A couple of deals that didn't pan out

1982: There was nothing the great Paul Owens enjoyed more in life than making The Big Trade. The bigger, the better. And it was the best of those deals - for Tug McGraw, for Garry Maddox, for Bake McBride, for Manny Trillo, for many more - that defined the Pope's inimitable legacy and transformed his team from punching bag to champions.

But not this year.

This was the year of two of the worst of those deals.

The year began and ended with two of Owens' least popular, most second-guessed trades ever. The first one, just three weeks before spring training, sent Larry Bowa and some throw-in named Ryne Sandberg to the Cubs for Ivan DeJesus. It may have been the Pope's new boss, incoming team president Bill Giles, who ordered Owens to trade Bowa after a contract flap turned messy. But no one ordered the Pope to trade Sandberg, who haunted the franchise right up until his Hall of Fame induction day.

And no one ordered Owens to trade five players that December for poor Von (5 for 1) Hayes. Hayes turned out to be a nice player and a stand-up guy. But he also turned out to be a fellow who never hit 30 homers, never drove in 100 runs, and never slugged .500 in any of his nine seasons as a Phillie. Oh, and did we mention one of the men he was traded for (Julio Franco) was still playing 25 years later?

2008: This roster is almost devoid of players acquired in trades. With the notable exception of closer Brad Lidge, who came over in a deal with Houston, none of the key Phils came in trades. The team got only seven players on its postseason roster via trades - Lidge, Eric Bruntlett, Clay Condrey, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, Scott Eyre and Matt Stairs. The rest were either high draft choices or free agents. That's probably more the result of a thin farm system than GM Pat Gillick's philosophy.

The Inquirer in 1982. Frank Fitzpatrick writes about the 2008 team.

Remembering 1982

Phillies' record: 89-73, second place.

Phillies' attendance: 2,376,394.

Phillies' first-round pick: John Russell, C.

Remember this? Rock star Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off a bat after a fan tosses it on stage. (Contacted later, fan said he was glad he didn't throw the glove too.)