Dec. 3, 1963 - The San Francisco Giants and the Milwaukee Braves today made a six-player trade. The Giants received two pitchers — Bob Shaw, a right-hander, and Bob Hendley, a left-hander — and Del Crandall, once the National League’s top catcher. The Braves obtained Felipe Alou, a slugging outfielder; Ed Bailey, an equally hard-hitting catcher; and Billy Hoeft, a somewhat shopworn left-hander. The Giants will add another player to be designated. Both Johnny McHale, the Braves’ general manager, and Manager Alvin Dark of the Giants agreed Alou and Shaw were the key men. “Alou and Bailey certainly should add much to the Braves’ power next season,” said McHale. Between them they hit 41 homers last year.” “This deal definitely makes us a pennant contender,” added Braves manager Bobby Bragan. “With Henry Aaron in right field, Alou in center, and either Ed Mathews or Lee Maye in left, we’ve got a great outfield.” “Our pitching bogged down badly last year,” said Giant manager Alvin Dark, “and it needed bolstering. We figure Shaw, a strong-armed right-hander, will definitely help us. So will young Hendley, since we were sorely in need of a left-hander. And Crandall, of course, gives some excellent insurance behind the plate. Our pitching rotation now shapes up as Juan Marichal, Jack Sanford, Billy O’Dell, Hendley, and Bob Bolin. Shaw will be used as a starter as well as in relief, but we got him primarily for relief.” Shaw was delighted with the trade. “I’m very, very happy over the opportunity of joining a real strong club like the Giants,” he said from Jupiter, Fla. “I only hope I can contribute to winning them a pennant in 1964. My wife, Asta, loves San Francisco, and so do I. The Giants are a wicked hitting outfit, so it’s a relief for a pitcher to be on their side.” Buzzie Bavasi, the general manager of the Dodgers, said today he thought the Giants got the best of the big trade with the Braves. “The key man in the whole deal is Bob Shaw,” Bavasi remarked. “He’s a good pitcher. But by giving Felipe Alou away, the Giants have put themselves into a spot where they can’t afford injuries.” Bavasi added that he didn’t think the Giant-Brave trade would have any effect on the Dodgers’ chance of defending their National League pennant.
