“You Have Been Traded To…”

By Shawn Stewart

Sometimes it can be a good thing when the coach or manager calls you into their office. Maybe they want to congratulate you on an amazing game you just played, or maybe you have been made captain of the team, but in most cases, if a coach or manager calls you into the office it might be news you do not want to hear. The hardest words for an athlete to hear or a coach to speak are, you have been traded to (insert team here). In professional sports within the United States and Canada, a trade is a sports league transaction between sports teams involving the swap of player rights from one club/team to another. Though player rights are the primary trading assets, draft picks and/or monetary compensations are other considerations that may be supplemented to complete a trade, either packaged alongside player rights to be transferred to another team or as separate assets in exchange for player rights and/or draft picks in return. Typically, trades are completed between two teams, but there are instances when trades are consummated between three or more teams (e.g.' a "three-way trade"). This got me thinking about some of the craziest trades in sports history. The biggest trades in sports history have changed the luck of countless teams over the years, for better and for worse. Here are, in my opinion, the three biggest trades in sports history.

Hockey as we all know is popular in Canada, but one trade in 1988 really put the National Hockey League on the map in the United States. For the laid-back fan, the name Wayne Gretzky immediately identifies with the sport of hockey. He is still widely considered the "greatest of all time," the native Canadian's move in 1988 to Los Angeles is credited with the sport's recognition in the United States. Gretzky had already spent 10 years in Edmonton, transforming the way hockey was played across the league with a "team-oriented", "head-first strategy" that remains prevailing to this day. Just hours after the Oilers hosted Lord's Stanley Cup, Gretzky learned he would be traded for cash considerations to help the owner's other failing business needs. The deal was huge, with the Kings giving up $15 million, two players, and three first-round draft picks. The move remains known simply as "The Trade." The fan interest for the Los Angeles Kings skyrocketed as a result of the trade. The Oilers did end up winning the Stanley Cup in 1990, without Gretzky on the roster. The Los Angeles Kings did not achieve that feat until 2012 when they won a Stanley, well after "The Great One'' had retired.

In the history of sports, there might not have been a bigger "foundation-building trade" than the one that occurred on October 12, 1989, between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. This trade involved star running back Herschel Walker, who had just rushed for 3,388 yards in his 3-plus seasons with the Cowboys. This trade which included multiple draft picks, helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls during the 1990s. Two of the highly regarded players that came from the draft picks that Dallas received were Emmitt Smith, who by the way, is the current all-time NFL leading rusher, as well as safety Darren Woodson, who appeared in 5 Pro Bowls. After the trade, Walker took a major step back in his production. He rushed for just 2,264 yards in 2-plus seasons with the Vikings, and he only reached the postseason one time in his short time in a Vikings uniform.

The biggest trade in sports history happened between one of the biggest rivals in all of sports, which led to a curse that lasted 86 years, which was finally broken in 2004 when the Red Sox won the World Series. This curse is known as the "Curse of the Bambino." Ruth made his debut in 1914, and made an immediate impact for the Red Sox, but not as an outfielder, but in fact, he was a starting pitcher. His career pitching numbers are very solid. He had 94 wins compared to only 46 losses. His career ERA is an astonishing 2.28. His talent on the mound led the Red Sox to consecutive World Series titles in 1915 and 1916. Red Sox owner, Harry Frazee at the time agreed to sell Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000 the day after Christmas in 1919, but the sale was not finalized until the following week. Ruth became one of the greatest hitters of all time and held multiple records, some that stood for many years. Ruth is currently third all-time on the all-time home run list with 714. The Red Sox really should have reconsidered this trade. Was it worth receiving $100,000 for Ruth to watch him lead the hated Yankees to four World Series titles in 15 seasons and break so many records? We may never know the answer.

Babe Ruth with the Boston Red Sox (Photo: The Athletic)

Trades in sports are going to happen, it is inevitable. As fans, we get very excited when our team pulls off a huge trade to only better our team. As much as it excites the fans to pull off a big trade, it can be a hassle or put the player in a tough spot. Next time our favorite player, on our favorite team walks into the manager's or coach's office, let's hope it is for something positive and not to hear the famous words, “you have been traded to”….

Follow Shawn on Twitter @ShawnSportsNut