With the 2017 season officially dead and buried for the New York Mets, we anxiously await the start of the Hot Stove season with the hope that Sandy Alderson can swing a deal or two that will help us improve the team and get us back to the postseason.
Of course, Mets history has certainly given us many more bad trades than good. But let’s look on the bright side and reminisce about one of the best trades the Mets have ever made. in this case a trade hatched by Frank Cashen, certainly the best general manager the Mets ever had, at least to this point.
By now you probably figured out I’m talking about the Keith Hernandez trade, and with Keith celebrating his 64th birthday today, we honor him with this post.
The Keith Hernandez trade of June 15, 1983 is explained in detail in one of the finest baseball books I have ever read, White Rat – A Life In Baseball by Whitey Herzog and Kevin Horrigan. As Cardinals’ manager/GM, Herzog made some outstanding deals and a couple of real clinkers. Even worse than the Hernandez deal is an earlier one that may rank as one of the worst trades ever – Ted Simmons, Pete Vuckovich, and Rollie Fingers for Sixto Lezcano, Lary Sorensen, Dave LaPoint, and David Green (then considered the best prospect in the game). But back to the Hernandez deal.
As the 1983 season went on, Herzog felt that Keith Hernandez was dogging it. Herzog said he knew nothing of Keith’s drug use, but he couldn’t believe how lazy Keith was becoming. He wasn’t running out ground balls and he seemed to be spending most of his time before games smoking cigarettes and doing crossword puzzles. Other players were complaining to Herzog about Keith’s lack of hustle, and Whitey’s coaches told him that even though the club was in first place, Hernandez was “poisoning” the whole team.
Herzog also thought the Cardinals needed pitching and felt that Hernandez still had excellent trade value and that Hernandez’ salary demands for his next contract were going to be far out of line with his value to the team.
The Cardinals also had a red-hot minor league hitter in Andy Van Slyke who deserved a chance in the big leagues. So, Herzog decided that moving George Hendrick to first base and Van Slyke to the Cardinals’ outfield and dealing Hernandez for pitching help was the way to go.
When Lonnie Smith came forward admitting to a cocaine habit and possibly insinuating that he was not the only member of the team doing drugs, some suspicion arose concerning Hernandez. The Cardinals began shopping Keith, but there were few interested parties. All the other teams were scared of his contract and there was a definite buzz of drug rumors. Only Frank Cashen of the Mets showed any interest. The deal was to be Neil Allen who the Cardinals were going to turn into a starter, and the Mets’ most promising young pitcher, Rick Ownbey, in exchange for Hernandez. When Cashen agreed, that was it.
Hernandez’ initial reaction to going to the Mets was negative and he was pretty sure he would opt out and become a free agent, but the Mets’ young talent and Hernandez’ quick adjustment to New York City changed his mind. Keith also put his drug problems behind him and became an integral part of a Mets’ team that won a World Championship and probably should have won a couple more. Allen faded quickly and Ownbey surprisingly never made it at all, making this one of those one-sided deals the Mets were very famous for, only this time it was in their favor.
Happy Birthday, Keith!
