'88 Dodgers Can't Help '08 Cubs After All

Posted By: Glen Alan Hill

July, 8, 2008

***This is a breaking news update to Glen Alan Hill's July 7 story.***

Well, well, well...it looks like all this talk about Jim Hendry looking to trade away some of the Cubbies honored tradition in exchange for 1988 Oral Hershiser was nothing more than a smokescreen used to distract his foes from getting in the way of his real objective, right-handed pitcher Rich Harden of the Oakland A's.

At approximately 5:30 Central Standard Time, the story hit the AP that the Cubs had mortgaged a part of their future, in exchange for Harden and his fellow A's teammate and and right-hander Chad Gaudin.

While this reporter strongly endorsed keeping the future and mortgaging the past, which included the possibility of giving up members of the Cubs storied past like 1990 Jerome Walton and 1994 Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes in exchange for the second half of Oral Hershiser's 1988 season, this is still a good move for the Cubs.

It is a particularly good move considering that Hendry had managed to float the rumor that Rhodes' fellow opening-day phenom, 1993 Kevin Roberson may also be tossed into the mix.  Roberson's nine home runs in the '93 season may not sound very impressive until you learn that he managed to hit those nine home runs while batting 11 points below the Mendoza line on the season to finish with a .189 avg.

We spoke with some fans this evening about today's news.  And when interviewed just three dangerous feet away from the edge of the rooftop at Murphy's Bleachers on Waveland, 33-yr. old Harold Franks (no relation to former Cubs manager Herman Franks) held up a half full bottle of Old Style as high as he could and said "Here's to Hendry!  I knew that son of a bitch was up to something when the rumors about Roberson came out.  I thought to myself 'Harold, if you were Jim Hendry, would you give up Roberson?'  And then I said out loud, so everyone could here 'No, No, NO!'"

The point this reporter believes Franks was drunkenly trying to make is that while the rumors of the Cubs obtaining 1988 Oral Hershiser from the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers were certainly intriguing, they seemed a bit suspicious.  Hendry probably knew all along that he was not going to get his hands on a pitcher as talented as Harden unless he was willing to part with some present day players.

Also weighing in on the issue was former Cubs pitcher and Evanston native, Kevin Foster.  Foster, who pitched for the Cubs from 1994 - 1998, told The Stonecipher Report that he was happy his name was not a part of the trade rumor-mill "I don't know how Kev [Roberson] got through it.  I mean I woulda been nervous, I've always proudly identified myself as a former Cub and to suddenly become a former Dodger, man...I don't...I don't know man...crazy stuff."

Foster did add however, that he thought if Hendry could have pulled off the Hershiser trade it would have been smart to do so saying "You know, if you have a chance to give up the guys who have already hit the home runs instead of the guys who might hit them this year, you do it."

In the end however, it would have been tough to convince the 1988 Dodgers to work with the 2008 Cubs.  Hendry would have had to catch them at a weak moment early in the year considering they went on to win the World Series that year.  It was also a full year before the Cubs were to face the Dodgers' arch-rival the San Francisco Giants in the 1989 play-offs.  Maybe if the Cubs believed 1990 Oral Hershiser was a better pick-up than present-day Rich Harden things would have been different.  So kudos to Hendry, both for the successful trade, and the executed rope a dope to keep the media in the dark through the process.  Go Cubs!

Story by Glen Alan Hill

NOTE: George Bell and Andre Dawson were contacted again but again declined to comment...this is getting old guys.  Furthermore, no interviews were actually conducted for this article and despite recent speculation, no team has yet to find a way to trade past prospects for past superstars in an effort to spur their present-day play-off run.

Please send any and all comments, complaints, made-up stories and thoughts about the Cubs to Glen Alan Hill at glen.alan.hill@gmail.com.