Red Sox fans are a curious lot . Most , if not all , hate the Yankees . I imagine I can understand , being a Yankee sports fan and all . With the exception of the 1903 , 1912 , 1915 , 1916 , 1918 , 2004 and 2007 , Red Sox sports fan have known only failure . clip and again , the Red Sox have come close to triumph , only to have it carry aside – usually by the Yankees – before their mistrustful eyes . The list is legion .
The most notable came in 1978 . At the time , the Red Sox held a commanding pencil lead in the American League Eastern Division . belatedly in the time of year , the Yankees surge as the Red Sox collapsed . The rivals were connect at the end of the steady time of year . They played a one - game playoff to determine the division title-holder . The victor would promote to the pennant . The Red Sox lose the game 5 - 4 on the power of a Bucky Dent homerun .
Ah , Bucky Dent . His name is synonymous with Red Sox defeat . Although a capable shortstop , Dent slay only five home run that entire twelvemonth and bat a miserable .243 [ source : Baseball Almanac ] . It made lose that much harder for the Beantowners .
close up like a batting order table in pressure situations is what the Sox did well : Some have even postulated that a demon ofbaseballhad damn the Sox . They even pay the curse a name – The Curse of the Bambino . If there are such things as curses , this special one can be traced to the bad trade inMajor League Baseball history , the cut-rate sale of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees .
In 1920 , Red Sox owner Harry Frazee take cash to produce a Broadway musical theater call " No , No , Nanette . " Frazee , a New Yorker , had made his luck as a manufacturer on the Great White Way . He also owned the Boston Red Sox , having bought the team in 1916 and advance the World Series in 1918 . Two years later , Frazee was strapped for John Cash . His theater business was suffering . Frazee require a hit , and not at Fenway Park .
On Jan. 5 , 1920 , Frazee sold baseball ’s great player , Babe Ruth , to the Yankees for $ 125,000 , plus a $ 300,000 loan . The money helped Frazee stage " No , No , Nanette " [ source : Baseball Reference ] . While the melodious was a mild success , Ruth arrest the rave review and had a storied career with the Yankees . As for the Sox , curses have tenacious memories . They would n’t win a World Series again until 2004 .
Trading Babe to the Yankees ( more on that afterwards ) , was not the only bad trade in Major League chronicle , although it is the most notable . Go to the next Thomas Nelson Page to find the 10 worst baseball game trades ever .
10: Pedro Martinez Goes to Montreal
The Los Angeles Dodgers traded Pedro Martinez to the Montreal Expos in 1993 for second baseman Delino Shields . Shields spend three unproductive years with the Dodgers , while Martinez became one of baseball’sbest start pitchers .
Martinez gain 55 games and lost 33 in four seasons with the Expos , gain ground the first Cy Young Award ( give to the bestpitcherin each league ) in 1997 . He posted a tiny 1.90 ERA ( that ’s very good for you non - baseball lover ) that yr . In 1998 , the Johnny Cash - strap Expos sent Martinez to Boston for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr. By that meter , the Expos could not yield to pay Martinez and would have lost him to barren agency anyway [ beginning : ESPN ] .
During his 18 - class career , Martinez win two extra Cy Young Awards and 219 plot , and posted a 2.93 ERA [ reference : Baseball Almanac ] . DeShields did n’t do as well . He played three season with the Dodgers , never hitting high than .256 [ source : Baseball Reference ] .
Why did the Dodgers trade Martinez ? That question still has Dodger fans scratching their heads . Surgeons rectify the young right hander ’s left over berm in 1992 after Martinez slip it swinging a at-bat . When Martinez come back the next year , he made 65 appearance for the Dodgers , posting a 10 - 5 phonograph record . He strike out 119 batters in 107 innings . Dodger management apparently think the injury was too great to keep Martinez around [ author : Newhan ] .
9: Mariners Get Rid of Randy Johnson
As the 1998 trading deadline loomed , the Seattle Mariners set down theirpitchingace Randy Johnson , sending the lanky left hander to the Houston Astros . Johnson automatically made Houston the favorite to win the National League . The " Big Unit " work 10 - 1 with a microscopical 1.90 epoch and 116 strikeout in 84.1 innings . As a solvent , the Astros top the Central Division , ultimately losing to the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series [ root : Bleacher Report ] .
The Astros had given up several small conference prospects for Johnson , includingpitchersFreddy Garcia , John Halama and shortstop Carlos Guillen . Although not the " worst " trade in history , Garcia , Halama and Guillen helped Seattle make headway 116 games in 2001 . Garcia tallied an 18 - 5 record and emerged as the Modern Mariner whizz [ beginning : Bleacher Report ] .
8: Reds Send Frank Robinson Packing
On Dec. 9 , 1965 , the Cincinnati Reds traded Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles for pitchers Milt Pappas , Jack Baldschun and outfielder Dick Simpson . Robinson made his professional debut with the Reds in 1956 . Nine years later , Reds General Manager Bill DeWitt dealt Robinson believing the hitter too old . Robinson was 30 . Pappas peddle for the Reds for two - and - one-half seasons , succeed 30 games and losing 9 . Baldschun and Simpson accomplished little with the Reds [ source : History.com ] .
As for Robinson , he ultimately became a Hall of Famer . He won the Triple Crown in his first season with the Orioles . He tally the most home runs ( 49 ) ; clobber in the most runs ( 122 ) ; and led the league with the bestbattingaverage ( .316 ) . Robinson also conduct the O ’s to its first World Series profits over the Los Angeles Dodgers . Robinson pass six year with the Orioles , winning another World Series in 1970 , this time over his former squad , the Reds [ seed : History.com ] .
7: Mets Trade Nolan Ryan
The Mets have made some bad conclusion over the years , but nothing can top Dec. 10 , 1971 when New York ’s other squad dealtpitcherNolan Ryan and three others to the California Angels in exchange for short Jim Fregosi . In hindsight , it was one of the bad trades ever , but no one complained at the fourth dimension . That ’s because the young Ryan was erratic at good . He posted a 29 - 38 record over five seasons with the Mets , walk 344 and strike out 493 . In a sense , it was a no - brainer for the Mets to get rid of Ryan . They desperately call for someone to play third floor [ source : Sports Illustrated ] .
As it turned out , Ryan turned into one of the bestpitchersin the secret plan . He threw seven no - hitters during his vocation . In six out of his first seven seasons with the Angels , Ryan led the American League in strikeouts and walk [ source : Sports Illustrated ] . Fregosi live on only 146 biz with the Mets , batting just .233 . He was sold to Texas in the midriff of the 1973 time of year [ origin : ESPN ] .
6: Braves Get Smoltz
Have you ever take heed of Doyle Alexander ? belike not . Frankly , he was n’t a badpitcher . The correct hander cognise how to confound strikes . In 1987 , the Detroit Tigers were in the middle of a pennant race and needed another arm to end the deal . They traded a young expectation name John Smoltz for Alexander .
muster in in the 22nd round in 1985 , Smoltz was unseasoned and had a hefty 5.73 epoch in AAminor league ball . He walked more batters than he struck out . At the time , it was a proficient trade for Detroit . Alexander went 9 - 0 for the Tigers with a minuscule 1.53 ERA . He helped the Tigers win the American League Eastern Division , but they lost to the Minnesota Twins in the league championship game [ root : Mensching ] .
Smoltz started out tardily with the Braves . He won two of the 12 games he get down in 1988 . The next year , he had a 12 - 11 record . By 1996 , Smoltz had a 24 - 8 record and eventually became a Hall of Fame ewer . Among other acquirement , Smoltz was an eight - fourth dimension National League All Star , he win the 1996 Cy Young Award , he tallied 50 saves during the 2002 season and advance the World Series with the Braves in 1995 [ source : Baseball Reference ] .
5: Maris Goes to Yankees
Before Mark McGwire , Barry Bonds , Sammy Sosa andallegations of steroid hormone use , there was Roger Maris , a chain - smoking outfielder who set baseball ’s single - time of year domicile running record book in 1961 . Maris , with his patented crew cutting , accomplished the effort as a New York Yankee . Before he donned the pinstripes , Maris playact for the Kansas City Athletics . The Athletics shuttle Maris to New York in exchange forlegendary pitcherDon Larsen ( he threw the only stark game in World Series account ) , Norm Siebern and an mature Hank Bauer . The Yankees also get Joe DeMaestri and Kent Hadley in the trade [ source : Knapel ] .
In 1961 , Maris setbaseballon fire . Teamed with Mickey Mantle , the " M & M Boys , " as they were dubbed , chased after Babe Ruth ’s keep undivided - time of year domicile run stain of 60 . Mantle and Maris battle each other until Mantle dropped out of the race early due to an accidental injury . Maris tied Ruth ’s record book on Sept. 26 , and surpassed the Sultan of Swat on the final solar day of the season . He was voted the American League ’s Most Valuable Player [ source : RogerMaris.com ] . McGwire broke Maris ’s platter in 1998 , subsequently admitting in 2010 that he usedperformance - enhancing drugsduring the time of year .
4: Ernie who?
When the Chicago Cubs swop Lou Brock to the St. Louis Cardinals forpitcherErnie Broglio in 1964 , it did n’t seem like such a bad move . Broglio had pull ahead 21 games and lost only 9 in 1960 . He was young and had many good years left in him , or so everyone think . Brock , who had toy for the Cubs for two - and - a - one-half years , did n’t burn up Wrigley Field . Hisbattingaverage with the Cubs in 1963 was a subaltern .251 , slightly worse than the .262 he bat the year before [ generator : Baseball Reference ] .
In his first game with the Cardinals , Brock struck out on three rake . Then he caught fire . Brock hit .348 for the rest of the 1964 season and steal 33 bases . The Cards became wiz of the National League that yr . Brock found his stride with the Cardinals , hitting .300 seven time from 1965 to 1979 . He chair the league in stolen bases eight time , and move back as the all - time steals drawing card . Broglio , on the other hand , retired to the dust bin of history . He win only four secret plan with the Cubs in ' 64 , and left the biz after 1966 [ sources : baseball game Reference;Sports Illustrated ] .
3: “What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?”
Despite their success , the New York Yankees have made some questionable force transactions over the twelvemonth . In 2003 , they swop forpitcherKevin Brown , a 39 year old , who had seen better day . In 2004 , Brown won 10 games until he broke his helping hand punching a wall . Brown was opine to be a large - game pitcherful . He was n’t . In 1999 , the Florida Marlins acquired Mike Lowell from the Yankees . Lowell was solid with the Marlins , and helped them vex the Yankees in the 2003 World Series . He also flirt for the Red Sox where he was the base of the team . The leaning goes on .
Yet , the bad barter of the storeyed dealership occurred in 1988 when the Bronx Bombers got disembarrass of Jay Buhner . The Yankees send Buhner and another player to the Seattle Mariners for Ken Phelps .
The squad consummate the trade on July 21 , 1988 . Buhner was young and just starting his career . Phelps was 33 years old , ancient bybaseballstandards . During the 2d one-half of the 1988 season , Phelps batted a laughable .244 with 10 Homer . Buhner play 13 season with Seattle , hitting 310 life history domicile runs [ source : haste ] .
2: A’s Trade McGwire to the Cardinals
attempt to look past Mark McGwire ’s purpose ofperformance enhancing drug . Try not to call up the Congressional stonewalling . endeavor to block his ego - imposed exile frombaseballafter allegations of steroid use tarnished his fabled life history . In 1997 , the Oakland A ’s trade McGwire to the St. Louis Cardinals for T.J. Matthews , Blake Stein and Eric Ludwick .
At the time , the San Francisco Chronicle aver the deal might ghost the A ’s just as Babe Ruth ’s swop haunted the Red Sox ( more on that later ) . The A ’s traded McGwire before the July 31 trading deadline . The first baseman was eligible to become a free factor at the end of the yr [ source : Blackman ] .
In his first full season with the Cardinals , McGwire bump Roger Maris ’s exclusive - season house run record . Big Mac belted 70 homers . He help oneself reconstruct fans ' sake in baseball after a black strike in 1994 well-nigh ruined the game . In 1999 , McGwire hit 65 homers . Matthews , Stein and Ludwick did n’t amount to much [ rootage : Fogelgaren ] .
1: Babe Bids Beantown Ado
Jan. 5 , 1920 . Harry Frazee held a press conference to harbinger that the Red Sox had sold Babe Ruth for cash to the New York Yankees . " The price was something enormous , " Frazee say , refusing to name the trope . " It was an amount the nine could not afford to refuse " [ source : Shaughnessy ] .
" Prohibitionwas 11 day away when Frazee made this move , which would labor Sox fans to drink , " sportswriter Dan Shaughnessy wrote 70 old age later in " The Curse of the Bambino . " " Ruth became the foundation for the gravid dynasty in the story of professional sports " [ rootage : Shaughnessy ] .
No matter how you slit it , no matter how many argument you get in , the worst trade inbaseball story , nay , the tough trade in sports story occurred on that cold January mean solar day in 1920 . It ’s not as if the Red Sox did not bang what they had in Ruth . For six year , Ruth chalk up some remarkable numbers . He was a stellarpitcher , gain ground 18 games in 1915 ; 23 a yr later ; and 24 in 1917 . He batted above .300 in four of those six class [ source : Baseball Reference ] .
Yet , it was with the Yankees that Ruth would achieve his iconic status . He became a full - fourth dimension outfielder , leading the Yankees to four World Series triumph and becoming baseball ’s place - run king . He hit 60 homers in 1927 and 714 during his vocation . Ruth was larger than life . He was notable on and off the theater of operations , a whiz before there were superstars , a ethnical image before there were ethnic ikon . His gift on the domain savedbaseballafter the 1919 Black Sox scandal threatened to ruin the biz .
As for the Red Sox , the " Curse of the Bambino " lingered for more than 80 years . Finally , in 2004 the Sox won their first World Series since 1918 . They won again in 2007 , perhaps exorcise The Curse of the Bambino forever .
Or , perchance , they ’re just tease their fans .
Lots More Information
Many hoi polloi will reason that other trade were worse than some I ’ve listed here . That ’s OK . We can fence for hours . That ’s the dead on target joy of baseball game . Also , if I seem a fiddling hard on you Red Sox fans , do n’t take it personally . Many of my friend are Red Sox fans . I have a go at it exit to Fenway , and Boston is one of my favored cities . I ’ve spent a lot of time in the North End where chronicle and food , two of my favourite subject , collide . The Boston Globe has the best athletics department in the world . Yet , if there ’s one thing Boston fans can take solace in , it ’s that they ’re not Cub fan .
