The San Francisco Giants send pitcher Fred Breining and outfielder Max Venable to the Montreal Expos in exchange for first baseman Al Oliver
On February 27, 1984 —Â The San Francisco Giants send pitcher Fred Breining and outfielder Max Venable to the Montreal Expos in exchange for first baseman Al Oliver. Because Breining is found to be injured, the Giants will send pitcher Andy McGaffigan to Montreal on March 31st to complete the trade.
The first time Al Oliver learned he had been traded by Montreal Expos to San Francisco Giants was in a telephone call he received from a friend The friend was watching televiÂsion around 2 am Monday when word of the deal came through, apparently because someone in the Giants’ organization leaked the announcement, which was reÂlayed by a reporter at the Giants’ camp in Phoenix.
Sunday. Oliver attended a team party, at which Expos general manager John McHale was preÂsent, but nothing was said of OliÂverâs fate.
McHale later explained to OliÂver that the deal, which brought right-hander Fred Breining to the Expos, was not consummated until 9 a m Monday âI thought the whole thing was done in bad taste by manageÂment,â said Oliver of the way the Expos handled the trade.
When first confronted by reÂporters following official anÂnouncement of the trade. Oliver said he had nothing to say, addÂing. âMy career speaks for itself. The man who has had a batting average of .300 or better for I lie last eight seasons then loosened and said that it didnât matter whether he was happy or disapÂpointed.
âI want to play when* Iâm wantÂed I realize that someone like Terry Francona deserves to play But I feel I’ve always done my job here. On the whole. Montreal was a good experience. There was a lot of pressure when I came here, but I learned to deal with it.â
McHale said it was because of promising youngsters such as Francona. Roy Johnson and Mike Stenhouse that the deal was made
âOliverâs presence put us in a log jam because we couldnât use some of our young players,â he said
Now, the trio will battle for the left-field spot, with Pete Rose, signed by the team last month as a free agent, moving to first base, where he played with PhiladelÂphia Phillies the last few years With Oliver in the lineup. Rose was ticketed to play left field âWell be better defensively and weâll have more base-running ability,â said Montreal manager Bill Virdon in analyzing the move. âItâs going to give us the type of team I like â good pitchÂing and good defense.â
Virdon said he was not sure whether Breining, 11-12 with a 3.82 earned-run average in 32 starts last season, will be used as a fifth starter or long reliever âIt depends what he does at training camp.â Virdon said.
While the Montreal manager expected that someone like Francona will pick up the offensive slack â Oliver drove in 109 and 84 runs in 1982 and 1984. Respective fully â Expos center fielder Andre Dawson wasnât so sure.
âI was shocked by the trade,â he said. âItâs a heavy blow to the teamâs offense.
âIâll never criticize manageÂment. but how do you replace a guy who hits .300 and drives in 90 runs? I donât believe the trade will help the team. Management was telling us at the end of last season that we were one or two players away from a championÂship Hut they decided to make a lot of changes instead â
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