Best non-deal debate

January of 2002: The Angels were ready to deal Darin Erstad (back when he still had plenty of gas left in the tank) to the White Sox for a number of prospects (including Jon Garland), thereby signaling that the upcoming season would be a rebuilding one. This was when asswipe Tony Tavares was president of the team and succeeded in pissing off all the veterans, including Erstad and Troy Percival, whose contracts were about to run out. In fact, Percival had already indicated he was ready to walk.

Just before the deal was about to be announced, a guy named Paul Pressler, currently the CEO of Gap Inc. but then an executive in the Disney Sports conglomerate, went over Tavares' head and told Eisner and other Disney higher-ups that if they wanted to sell the team, which he knew they did, they were going to have to put a competitive team on the field if they wanted to get anything near the purchase price they wanted. Eisner and Co. listened and decided to back out of the deal.

The result: Tavares, seeing that now he no longer had any pull in the organization, resigned. Then the aforementioned pissed-off veterans suddenly were very open to signing contract extensions, a couple players were signed to make the team more competitive, and after a slow start the team went on a hot streak and went on to win their first World Series.

All that would not have happened if Erstad was traded that January. Paul Pressler remains my hero.

 

I remember that deal. Too bad Erstad is too injured now to continue. He should retire and know he's the best Nebraska punter-turned major leaguer ever.

 

I'd wing one in about the Yankees, but then I remembered they made all those best non-deals with other teams. Oh well.

 

If memory serves (from Olney's "Last Night..."), the Yankees were going to swap Soriano for Jose Paniagua with the Mariners, straight up.

 

Or, as I like to think of him, Joe Breadandwater.

Then there was the proposed Ted Williams-for-Joe DiMaggio deal. I do believe alcohol was a contributing factor to the idea even being given life.

 

Good one. I used to refer to Jose Mesa as Jose Table. No one ever got the joke.

 

Albert Belle over Bernie.

 

From that same book actually I feel like the Yankees also almost traded Mariano Rivera for almost nothing. Also, Cashman didn't trade Hughes this summer, though he could just turn into another Brien Taylor.

 

I think the Bulls are pretty happy they didn't trade Scottie Pippen for Shawn Kemp.

 

that's really fucking funny

 

Leo, you chistoso. Now why do I think that's sarcasm?

 

dyepack, ningun sarcasmo. i'm not being sarcastic at all. seriously. i laughed out loud when i read pressboxer's "joe bread and water" post and again when i read yours.