Nomar traded to Cubs

my phone rang almost immediately. long time dodger fan jeff whalen from tsar was on the other end.

“i woke up at 2pm like any normal person,” he said. “and i find out that the world has been turned upside down.”

he went on to tell me that the Dodgers had traded catcher/first basemen Paul LoDuca, reliever Guillermo Mota and outfielder Juan Encarnacion to florida for pitcher Brad Penny, first baseman Hee Seop Choi and minor league left-hander Bill Murphy in one of the most mindboggling trades in recent history.

while jeff and i continued to wonder aloud why the dodgers hate good catchers (piazza, johnson, and now loduca (who is currently batting .301)) all i could do was contain my disbelief that the cubs had actually pulled off the trade of the day.

the cubs, the chicago cubs, a team that hasnt won a world series since 1908, actually got off their asses and traded for something that they actually needed: one more big bat in streaky, uneven, but potent lineup brimming with potential.

the four way deal went as follows:

boston sent Nomar Garciaparra, powerhitting prospect Matt Murton, and cash to chicago

chicago sent shortstop Alex Gonzalez and reliever Francis Beltran to montreal

chicago sent pitching prospect Justin Jones to minnesota

minnesota sent first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to boston

montreal sent shortstop Orlando Cabrera to boston

i still dont believe the cubs great fortune, the sox’s great loss, and the dodgers’s great stupidity.

desipio + bambino’s curse + a view from the bleachers