Second Baseman Moon Claimed Off Waivers
June 17th, 1987
Following a well documented effort to remove star second-baseman
Darrell Moon from the payroll, the Duluth Danger have at last been relieved of their obligation to pay out the remainder Moon's three year $1,200,000 contract through 1990. Moon was claimed off waivers by rival Rochester on June 6th, granting a sigh of relief to GM Gavin Giles, who has been actively shopping Darrell in recent weeks.
Moon is now thirty-five years old and among the most decorated athletes in Heartland League history, having appeared in eight All-Star games, winning three Best Fielder Awards, and ranking second on the All-Time hits leaderboard with 1,483. Following eight seasons with the Poplar Bluff Predators, Moon was signed as a free-agent by the Danger on January 1st of 1986. The same season Moon went on to post a .338 AVG, .385 OBP, and 51.4 VORP in 143 games. Due to an overstocked infield, the Danger were forced to choose between the younger option, 2B
Preston Richards, or rely on the aging Moon -- favoring the ladder option.
The loss of Moon was a major blow to the fans of Duluth, having been regarded among the most popular players in town.
"I just don't understand the logic in the front office." said Carson Trayner, a longtime Danger supporter
"The fans loved Moon. He brought a lot of enthusiasm to the ballpark. He's a legend, you know. Even though he wasn't here for very long, it's just the fact that he's been so successful in the league for years that created all the hype. I'm disappointed. It's a tough loss."
In related news, the Danger also placed
MR Wayne Miller on waivers, and he has since been claimed by the
Canton Kernals organization.