Thread: Trivia
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Old 08-26-2021, 05:23 PM
timn1 timn1 is offline
Tim Newcomb
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Location: Illinois
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Default Kamm was the one with the big price tag

Isn't everyone reading the post below wrong? - McWeeny was one of the players (plus 100K) swapped for Willie Kamm, who turned out to be an excellent player, but no Babe Ruth...


From the excellent SABR article on Kamm at https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/willie-kamm/

"By the time the 1921 season was over, his stock had risen. The Seals were fielding offers from several teams. Pittsburgh was one of them. Although the Pirates were seemingly set at the hot corner with future Hall of Famer Pie Traynor, they were considering acquiring Kamm and moving Traynor to shortstop. The Pirates thought they had a “handshake deal” with the Seals for first refusal on Kamm. But Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey blew everyone away with a record offer of $100,000, pitcher Doug McWeeny, and two players to be named later (pitcher Shovel Hodge and infielder Eddie Mulligan). Pittsburgh scout Chick Fraser said later, “Kamm would have been bought by us no matter what the cost."

"At the White Sox’ spring-training camp in Seguin, Texas, in 1923, manager Kid Gleason gave his approval of the rookie third baseman. “There is the best third-base prospect since the days of the old Orioles; and I’m saying it whatever it cost our club,” he told a sportswriter."

Kamm provided all-Star-level defense and solid offense to the White Sox for a decade. In many of those seasons he was their best (only good) player.

Bill James rates Kamm as one of the best definsive 3B of all time. i can see why: he led the league in Assists 4 times, Putouts 7 times, DPs 3 times, and FA 8 times!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark17 View Post
May 29, 1922

Chicago White Sox traded Doug McWeeny, $100000 and 2 players to be named later to San Francisco (PCL) in exchange for Willie Kamm;

San Francisco (PCL) received Shovel Hodge (September 7, 1922) and Eddie Mulligan (October 24, 1922).

Last edited by timn1; 08-26-2021 at 05:40 PM.
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