Trade Links

I've been looking for a way to show more of my older Cubs cards. Most of what I've been buying (and showing) recently is modern stuff, and the classic cards have been neglected.  So I came up with something I call "Trade Links."

The concept is this:  I start with a player and from him I work backwards with the trades that brought him to the Cubs.  I then continue after him and follow the links until they end.

Some players are very simple, like Ernie Banks:

Acquired by the Cubs as a free agent in 1953, he retired from the Cubs after the 1971 season.   Ernie is just one link and done.

Fergie Jenkins, however, has a much more interesting trade link path.  We have to start in 1956,

when Cal Neeman was drafted by the Cubs from the Yankees in the Rule 5 draft.  Four years later, on May 13, 1960 Neeman was traded to the Phillies and in return the Cubs got...

...pitcher Don Cardwell.  He was with the Cubs through the 1962 season and then on October 17, 1962 was traded to the Cardinals in a deal that brought the Cubs...

....pitcher Larry Jackson.  When the Phillies were looking for some veterans to bolster their rotation, they made a deal with the Cubs.  On April 21, 1966, Jackson went to Philadelphia while coming to Chicago was...

...Fergie Jenkins!  So Fergie has three layers of links before he came to the Cubs.  Now lets see how far forward the links go.

After six straight 20 win seasons, Jenkins had a rough year in 1973.  After the season, on October 25, 1973, he was traded to the Rangers.  Among the players coming to the Cubs was third baseman...

...Bill Madlock.  Taking over for Ron Santo, he had three really good years.  But disputes with management led to a trade of him to the Giants on February 11, 1977.  The Cubs got a few players including....

...outfielder Bobby Murcer.  Murcer was OK with the Cubs, but was not the superstar they were hoping for.  As he got older and his skills started fading, he was dealt back to his original team, the Yankees, on June 26, 1979.  All the Cubs got in return was a minor league pitcher named...

...Paul Semall.  Semall never made it to the majors, so there is no card of him with the Cubs. This one is close, from 1979 and the Columbus Clippers.  With Semall, the links come to and end.

Neeman...Cardwell...Jackson...Jenkins...Madlock...Murcer...Semall

From 1956 to 1979, a run of 23 years and seven players.  Seven links is a pretty big number.  Pick a favorite player or two and see how many links he has with your team (baseballreference.com is your friend for this!).

I'll do a couple more of my favorite players tomorrow.