jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson) (12/07/84)
One thing I've never understood about baseball is why trades are
publicised before they are finalised. For example, everybody knows that
the A's and Yankees are close to a deal that would send Ricky Henderson
to New York. But what if the deal falls through and Henderson ends up
staying in Oakland? How can he be expected to play to his full potential
for the A's when he knows they've been trying to trade him and he's playing
against a team that he could be joining the next day?
--
Jeff Richardson, DCIEM, Toronto (416) 635-2073
{linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,floyd}!utcsrgv!dciem!jeff
{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!dciem!jeffktw@whuxi.UUCP (WOLMAN) (12/10/84)
I suspect that baseball trades are publicized before anything
substantial has been decided largely because the parties
involved (i.e., some owners) want the free publicity whether
or not the trade actually is consummated. The Ricky Henderson
deal is a case in point. After years of watching George
("Der Fooey") Steinbrenner sing, dance, and hot-cha-cha his
way through the New York press, I am more than a little
suspicious that getting Henderson from Oakland was a "nice to
have," while getting his name on the back page of the News and
the Post (God help us) was the primary motivator. If Henderson
had decided to stay with Oakland or go elsewhere, Steinbrenner
would be out a ballplayer he didn't need: but he would have had
several days of publicity for himself. Self-promotion has been
Boss George's driver since he bought the team. He is the main
reason this kid from the Bronx roots against the Yankees.