The history of the Chicago Cubs is full of missteps and decisions fans love to re-hash. The Lou Brock trade is the one most often recalled as a disaster of calamitous proportions, but the Dec. 1987 deal that sent future Cooperstown-bound reliever Lee Smith to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a pair of back-end starters deserves its moment in the spotlight, as well.
On the heels of his All-Star 1987 campaign in which he notched his fourth-straight 30+ save season, Smith approached the Cubs front office about re-working and extending his deal with the team.