1955 Yankees of the Past: The Trade with Baltimore

 A GOOD SWAP FOR BOTH

"The Orioles needed new faces to keep the turnstiles clicking. Byrd, Woodling and McDonald are big leaguers. The handful of other Yankee chattels tossed into the deal contains definite promise."

Lyall Smith in the Detroit Free Press (Baseball Digest, January-February 1955)

ORIOLES WON'T LOSE

"The Orioles hardly figure to lose. They have a first baseman in Gus Triandos who may become a hitter, and a capable if aging outfielder in Woodling. Also, they acquired a pair of starters in Byrd and McDonald. In Miranda the Orioles got no powerhouse, but the wee Cuban will play a consistent shortstop as Hunter never has done.

And the prize of the lot could be the yet unfamed catcher, Hal Smith, whose .350 batting average led the American Association in 1954."

-Francis Stann, the Washington Star (Baseball Digest, January-February 1955)

RICHARDS "HADDA" MAKE IT

"Frank Lane, the White Sox general manager, maintains it was the type of a deal which Richards had to make. 'In similar circumstances, I would have done it, too,' says Frank.

In support of such a contention, Lane's reasoning goes like this: Richards only had three ball players in Turley, Larsen and Hunter. He could finish seventh with them again in 1955. This way he winds up with nine new players, most of whom are not used to losing.

'Paul may have handed the Yanks another flag,' said Lane. 'He sure made it tough on Cleveland and the Sox. But he can't think of that. He had to try and help himself and I'd bet he wins at least ten more games next season. He got two starting pitchers in McDonald and Byrd and strengthened other positions.' "

-John P. Carmichael, Chicago Daily News (Baseball Digest, January-February 1955)

WAIT TO HANG RICHARDS!

"Horrendous as the deal may appear to them at the moment, and deaf as they may be the pleas of Richards and President Clarence Miles to hold still, for in time they will see that all is well, the notion here is that Baltimore fans give the man- meaning Richards- the time for which he asks and not hang him by the neck right now.

Admittedly, the Orioles, publicly dedicated to giving the town the best team in the shortest possible time, have dealt three young players- Turley, Larsen and Hunter- to the Yankees in return for a raft of the kind of players not usually considered desirable material in a building job, Traindos excepted. But he must know something, that Richards."

-Frank Graham, New York Journal-American (Baseball Digest, January-February 1955)