - Mark McGwire. Russ Davis, Terrell Lowery and considerations (An opera album if McDowell wins 20 games) for Jack McDowell, Bip Roberts, Scott Stahoviak and considerations (A comedy album if McGwire hits 50 HRs) – Worst part here, I never got that damn comedy album!

5 – June 1996 - Ruben Sierra, Armando Benitez, Jim Brower and 1997 3rd rd pick (Chris Carpenter) for Norm Charlton, Jeff Reboulet and Rafael Orellano – This is here to spotlight the first of many trades where a future pick was tossed in and it turned out to be something substantial. That and I always liked saying Reboulet.

6 – October 1996 - Kimera Bartee, Kent Mercker. Joe Randa, Mike Trombley, 1997 2nd rd pick (Sidney Ponson), 6th rd (Jeff Liefer) for Mariano Rivera and 1998 3rd rd pick (Kevin Stocker) – My other favorite trade that I ever made. If I didn’t get Stocker, it wouldn’t have been worth it.

7 – January 1997 - Todd Jones for 1997 1st rd pick (Steve Avery) – Not that Jones is the best closer (although he is closing today and this was done 10 years ago), or that Avery stunk…well, ok, he did. This is more for the stunning revelation that….someone took Steve Avery in the first round!

8 – Also January 1997 - Miguel Tejada for materials (two drinking birds) – Tejada was a nobody Rookie ball player at the time and the owner did go out of his way for the birds. If you don’t know what that is, imagine the Baby Monitor episode of The Simpsons.

9 – March 1997 - Orlando Merced, James Baldwin, Orlando Miller, and 1997 3rd rd pick (Ken Cloude) and 1997 3rd rd comp pick (Eddie Guardado) for Johnny Damon, Scott Spiezio and 1997 2nd rd pick (Shigetoshi Hasegawa) – A great example of how a whole lot of crap is still just a whole lot of crap. And I got Johnny Damon for said crap.

10 – Also March 1997 - Jermaine Dye and 1998 8th rd pick (Dennis Stark) for Damien Jackson and 1998 5th rd pick (Jose Paniagua) – Hopefully, Kenny Williams will ask Pat for some advice on how to properly move Dye since Pat stole him in this deal.

Next–Part Two….
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