Historical scenarios

[Jroll]

I am newer here and I am sure that it has been talked about many times how Willie Mays was very close to signing with the Braves. This scenario seems to always be brought up in the context of the "what if game" because people seem to make the assumption that this would lead to Mays-Aaron-Mathews middle of the order through the 50's and early 60's. The thing that is not mention as much is that before signing with the Braves, Aaron was close to a deal with the Giants which would have led to a Mays and Aaron OF.

My question is that isn't it logical to assume that had the Braves signed Mays, its more likely that Aaron ends up a Giant rather then a Brave. Due to many reasons it seems like a perfect butterfly effect to me. The Braves already having paid Mays and having him be a rising star may not be as willing to give Aaron more money, while on the other hand the Giants not having Mays would probably go out out to bring in this potential stud.

Also I know this doesn't matter at all, but I find stuff like this interesting. So thank you for humoring me

[DTF955]

I am newer here and I am sure that it has been talked about many times how Willie Mays was very close to signing with the Braves. This scenario seems to always be brought up in the context of the "what if game" because people seem to make the assumption that this would lead to Mays-Aaron-Mathews middle of the order through the 50's and early 60's. The thing that is not mention as much is that before signing with the Braves, Aaron was close to a deal with the Giants which would have led to a Mays and Aaron OF.

My question is that isn't it logical to assume that had the Braves signed Mays, its more likely that Aaron ends up a Giant rather then a Brave. Due to many reasons it seems like a perfect butterfly effect to me. The Braves already having paid Mays and having him be a rising star may not be as willing to give Aaron more money, while on the other hand the Giants not having Mays would probably go out out to bring in this potential stud.

Also I know this doesn't matter at all, but I find stuff like this interesting. So thank you for humoring me

Doc Brown voice: "See, marty, this is how to think fourth dimensionally!"

Seriously, that's just the way i see it, too. Actually, I've done a few baseball alternate histories - a couple in my sig for sale and a few on the boards here. It is a fun topic, and I've got one in the words for here and alternatehistory.com about such a switch.

I actually have it coming from something else - Bill Veeck buying the Browns earlier and moving them to Milwaukee right away, hence the Braves go to Baltimore - but it would really make things interesting. Without the decline that Mays had, Aaron might have been able to lead them to the pennant in 1966., with perhaps 1959 and 1962 swapping places, '59 a Giants' year, '62 a Dodger one.

The only question is, how would Aaron do in CF? GBecause I think they'd be forced to put him there at first. I think he'd be okay but he'd move to right pretty fast. he'd be remembered more like Stan Musial - as an "outifleder" rather than associated with one specific position in the outfield. I know Musial started a few seasons in CF. (Checks baseball-referece.com ) Musial last played substantially in CF in 1952, his age 31 year, which is about where I see Aaron, maybe a couple years after that.

[abolishthedh]

Good thread, and good point.

Lets remember, first, that in the era of the 1950s the only way in which teams would build a superstar studded team would be through trades. Even by the 1960s, this would be an extremely unlikely trade. Such a trade would have to happen in the early 1950s.

IMO, the question is two-sided. On the one hand, it is easy to see how one team, especially the team without Mays, would be inclined to trade for Mays and team him up with Aaron. On the other hand, the team who is willing to trade this mega-stud (Aaron or Mays) would have to be willing to do so.

I can't see any team, Braves nor the Giants, nor any other NL team willing to trade either Mays or Aaron at all, ever. The hypothetical situation which might develop might appear after a great deal of scrutiny of Giants/Braves rosters in the early 1950s, along with the sucker team GM who would risk his career on the trade.

[westsidegrounds]

if we're doing what-ifs, how about: what if the Red Sox had signed Jackie Robinson and Sam Jethroe in 1945?

[RubeWaddell19]

My all-time favorite (admittedly beaten to death) is the Joe DiMaggio - Ted Williams trade

What if the Mets had drafted Reggie Jackson instead of Steve Chilcott in 1966. Imagine Finley's A's without Jackson and the Mets with Jackson's bat in the lineup.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

Isn't this a copy cat / duplicate of this recent thread?

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?109153-The-Magic-Wand-Go-Back-in-Time-and-Change-your-team-s-fortunes