A LOOK AT THE BIG TRADE
On the eve of Opening Day, 1932, the North Dallas 40 announced they had acquired second baseman Charlie 
Gehringer from Fremont in exchange for pitchers Charlie Root and Ed Brandt, infielders Tony Cuccinello 
and Jackie Hayes, and outfielder Gee Walker. North Dallas also gets Fremont's 2nd round pick in 1933. So 
who wins in this trade?
Gehringer turns 29 this spring. He was Fremont's bonafide star, batting .293 in his 4 years there including a 
career high of .304 in 1930. He was their second round pick back in 1928. This means that newly-acquired Tony 
Cuccinello, 23, will become the second baseman for the Traders. This is Cuccinello's third team in three years, 
but last year, his true rookie season, he hit .296 and scored 94 runs. Left at this, this trade is not quite fair. 
Gehringer is easily the best second baseman in the game, and has probably another good 6-7 years left. 
Cooch is much younger, and probably not as talented. Yet, he is a solid defender who can hit some. So Fremont 
loses a great second baseman and get a good one in return.
Now, add in Jackie Hayes. This 26-year old second baseman has an outstanding glove, and some hitting ability. 
A high-quality back-up. And Gee Walker, one of the leagues most promising stars. A solid line-drive hitter with 
great speed, although he only hit .218 in 78 at-bats last year. Walker could be a starter on any team in the 
league, and Johnny Moore is definitely no Gee Walker.
And now, factor in the pitchers.Ed Brandt has not been all that impressive, but we really has only played one 
full season, that being last year when he was 12-15 with a 4.88 ERA and gave up more earned runs than anyone 
else in the DBS. The thing is: Brandt is a left-hander, and he had an impressive spring. This could be his 
break-out season. And lastly, there is Charlie Root. He is 33, and nearing the end, but he was arguably the 
40's most dependable pitcher. He accumulated 50 wins in his time there, and lead the team in wins in the last 
three seasons. He is the team's all-time leader in wins, ERA and strikeouts. His experience is invaluable, and 
he is still effective.
So who wins this trade? Fremont looks good, because they now have a bench and a good pitching staff. They add a 
left-hander, and younger players who can contribute when playing every day. However, the big winner in this 
trade is St Louis. The only knock on them when compared to North Dallas is the lack of depth. But now, although 
the 40's starting line-up is improved, their bench is greatly weakened. And there pitching staff now has only 
two southpaws.
Yes, only time will tell, especially as there is the draft pick the 40 will get next year. But the question that 
worries the continually beleagured 40 faithful is: when will they put a winner on the field? In a down-year in 
the SouthEast, North Dallas has put a large risk out there, and are depending strongly on the future. Every year, 
the owners say they are building for the next season, and that season never comes. Last year, the dumped George 
Blaeholder to Sahara, where he won 15 games. Will Brandt be this year's Blaeholder? If he is, and North Dallas 
is sitting at home in October, pondering the next block-buster, will then fans still be patient?


TORN DOWN
A new city, a new look, and a horrible rebuilding is underway. The Hattiesburg Double-Wides hung around for a 
while last year, despite having one of the worst batting averages in the DBS. Yet, they were in the race until 
the last few weeks. However, this year figures to be the worst in Hattiesburg history. They are far removed 
from the Championship of 1928. The team is aging, as they still have heroes of the past Gabby Hartnett (31), 
Hack Wilson (32), Riggs Stephenson (34), Frankie Frisch (33), Lu Blue (35), Ray Kremer (39), Burleigh Grimes 
(38) and Eppa Rixey (41). They have drafted for the future over the last few years, gathering young players 
like 3b Stan Hack and ss Billy Jurges. The outfield will look better when Jo-Jo Moore is mature. But there 
is such a long way to go. This will be a long season down at Trailer Park, and hopefully skipper Showboat 
Fisher can weather the storm.