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Post by fwclipper51 on Dec 28, 2023 15:07:28 GMT -5
December 11,1959- The Kansas City A's trade All-Star Outfielder Roger Maris to the New York Yankees
On December 11,1959, All-Star Outfielder Roger Maris was obtained by the New York Yankees in a trade with the Kansas City A’s. The Yankees had sent Golden Glove OF Norm Siebern, Pitcher Don Larsen, Reserve 1B/OF Marv Throneberry and veteran OF Hank Bauer to the A's for All-Star OF Roger Maris, veteran Reserve INF Joe DeMaestri and 1B Kent Hadley. In 1959, Roger Maris had appeared in 122 games for the A’s, while hitting .273 with 16 HRs and 73 RBIs. He was selected for the 1959 AL All Star team. Kent Hadley was the starting 1B for the 1959 A's, who had hit .250 with 10 HRs for the team, he was lefty hitter with HR power. He was acquired by the Yankees as insurance, since Bronx Bombers starting 1B Bill Skowron didn't fully recovered his broken arm injury that had end his 1959 AL season. Former AL All-Star Shortstop Joe DeMaestri would be added to the Yankees bench. Norm Siebern had won the 1st James P. Dawson Award in 1956. He would join the Bombers in 1958, hitting .300 and being the 1st Yankees position player to win a AL Golden Glove. In 1959 season for the Yankees, he had slump to a .271 BA and was in Casey Stengel's doghouse over his outfield play in LF. Young 1B/OF Marv Throneberry was blocked at 1B by the presence of All-Star 1B Bill Skowron, Marv had hit .238 in 140 games in 1958-1959. He would become the 1960 A's starting 1B, hitting .250. Veteran Starter Don Larsen was battling with arm injuries, posting a 6-7 record in 1959. He would leave the team with a 45-24 pitching record. In 1959, veteran RF Hank Bauer, who was now 37 years old, had hit .238 with 9 HRs and 39 RBIs, which were all MLB career lows for him. He would leave the club with a .277 BA in 1,406 games.
Before the Kansas City A's-Yankees deal had been made, the A's had offered OF Roger Maris to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Shortstop Richard Groat, OF Bill Virdon and another player to be named. The Pirates front office was talked out of the Maris-Groat trade by Pirates Manager Danny Murtaugh, who felt that Groat was too important player to give up in a trade. The A's were looking for new starting shortstop. This Maris trade was the 15th between the 2 teams since 1955, which has seen 59 players move between the 2 clubs. It would be Yankees GM George Weiss last major trade for the team.
Clipper
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Post by inger on Dec 28, 2023 16:02:59 GMT -5
Interesting that Dick Groat, who would win the batting title and MVP in the NL in the coming season was the hold up in that trade. In Pittsburgh Maris may not have broken the record.
From all accounts Groat was a Jeter-like influence on his teams, with the whole adding up to more than the sum of the parts…
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Post by pippsheadache on Dec 28, 2023 20:19:44 GMT -5
It's sometimes overlooked that Maris actually hit more home runs on the road than he did at Yankee Stadium during his time with the Yanks. Of the 203 HRs he had as a Yankee, 94 came at home and 109 on the road. The year he hit 61, 31 of those were on the road, 30 at home. Similar to Babe when he hit 60 -- 28 at home, 32 on the road, despite both being lefties.
Roger had only 16 doubles in 1961, and 10 of those were on the road. Of his four triples that year, all were on the road.
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Post by bigjeep on Dec 29, 2023 10:49:33 GMT -5
It's sometimes overlooked that Maris actually hit more home runs on the road than he did at Yankee Stadium during his time with the Yanks. Of the 203 HRs he had as a Yankee, 94 came at home and 109 on the road. The year he hit 61, 31 of those were on the road, 30 at home. Similar to Babe when he hit 60 -- 28 at home, 32 on the road, despite both being lefties. Roger had only 16 doubles in 1961, and 10 of those were on the road. Of his four triples that year, all were on the road. That doesn't surprise me! Yankee Stadium back then from memory was quit large. The monuments that were in play were at least 450? feet! |
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Post by bigjeep on Dec 29, 2023 10:50:10 GMT -5
I remember Don Larson being in the Giants bullpen in the early 60's. Stu Miller had 3 pitches! SLOW, SLOWER and slowest! How the game has changed. Remember "Spahn, Sain and Pray for Rain”. Sandy Koufax won 25 games his last year in the majors. Had arm problems that could have been fixed today. Imagine a pitcher winning even 20 games today!
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Post by inger on Dec 29, 2023 13:18:16 GMT -5
I remember Don Larson being in the Giants bullpen in the early 60's. Stu Miller had 3 pitches! SLOW, SLOWER and slowest! How the game has changed. Remember "Spahn, Sain and Pray for Rain”. Sandy Koufax won 25 games his last year in the majors. Had arm problems that could have been fixed today. Imagine a pitcher winning even 20 games today! When I hear that Koufax “could have been fixed today”, I think of how we might not have ever seen his best couple of seasons while he was “in the shop” for the surgery and then had to recover. After having missed those seasons then who knows if he would have ever been the same after the repairs? Without those last couple years when he pitched in pain, he would have never been in the HOF. Sometimes revisionist history makes assumptions that are unlikely to be true…If only… |
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Post by bigjeep on Dec 29, 2023 15:27:11 GMT -5
I remember Don Larson being in the Giants bullpen in the early 60's. Stu Miller had 3 pitches! SLOW, SLOWER and slowest! How the game has changed. Remember "Spahn, Sain and Pray for Rain”. Sandy Koufax won 25 games his last year in the majors. Had arm problems that could have been fixed today. Imagine a pitcher winning even 20 games today! When I hear that Koufax “could have been fixed today”, I think of how we might not have ever seen his best couple of seasons while he was “in the shop” for the surgery and then had to recover. After having missed those seasons then who knows if he would have ever been the same after the repairs? Without those last couple years when he pitched in pain, he would have never been in the HOF. Sometimes revisionist history makes assumptions that are unlikely to be true…If only… Some consider him the best pitcher of all time! He was 35 when he retired. took a lot of heat not pitching on Sat. Today the all-star game is totally meaningless, but back in the day it meant something! I remember Stu Miller striking out Mantle, Maris and Yogi in one inning! But that's from memory! When Mantle completed his swing, the ball was still headed for Homeplate!  Juan Marichal was a great pitcher also, couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag except for hitting Roseboro on top of the head! That ball came at you just above is big toe! |
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Post by rizzuto on Dec 29, 2023 16:00:57 GMT -5
When I hear that Koufax “could have been fixed today”, I think of how we might not have ever seen his best couple of seasons while he was “in the shop” for the surgery and then had to recover. After having missed those seasons then who knows if he would have ever been the same after the repairs? Without those last couple years when he pitched in pain, he would have never been in the HOF. Sometimes revisionist history makes assumptions that are unlikely to be true…If only… Some consider him the best pitcher of all time! He was 35 when he retired. took a lot of heat not pitching on Sat. Today the all-star game is totally meaningless, but back in the day it meant something! I remember Stu Miller striking out Mantle, Maris and Yogi in one inning! But that's from memory! When Mantle completed his swing, the ball was still headed for Homeplate! Juan Marichal was a great pitcher also, couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag except for hitting Roseboro on top of the head! That ball came at you just above is big toe! Koufax was just 30 years old his final season in MLB and won 27 games with a 1.73 ERA. |
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Post by inger on Dec 29, 2023 16:01:29 GMT -5
When I hear that Koufax “could have been fixed today”, I think of how we might not have ever seen his best couple of seasons while he was “in the shop” for the surgery and then had to recover. After having missed those seasons then who knows if he would have ever been the same after the repairs? Without those last couple years when he pitched in pain, he would have never been in the HOF. Sometimes revisionist history makes assumptions that are unlikely to be true…If only… Some consider him the best pitcher of all time! He was 35 when he retired. took a lot of heat not pitching on Sat. Today the all-star game is totally meaningless, but back in the day it meant something! I remember Stu Miller striking out Mantle, Maris and Yogi in one inning! But that's from memory! When Mantle completed his swing, the ball was still headed for Homeplate! Juan Marichal was a great pitcher also, couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag except for hitting Roseboro on top of the head! That ball came at you just above is big toe! Koufax was 30 when he retired… |
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Post by rizzuto on Dec 29, 2023 16:04:00 GMT -5
Some consider him the best pitcher of all time! He was 35 when he retired. took a lot of heat not pitching on Sat. Today the all-star game is totally meaningless, but back in the day it meant something! I remember Stu Miller striking out Mantle, Maris and Yogi in one inning! But that's from memory! When Mantle completed his swing, the ball was still headed for Homeplate! Juan Marichal was a great pitcher also, couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag except for hitting Roseboro on top of the head! That ball came at you just above is big toe! Koufax was 30 when he retired… Just beat you on the draw…you’re spending too much time at The Longbranch drinking with Miss Kitty. |
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Post by inger on Dec 29, 2023 16:21:13 GMT -5
Koufax was 30 when he retired… Just beat you on the draw…you’re spending too much time at The Longbranch drinking with Miss Kitty. If you watch closer in the opening of the show, while there are several seasons when there is only one gun shot and Matt wins, there are also several seasons where there are two shots fired and Matt still wins without a scratch. It’s not who draws first, it’s who’s more accurate. While you took the time to add Koufax’s wins and ERA, I was aiming for your vital organs instead of putting another bullet hole in the feed and grain store. I live another day. RIP, Rizzuto. I told you if you came along peacefully we didn’t have to have this gun fight… |
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Post by inger on Dec 29, 2023 16:22:26 GMT -5
Koufax was 30 when he retired… Just beat you on the draw…you’re spending too much time at The Longbranch drinking with Miss Kitty. Since Amanda eventually died of AIDS, perhaps Matt was right to never quite seal the deal with her… |
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Post by rizzuto on Dec 29, 2023 16:46:38 GMT -5
Just beat you on the draw…you’re spending too much time at The Longbranch drinking with Miss Kitty. If you watch closer in the opening of the show, while there are several seasons when there is only one gun shot and Matt wins, there are also several seasons where there are two shots fired and Matt still wins without a scratch. It’s not who draws first, it’s who’s more accurate. While you took the time to add Koufax’s wins and ERA, I was aiming for your vital organs instead of putting another bullet hole in the feed and grain store. I live another day. RIP, Rizzuto. I told you if you came along peacefully we didn’t have to have this gun fight… Matt is often not first on the pull, which leads to him getting winged sometimes. Poor old Galen Adams must have removed a few pounds of lead him. My favorite line is when Matt tells some drunkard with a gun, “Don’t be a fool!” |
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Post by rizzuto on Dec 29, 2023 16:52:38 GMT -5
Just beat you on the draw…you’re spending too much time at The Longbranch drinking with Miss Kitty. Since Amanda eventually died of AIDS, perhaps Matt was right to never quite seal the deal with her… She actually died of pneumonia brought on by AIDS. She was also married five times and like most of that era, a chronic smoker. Her best friend on the show was the handsome Glenn Strange, who could have been Shemp Howard’s much taller brother. |
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Post by bigjeep on Dec 29, 2023 18:11:30 GMT -5
Some consider him the best pitcher of all time! He was 35 when he retired. took a lot of heat not pitching on Sat. Today the all-star game is totally meaningless, but back in the day it meant something! I remember Stu Miller striking out Mantle, Maris and Yogi in one inning! But that's from memory! When Mantle completed his swing, the ball was still headed for Homeplate! Juan Marichal was a great pitcher also, couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag except for hitting Roseboro on top of the head! That ball came at you just above is big toe! Koufax was just 30 years old his final season in MLB and won 27 games with a 1.73 ERA. I stand corrected. I was going by memory, not always a good thing at my age!  |
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Juan Marichal was a great pitcher also, couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag except for hitting Roseboro on top of the head! That ball came at you just above is big toe! 
