In the 1950s and early 1960s, Cubs management was well-known for trading away future stars for little return, or useful players for guys you never heard of, or acquiring former stars after they were done.
That changed when Leo Durocher took over as manager. He had quite a bit of input into personnel acquisition, far more than a field manager would today, and the Cubs’ trade acquistions of Fergie Jenkins and Randy Hundley, among others, would turn out to be important parts of the Cubs’ turnaround beginning in 1967.
In early 1969, though, the Cubs’ impatience with a young player who was struggling caused them to make a trade that would turn out to be a debacle.