Good evening. This is Dead Legends. The daily newsletter that loves baseball as much as Turk Wendell loved the number 9.

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Today’s story is about the most infamous trade in baseball history.

On December 26, 1919 the Red Sox inked a deal to send one of the greatest players of all time, George Herman Ruth, to their division rivals, the New York Yankees.

In return, Harry Frazee and the Red Sox got $100K in cash and an 86-year curse.

If it wasn’t for this guy, the Sox probably still wouldn’t have a World Series.

We all know who got the short end of the stick on this trade, but the real question is: Why the f**k did they do it in the first place?

First, let’s set the frame here.

Back in 1919, it’s not like Babe Ruth was some kind of undiscovered talent.

He was already an ace on the mound and led the league in runs, home runs, and RBI’s.

By today’s standards, Ruth’s 29 home runs for the 1919 season would be no big deal - some guys can put up those kind of numbers by the all-star break.

However, Ruth was the first of his kind.

2nd place behind him that year: Gavvy Cravath with 12.

So with that being said, there are three theories about the Babe Ruth trade and why Harry Frazee decided to make this move.

Theory #1: Ruth was an asshole

When you’re a living legend like the Bambino, it’s hard not to let your ego get out of control.

Ruth was a massive drinker, womanizer, and gambler.

His gambling addiction was out of control as well - he once nearly gambled away his whole season’s salary in a few weeks.

Plus, he was a prima-donna.

Ruth wanted things his way and didn’t care about what his coaches or team had to say about it.

He battled with the team managers in 1918 and 1919 when they tried to get him to pitch, and he’d force the team to give him bonuses during the season - even skipping a few games in protest. 

Ruth once threatened to leave the game of baseball altogether for boxing if he didn’t get his way.

With all his partying, and his constant bickering with the team, maybe Boston decided the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.

Theory #2: The Sox didn’t understand Ruth’s potential.

As I mentioned earlier, The Bambino was one of the best pitchers in the league.

He was unhittable in his first three World Series runs (1915, 1916, 1918).

In 1918, he threw 29 scoreless innings.

This is the guy the Sox knew him as; not the home run king.

His 29 homers in 1919 showed fans how much potential he has.

However, the team was stingy with him because they needed him on the mound.

Maybe they didn’t realize his potential, which led to disagreements, and ultimately, to Ruth demanding a salary that they were not willing to give him.

Theory #3: Harry Frazee simply couldn’t afford Ruth.

Frazee was the owner of the Red Sox, but he was also a failed theater producer.

This dude was in a ton of debt.

With the bills stacking up, and empty seats at Fenway, Frazee needed to liquify his assets.

At the time, Frazee traded Ruth for the largest sum of money in baseball history - $100,000.

With this trade, he was able to get out of his financial troubles in one fell swoop.

Which one of these do you think is closest to the truth? Vote below.

PINSTRIPE LEGENDS

In the spirit of today’s email, we’re featuring another epic piece from the Dead Legends Gallery.

This “dream scene” features five GOAT’s having a mythical meeting in the clubhouse - it’s a must-have for any Yankees fan.

For a limited time, we’re offering a $20 discount for exclusively for Dead Legends subscribers.

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BASEBALL TRIVIA

Find the answer in the bottom of this email!

STRANGE NAMES

If you're just joining us, we play this game every day where we try to find the weirdest names throughout baseball history.

Why? Don't ask us, it's just something we like to do.

If you've been rocking with us for awhile now, you know what time it is.

Today's winner is:

In 1965, Mudcat became the first black pitcher to win 20 games during a single season in the American League.

Grant earned two complete-game World Series victories, hit a three-run home run in Game 6, and was named The Sporting News American League Pitcher of the Year.

In 2007, Grant released The Black Aces: Baseball's Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners - which includes chapters on Vida Blue, Bob Gibson, CC Sabathia and more.

THE DEAD LEGENDS ARCHIVE

If you like this story, check out some of our past favorites:

• The Hammer: How a 14-year-old MC Hammer became the the Executive VP of the A's

• The Wild Flight: Mets celebrate their NLCS win with a food fight on the plane

• The Killer: Ty Cobb’s father gets shot by his mom

BASEBALL TRIVIA ANSWER: Roger Connors