NEW YORK _ The best trade in Mets history did not bring them a player, but it provided the architect of the 1969 world championship.
On Nov. 27, 1967, the Mets acquired Washington Senators manager Gil Hodges for $100,000 and Bill Denehy, a right-handed pitcher whose otherwise claim to fame is being pictured with Tom Seaver on Topps' "1967 Mets Rookie Stars" card. That card, in good condition, is valued well over $100,000. Hodges' value to the '69 Mets? Priceless.
Denehy, who had a brief, injury-riddled career, has spent the last half a century being the subject of his very own trivia question. He once posed it at a sports bar and stumped the emcee. "Nobody at the bar knew it, either," Denehy said. "They all applauded me. I won a dinner for myself and my friends."
Denehy has managed to have a rewarding life as he overcame a long battle with addiction and is coping with the loss of his eyesight.
