Dick "Dirt" Tidrow R.I.P...

[Lipman 1]

Just saw this, I think he passed away Saturday unexpectedly at 74. Giants and family announced it today. Dirt was a solid middle/long guy for the 83 Winning Ugly Sox. And he was acquired in one of the most unusual deals ever pulled off by then GM Roland Hemond:



January 25, 1983 - The Sox and G. M. Roland Hemond embarrassed the Cubs by hinting through the media that they might select pitcher Fergie Jenkins after the Cubs left him unprotected in the free agent draft. Jenkins, the future Hall of Famer, was getting close to the magical 300-win mark in his career. The Sox were entitled to compensation after losing outfielder Steve Kemp to the Yankees. The Cubs were forced to trade Scott Fletcher, Dick “Dirt” Tidrow, Randy Martz and Pat Tabler to the Sox for a promise not to take Jenkins, along with pitchers Steve Trout and Warren Brusstar. The Sox then traded Tabler for Jerry Dybzinski. After it was all said and done, Cub G.M. Dallas Green was quoted as saying, “To say I’m relieved probably would be an understatement.”

Honestly I don't know how the guy even pitched with that high leg kick of his. Met him on the field in Texas pregame before the start of the 83 season.

[LITTLE NELL]

That 83 team had quite a bullpen with Dennis Lamp another ex Cub leading the way followed by Barojas, Tidrow, Agosto and Kevin Hickey. No one had a huge amount of saves as Lamp had 15 followed by Barojas with 12 but along the way they all had key holds and saves especially in that great second half.

[Lipman 1]

Brett from South Side Sox and I put together this story to pay respects to "Dirt:"

https://www.southsidesox.com/2021/7/...drow-1947-2021

[Lipman 1]

For those who forgot or were to young to remember here is Dick's pitching motion. I have no idea how he was able to throw sidearm out of this:

[TDog]

Just saw this, I think he passed away Saturday unexpectedly at 74. Giants and family announced it today. Dirt was a solid middle/long guy for the 83 Winning Ugly Sox. And he was acquired in one of the most unusual deals ever pulled off by then GM Roland Hemond:



January 25, 1983 - The Sox and G. M. Roland Hemond embarrassed the Cubs by hinting through the media that they might select pitcher Fergie Jenkins after the Cubs left him unprotected in the free agent draft. Jenkins, the future Hall of Famer, was getting close to the magical 300-win mark in his career. The Sox were entitled to compensation after losing outfielder Steve Kemp to the Yankees. The Cubs were forced to trade Scott Fletcher, Dick “Dirt” Tidrow, Randy Martz and Pat Tabler to the Sox for a promise not to take Jenkins, along with pitchers Steve Trout and Warren Brusstar. The Sox then traded Tabler for Jerry Dybzinski. After it was all said and done, Cub G.M. Dallas Green was quoted as saying, “To say I’m relieved probably would be an understatement.”

Honestly I don't know how the guy even pitched with that high leg kick of his. Met him on the field in Texas pregame before the start of the 83 season.

The free-agent compensation draft was an interesting piece of work. It was supposed to make it easier for teams to absorb free-agent losses, theoretically increasing competition witho0ut restricting free agency. The results were bizarre. I know that when Ed Farmer left the White Sox to sign with the Phillies, the Sox picked up Joel Skinner from the Pirates, which seemed harmless enough, unless you're the Pirates who didn't have a dog in the fight between the White Sox and Phillies and Farmer.. I believe they chose Steve Mura from the Cardinals after blackmailing the Cubs. The next year they lost Dennis Lamp through free agency and ended up with Tom Seaver from the Mets. In the end, after it hurt the Yankees, both players and owners enthusiastically agreed to abolish the compensation pool.

[Tommy John]

The free-agent compensation draft was an interesting piece of work. It was supposed to make it easier for teams to absorb free-agent losses, theoretically increasing competition witho0ut restricting free agency. The results were bizarre. I know that when Ed Farmer left the White Sox to sign with the Phillies, the Sox picked up Joel Skinner from the Pirates, which seemed harmless enough, unless you're the Pirates who didn't have a dog in the fight between the White Sox and Phillies and Farmer.. I believe they chose Steve Mura from the Cardinals after blackmailing the Cubs. The next year they lost Dennis Lamp through free agency and ended up with Tom Seaver from the Mets. In the end, after it hurt the Yankees, both players and owners enthusiastically agreed to abolish the compensation pool.

It was abolished after it hurt the Yankees? Shocker.

A better idea would have been to simply have the team that signed the free agent (the Phillies, in Farmer’s case) be the ones to open their roster to a compensation pick.

[TDog]

It was abolished after it hurt the Yankees? Shocker.

A better idea would have been to simply have the team that signed the free agent (the Phillies, in Farmer’s case) be the ones to open their roster to a compensation pick.

The players believed, with some justification, that compensation from the signing team would severely restricting teams from signing free agents. The compensation draft was a result of compensation from the signing team being totally unacceptable.

The free agent system evolved after the reserve clause was struck down, especially in the early years when baseball owners were against free agency. At the beginning, there was a free-agent re-entry draft where teams selected free agents they wished to negotiate with. Up to five teams could announce they would not sign any free agents. The only one of the five teams I remember opting out was the Tigers. Some of us expected it would be the White Sox, but Bill Veeck drafted more players for negotiation than anyone else. I think at the end the had to spell out "Royle Stillman" who he alone picked, even though anyone not picked by at least two teams was free to negotiate with anyone.

The 1981 strike, with a list of grievances gutting the season, led to the abolition of the re-entry draft and the Rube Goldberg-esque compensation pool. I'm not sure if that lasted until the next labor impasse, but it was doomed when the Yankees lost top pitching prospect Tim Belcher. The White Sox made good use of it while it was in place.