radio@spuxll.UUCP (Rick Farina) (09/02/85)
The Pirates fire sale continues with the August 31st trading of Bill Madlock to the Dodgers for three "prospects": R. J. Reynolds, Sid Bream, and Cecil Espy. Reynolds was a roster player for the Dodgers with some impressive minor league stats. Bream has rolled up some very impressive seasons at Albuquerque, and has had a few cups of coffee with LA. Espy is an outfielder in the Texas League who had been acquired by the Dodgers from the White Sox in 1982 in exchange for Rudy Law. The trade occurred just in time for Madlock to qualify for post-season play with the Dodgers. In fact, on the same day, Madlock went from a team that had just become the first in the NL to be mathematically eliminated (the Pirates), to a first place team with a comfortable lead (the Dodgers). Talk about reincarnation! Having disposed of Madlock, Candalaria, Hendrick, Foli, and Holland, the Pirates and GM Brown are left with just Kemp, Thompson, and Mazilli as veteran, well-rewarded players whose recent contributions to the team have been marginal. With the Sept 1 trading deadline past, these three will have to be moved during the off-season, but before the Pirates are actually sold. This may be the greatest challenge of Brown's thus far very impressive current tenure as GM. raf ---
abgamble@water.UUCP (abgamble) (09/04/85)
> > The Pirates fire sale continues with the August 31st trading of Bill Madlock > to the Dodgers for three "prospects": R. J. Reynolds, Sid Bream, > and Cecil Espy. ... > > raf > --- This one reminds me of 1979 when San Francisco *gave* Madlock to Pittsburgh in mid-season. That gave the Pirates enough of a boost that they were able to edge out Montreal on the last day of the season (painful memory). Of course the rest of the story ("We are family") is well known. Will history repeat itself? -- Bruce Gamble - abgamble@water.UUCP