My three old-timey baseball teams -- the Blue Legs, the Canaries, and the Haymakers -- are gearing up for their third season of play. Based on the experiences of last year, I worked out a couple of trades to address areas of need.
Blue Legs trade Sam Thompson to the Haymakers for Wee Willie Keeler
In this blockbuster deal, both teams are trying to shore up some of their weaknesses. The Blue Legs hit for tremendous power (their 19 home runs in two seasons is exactly the same as the number of home runs hit by the Canaries and Haymakers combined over that time period), but last season they scored the fewest runs in the league. The Legs need to get more men on base to take full advantage of their power. They're also a relatively slow team, by the standards of nineteenth-century baseball, so they can use a bit more speed on the basepaths. Enter Wee Willie Keeler! Keeler, who's spent the past two seasons as the Haymakers' leadoff man, is an on-base machine, boasts superior defensive skills in the outfield, and has outrageous speed. On the Legs, he'll slot into the two-hole behind fellow burner Billy Hamilton (not to be confused with a current MLB star of the same name!). In return for this great all-around player, the Haymakers get Sam Thompson, who has neither speed nor defensive skills, but he can absolutely crush the ball. Thompson, who won the Playoff MVP award two seasons ago with the Legs, immediately becomes the top power threat on the Haymakers, who have hit the fewest home runs in the brief history of this league.
Blue Legs trade Joe McGinnity to the Canaries for Vic Willis
This trade is less exciting, as it's a swap of relief pitchers. For the purposes of parity (see my last baseball post), this trade helps to eliminate some of the pitching imbalance between these teams, as McGinnity is superior to Willis in game stats. How, then, to justify this trade from the Legs' perspective? McGinnity -- the Legs' erstwhile closer -- blew some save opportunities in the second half of the season. I can easily envision the Blue Legs losing confidence in him and seeking out the services of another proven closer in Vic Willis.
Blue Legs trade Sam Thompson to the Haymakers for Wee Willie Keeler
In this blockbuster deal, both teams are trying to shore up some of their weaknesses. The Blue Legs hit for tremendous power (their 19 home runs in two seasons is exactly the same as the number of home runs hit by the Canaries and Haymakers combined over that time period), but last season they scored the fewest runs in the league. The Legs need to get more men on base to take full advantage of their power. They're also a relatively slow team, by the standards of nineteenth-century baseball, so they can use a bit more speed on the basepaths. Enter Wee Willie Keeler! Keeler, who's spent the past two seasons as the Haymakers' leadoff man, is an on-base machine, boasts superior defensive skills in the outfield, and has outrageous speed. On the Legs, he'll slot into the two-hole behind fellow burner Billy Hamilton (not to be confused with a current MLB star of the same name!). In return for this great all-around player, the Haymakers get Sam Thompson, who has neither speed nor defensive skills, but he can absolutely crush the ball. Thompson, who won the Playoff MVP award two seasons ago with the Legs, immediately becomes the top power threat on the Haymakers, who have hit the fewest home runs in the brief history of this league.
Blue Legs trade Joe McGinnity to the Canaries for Vic Willis
This trade is less exciting, as it's a swap of relief pitchers. For the purposes of parity (see my last baseball post), this trade helps to eliminate some of the pitching imbalance between these teams, as McGinnity is superior to Willis in game stats. How, then, to justify this trade from the Legs' perspective? McGinnity -- the Legs' erstwhile closer -- blew some save opportunities in the second half of the season. I can easily envision the Blue Legs losing confidence in him and seeking out the services of another proven closer in Vic Willis.
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