[Pelican]

Spring Training in Clearwater, 1964.

Cookie Rojas, omitted above, is outplaying incumbent Tony Taylor at 2B. Rojas is rated higher offensively with a high contact number. Both were popular players for years in Philly. Rojas was the prototypical utility guy, until he settled in as an All-Star 2B with the Royals. We’re going to give him the chance a few years earlier. That makes Taylor expendable.

Trade: Tony Taylor to the Baltimore Orioles for veteran RHP Robin Roberts. Return of the prodigal. The Phils unceremoniously dumped Roberts after a wretched start for a bad team in 1961 (and a 1-10 record on the year). He resurrected his career with the Orioles in 1962, and was still capable of being a fourth or fifth starter at age 37 in 1964. Plus this would prove to be a huge boost to the Phils Phaithful, who rallied around their former star, as soon as the trade was announced.

Trade: Art Mahaffey and Danny Cater to the Red Sox for Dick Stuart (1B). Dr. Strangeglove would eventually end up in Philadelphia in 1965 for one season, a decent one. In 1963, traded from Pittsburgh to Boston, he thrived at Fenway, with 42 home runs, and led the Al in RBI with 118. Also the leader in GIDP with 24, and near the lead with 144 strike outs. The trade made sense for the Bosox, who need pitching more than hitting. They’d soon have Boomer Scott to man 1B. The Phils’ lineup with Callison sandwiched between Allen and Stuart looks formidable.

I tried a number of other deals, for guys like Don Demeter, Jim Hickman, Ernie Banks, Deron Johnson, all without success, for various reasons. The OOTP trade algorithm does hold up. This was the classic deal that helps both teams - assuming Mahaffey’s arm holds up, and Stuart can hit bombs outside of Fenway Park. I figured that Cater, who has good contact but little pop, was expendable with Stuart onboard. Either John Herrnstein or Carl Emery, both lefty hitters, can spell Stuart against RHSP.