Jan. 14, 1963 - Luis Aparicio, a shortstop, and Al Smith, an outfielder and infielder, were traded to the Baltimore Orioles by the Chicago White Sox today. The White Sox got Ron Hansen, a shortstop; Hoyt Wilhelm, a pitcher; Dave Nicholson, an outfielder, and Pete Ward, third baseman, in return. The salary of Aparicio was cut from about $43,000 to $35,000 by the Sox for 1963, and the 29-year-old Venezuelan had been quoted as saying he would rather quit baseball than take the cut. He had been with the Sox since 1956 and led the American League in stolen bases every year. Last season, his thefts dropped to 31 from a top of 56 in 1959, and his average dwindled to .241 from a lifetime mark of .266. “It was a very difficult decision to make,” Lee MacPhail, president of the Orioles, said. “But we had the opportunity to get the best shortstop in the league and one of the best hitters — Smith. We just couldn’t pass it up.”
