Rumors of the Red Sox Trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1915

I happened across an item in the New York Times of February 3, 1915, about a trade rumor in basically the winter meetings after the 1914 season: “As usual, the air was full of rumors of trades. The one rumor which seemed to carry the most weight was that the new owners of the Yankees had come to an agreement with Owner Joseph J. Lannin of the Boston Red Sox for a trade which would involve the transfer of one of the Boston left-handed pitchers to the Yankees.

Owner Lannin has sent for Manager Bill Carrigan, who will be here today to complete the deal. It is stated that the Yankees will probably get Vean Gregg, the former Cleveland southpaw, or Babe Ruth, the young pitcher who was a sensation with the Baltimore Club early last season. It is expected that the Yankees will give some players besides cash for the pitcher.”

Neither trade was made: Gregg went 4-2 for the Red Sox in 1915 and Babe Ruth went 18-8 (Ruth also hit .315 with a .576 slugging percentage, and Gregg hit .350 with no extra base hits). The Yankees did buy Wally Pipp and Hugh High from the Tigers, but the pitcher they wound up getting was George Mogridge. (Read about the Babe pitching against the Giants in a 1914 spring exhibition game here.)