A Piece of the Philadelphia Athletics 1933 Black Tuesday Trades (Grove & Walberg)

[Jobu]

I wanted to share a neat piece of baseball history. In 1933, Connie Mack and the team needed cash after attendance dropped after three years of great success and they proceeded to famously blow up their roster on what become known as Black Tuesday to Athletics fans. Eddie Collins and the Boston Red Sox were ready to pounce, acquiring Lefty Grove, Rube Walberg, and Max Bishop in exchange Robert Kline, Harold Warstler, and cash.

This is the release/trade slip that Collins gave to Kline. It is amazing to think about the conversation that this piece of paper witnessed, not to mention the emotions of Athletics (and Boston) fans. I also wonder whether Kline was a bit tickled to have been the biggest name being exchanged for Lefty Grove and Rube Walberg.

You can read the full story here:

https://sabr.org/journal/article/bla...december-1933/

[nat]

"Traded for Walberg"??!?

They didn't even mention Lefty ****ing Grove?

Anyway, that is an incredible piece of memorabilia.

[Jobu]

I have thought that Warstler's release probably says "Traded for Grove" or maybe Grove & Bishop. It would be fun to find that one too - not to mention the releases going the other direction.

[RCMcKenzie]

Nice find, Bryan. Here's the guy traded for Grove and Bishop. I randomly picked this up at a local show a few years ago.