History of trades between the NL and AL

[Tom the Fish]

I was reading somewhere that they didn't use to allow trades between the American and National League until the 50s or so. I tried to find information about this online to no avail.

Does anyone have details on this, such as when trades between the leagues were eventually allowed? If it's true, is there any way to simulate this rule in OOTP?

Tom

[Questdog]

Originally Posted by Tom the Fish

I was reading somewhere that they didn't use to allow trades between the American and National League until the 50s or so. I tried to find information about this online to no avail.

Does anyone have details on this, such as when trades between the leagues were eventually allowed? If it's true, is there any way to simulate this rule in OOTP?

Tom

You read wrong.

The AL began life as a major league in 1901. The NL was not very happy about their existence, especially since the AL did not respect the NL's player contracts and raided NL rosters for free agent signings. But by 1903, the two leagues had come to an understanding to respect each other's player contracts and began trading players with one another.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Tom the Fish

I was reading somewhere that they didn't use to allow trades between the American and National League until the 50s or so. I tried to find information about this online to no avail.

It's not that trading between the leagues was disallowed, but rather trades between the leagues required the players to clear waivers first, either in his own league or both leagues, depending on the year and what part of the season it was.

The nominal purpose for such waiver restrictions was to prevent a tail-end club in one league from sabotaging the pennant race in the other by selling or trading its players to the front-runners in the other league.

Here's a table that spells out what types of trades required what type of waiver in what time period.

Before 1917             League trades        Interleague trades
Regular season:         no waivers           no waivers
Off-season:             no waivers           no waivers

1917-1933               League trades        Interleague trades
Before trade deadline:  no waivers           no waivers
After trade deadline:   league waivers       league waivers
Off-season:             no waivers           no waivers

1934-1952               League trades        Interleague trades
Before trade deadline:  no waivers           league waivers
After trade deadline:   league waivers       league waivers
Off-season:             no waivers           league waivers

1953-1985               League trades        Interleague trades
Before trade deadline:  no waivers           league waivers
After trade deadline:   league waivers       interleague waivers
Off-season:             no waivers           league waivers

1986-present            League trades        Interleague trades
Before trade deadline:  no waivers           no waivers
After trade deadline:   interleague waivers  interleague waivers
Off-season:             no waivers           no waivers

Beginning in 1959, a waiver-free interleague trading period was added during the off-season. It originally ran from Nov. 21 to Dec. 15. In 1977, a second waiver-free interleague off-season trading period was added, running originally from Feb. 15 to Mar. 15.

In 1986, all waiver restrictions on interleague trades were rescinded, and trades within a league or between leagues were treated the same.

OOTP used the 1986-present rules. It does not have any facility by which you can recreate the kind of waiver restrictions on interleague trades seen in earlier MLB years. (I've made the suggestion it should, as the waiver restrictions which existed back then must have made player movement between the leagues more difficult than current-day rules do.)


One further bit of trading/waiver trivia: For the 1940 season, the AL adopted was what dubbed by some as a "screw the Yankees" rule. The rule stated that clubs could not sell or trade players to the previous season's pennant winner unless the players cleared waivers within the league first. The uule lasted through the 1941 season before being repealed.

[Tom the Fish]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

It's not that trading between the leagues was disallowed, but rather trades between the leagues required the players to clear waivers first, either in his own league or both leagues, depending on the year and what part of the season it was.

Ah, thanks. The info sounded suspicious at best, but i wasn't able to find any information on the internet about it. I really appreciate the detailed explanation!

Thanks,
Tom

[TribeFanInNC]

Hmmm....I didn't know that either.