European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 20, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday june 20,19b7 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary terrible trades part of baseball if you had asked historian Arnold Toyn acc what was the worst Trade in history be might have replied it was Alaska to the . Tor $7 minion. Or maybe in was the Louisiana Purchase everything from the Mississippi West to the Rockies that Napo Leon deeded to America for $15 million a half Cen Tury earlier. To a baseball fan both those transaction Are in second place. The worst Trade in history Cerli liable was Bab Ruth from Boston to the new York Yan Kees in 1919 for $125,000. It changed the face of sports in the United slates forever but terrible trades Are As much a part of baseballs the infield Fly Rule. A study of the game would make you pause and wonder what s of smart about baseball men. Blunders Are legion. Try on for size the Trade of Frank Robinson to the orioles for Mitt Pappas in 1965. Robinson went into the Hall of Fame on the Fly. Pappas. Although a pretty Good Pitcher with 209 wins became a trivia question like the third baseman m the tinker to Evers Tooi Ance infield. Most historians agree that the Lou Brock for Emie Broglio Trade was one of the game s great gaffes. Brock went into the Hall of Fame standing up. Broglio went into private business. Would you believe that the Philadelphia Phillie Sonce traded Graver Cleveland Alexander after sea sons in which he had won successively 31, 33 and30 games to Chicago for people named Mike Prendergast and pickles Pilhoefer believe it. They thought Alex drank. He drank his Way o 183 More victories after that including 27-, 22 and 21-win seasons. The Cincinnati reds once got George Foster for Frank daily and Vern Geishert if you can credit that. But any discussion of Rotten trades Over the Yean has to put the one Thi St Louis cardinals made with the new York mets in 1983 As one of the top 10 of All Lime. Keith Hernandez for Are you ready for his Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. The cardinals made Napoleon look like promoter a via Harburn Keith Hernandez at the time just might have Bee the beit All around ballplayer in the league. He had had masons at the Plau of .344, .321, ,306, .299 and .297. He had been co map in 79. Not even if he got caught voting communist or eating with his hat on should a player like that be traded for two nobodies. Not even if he had a Hole in him someplace which a lot of baseball people began to suspect had to be the Case. Well not any More than of Rover Alexander Frank Robinion or Lou Brock or babe Ruth did. Keith Hernandez in new York proceeded to Bat .311, .309 and .310 for the mete. He is an almost perfect first baseman. That is to say he Hung up a.996 Fielding average last year the Best of anybody at any position in the league. An interesting argument could be made that the world series was lost at first base last year see game 6 and the Buckner d-3 Slat. If i so that s one place the Keith Hernandez Mots won in. Keith Hernandez made Only five errors All year. And that was not one of his great years. He had four the year before. He s had As few As three. He s won nine consecutive Gold Glove awards at his position. The real measure of the effectiveness of a traded player is not always in the Decimals and com Pound fractions of the press to actuaries. You Check the flagpole. When Keith Hernandez joined the new Yorkmen they were less a team than a situation comedy. They had finished dead last 27 games out of first the year before. They were last when he joined them. By the next year they were second Only 6 a games Oul by the next they were second by 3. In his third year Utcy won the division title by 21 it. There were other factors to be sure the arrival of Gary Carter. The emergence of Dwight Goodwn. The coming of age of Darryl Strawberry. The direction of Davey Johnson. But the St. Louis cardinals had not been in a world series in 14 years when they made in with Keith Hernandez in the lineup in 1982, and the met had not been there in 13 years when they made it with him in 1986. That s How you really measure trades. The Balti More orioles had never won i Pennant when Frank Robinson joined them in 1966, they won four of the next six after he joined them. Lou Brock helped St. Louis to consecutive pennants when he arrived. Hernandez performs before the most demanding audience in the big leagues. Playing baseball in new York is like telling jokes at a friars banquet. New York ii used to great first basemen. Lou Gehrig played Here so did Bill Terry. Gil Hodges. Now they have Don Mattingly of there s one thing a new yorker knows it s How to play first base says Keith Hernandez grinning. And second base. And Short. And Pitcher. New yorkers Are expert on everything when they gel to a Ballpark 40,000 Guys with a sceptical look Cal yourself a first baseman you should seen Gehrig. Von could t wipe his say Hernander our relationship has been Good though. I admit i was apprehensive coming to new York. I mean i come from California and i played in St. Louis and 1 knew new York would t be Laid Back. They think they invented the game Here. "1 figured the Media would be Lough probing caustic. 1 figured the crowds would be impatient with imperfection. And they Are. But they re knowledgeable. They tear you apart when it s your fault but they know when it s not your fault. I m Comfort Able Here. I think our relationship is based on re if it 1snt, it ought to be. New yorkers Are getting impeccable Pennant winning play from a Guy who can be mentioned in the same breath Wilh Geh Rig Terry and Hodges. And they cot him for next 10nothing. New York got Manhattan Island from the indians for the equivalent of a Box of beads. At sea stadium they May not be impressed. They got Keith Hernandez without a Bead and did t even have to throw in the Brooklyn Bridge. La Anglo Tim suit names agent Shoemaker insurance firm millions sought by parents of Bias Washington a the parents of Len Bias filed a multimillion Dollar suit against their Ion s agent thursday charging fraud breach or contract and negligent mismanagement of the Farmer Basic Fatah Star s affairs in the weeks be fore hit death. James and lonise Bias in an action in District of Columbia Superior court the Day before the first anniversary of their son s death also sued Reebok International a shoe manufacturer and the insurance company that had written a disability poll i on the former University of Maryland Aask Cimball Star. The suit asks roughly $28 million in the paring claim agent Lee Fen toss mismanaged their son s affairs and that he told them he had taken out a is Mil lion life insurance policy on Bias which they claim proved to be a blatant Fentress fraudulent representations to the biases were made maliciously intentionally and in reckless disregard of Len Bias rights the suit claims. Pin Lester general counsel for and Vanuse International where Fentress mismanaging director said the company had not seen the suit and would have no comment. Bias died on june 19, 1986, after a night of celebrating in his University Dor Mitory after his selection by the Boston celtics in the National basketball association draft two Days before. The Maryland medical examiner ruled he died of cocaine Why should t they be As entitled As anybody to their Legal rights said Bias family attorney Wayne Curry. The state did it. Everybody else in this sordid Epi Sode did it. Now his parents want to Avail themselves of their rights. No matter How much Len Bias has been denigrated in the past year they Are entitled As much As any american to have their issues Bias death led to the trial ear incr Unis month of Brian Lee Tribble who was accused of supplying the cocaine that killed he Plaver. Tribble was acquitted after a Inal in which prosecutors de scribed Bias As a Courtesy middleman for an alleged drag trafficking operation. According to the suit Bias gave his Power of attorney to Fentress without his parents knowledge in the weeks before his death Fentress the suit alleges led Bias int questionable financial dealings that included a $15,000 loan and contracts with advantage and Reebok. The parents a they were never told that Fentress also represented left Driesell then Maryland coach in a con tract he negotiated with Reebok which the suit said signed Len Bias to a five year endorsement contract the Day be fore he died. Len Bias had entrusted his entire per Sonal and business affairs to Fentress solely As a result of the promises and guarantees by Fentress to manage his present and future career the suit says. But Bias parents charge the facts now show that Fentress and advantage s interests entered not around Len Bias but around their own individual economic the biases bad been assured that no actions would be taken concerning their sons affairs without their knowledge and consent Fentress ignored these promises the suit charges. Recounting the final Days of their son s life his parents say in the suit that they were told Bias had agreed to a con tract with Reebok and had been welcomed at a Reebok party in Boston with members of the celtics As the newest member of our the suit says Bias should have received a � 162.500 signing Bonus immediately and that the family is now owed the entire value of lie j 1,625 million contract. Reached at Reebok s . Headquarters in Massachusetts spokeswoman Kate Burnham said Bias death was an unfortunate occur Ente but there was no contract created Between Len Bias and Reebok International we feel the lawsuit is frivolous and we will defend against it she said. The suit also asks to million from Fidelity life insurance co. Of Kansas City,mo., which bad written a disability policy for Bias that his parents say included an accidental death provision. Officials at Fidelity were not immediately available for comment. Aba series fops ratings new York a the championship series Between the los Angeles lakers and Boston celtics was the High est rated Aba finals in history with Nielsen rating of 15.9, lbs to said. Each rating Point accounts for874.000 households. The rating was 1j percent ahead oblast year s Aba finals which had a re Cord 14.1.sunday s came 6, in which the lakers clinched the title was the highest rated daytime basketball game Ever including College. It had a i 7j rating Wilb a 43 share the percentage of households with televisions watching it
