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SPORTING TIMES — February 10th, 1913
By George F. Winthrop
CLUBS TURN BACK TO TRADE MARKET AFTER BUSY DRAFT SEASON
With the draft now concluded, several clubs have wasted little time in returning to the trading field, seeking to secure those pieces they felt slipped through their grasp on draft day. The weeks following the selections have produced a steady run of transactions, reshaping rosters as teams prepare for the coming campaign.
The most prominent exchange came on December 23rd, when the Brooklyn Superbas sent first baseman Bill Pettus, left-handed pitcher Joe Engel, and catcher Ray Schalk to the Boston Braves in return for right-hander Grover Cleveland Alexander. Pettus appeared in 91 games last season and hit .223, while Alexander worked heavily for Brooklyn, posting an 18–18 mark from 39 starts with a 3.81 earned run average.
That same day, the Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves completed a notable swap of their own. The Red Sox parted with second baseman Marty Berghammer, receiving veteran infielder Whitey Alperman, shortstop Tommy McMillan, and outfielder Duffy Lewis. Lewis appeared in 136 games last season and finished with a .245 batting average.
On December 25th, the Chicago White Sox dealt left-hander Oscar Graham and young right-hander Ernie Shore to the Brooklyn Superbas, acquiring outfielder Hack Eibel and third baseman Jack Kibble. Graham saw limited action last season, finishing 1–2 across eight relief appearances.
The Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics completed a trade of reserves on December 27th, sending Phil Douglas to Philadelphia in exchange for Fred Olmstead and Paul Musser.
Brooklyn again made news on January 10th, trading Pol Perritt to the New York Yankees for veteran pitcher Ed Reulbach, a move also described as a reserve exchange.
The Yankees were active once more on January 15th, acquiring first baseman Babe Borton from Detroit in return for pitcher Walt Dickson. Borton made his mark as a pinch hitter last season, batting .311 in 85 such appearances.
On January 27th, the Philadelphia Phillies sent outfielder Spottswood Poles to the Washington Senators, receiving pitcher Hub Perdue and outfielder Frank Gilhooley. Poles appeared in 77 games last season, making four starts and batting .250.
The final notable transaction came on January 28th, when the Chicago Cubs traded veteran second baseman Grant Johnson to the Chicago White Sox. In return, the Cubs received Gus Williams, Wilbur Cooper, Ernie Johnson, and George Boehler. Grant Johnson hit .213 across 99 games last season, while Williams impressed in extended duty, batting .305 in 101 games.
As spring approaches, these moves reflect the continued effort by clubs to fine-tune their rosters, proving that even after the draft, the work of building a winning team is far from finished.
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