Buyers And Sellers

Hunter Pence says goodbye to his teammates on Friday
night in Milwaukee. Blockbuster deals like the one the
Phillies made for Pence are the lifeblood of baseball during
the dog days of July and August.

The dog days of July can often be taxing even on the most hardcore of baseball fans. The weather is hot, all teams seem to struggle and the casual fans tend to avoid the stadium for the air conditioning.

But when the last day of July rolls around, there's a new excitement in the air. That's right, I'm talking about the trade deadline.

From Fister-Furbush – arguably the greatest trade name of all time – to massive blockbusters that involve half the teams in the league, there is no greater day than July 31st. Football and basketball don't make big deals about their trade deadlines. Only in baseball do we get to witness the true madness of teams trying to make the playoffs or build for the future.

As a kid – when the trade deadline was still midnight – I used to stay up, glued to "Baseball Tonight," hoping to witness a blockbuster trade. I still remember the Randy Johnson trade to the Astros coming moments before the deadline expired.

Now the deadline has been moved up – presumably to accommodate to the sleep schedules of the owners and sportswriters alike – but there's still that magic surrounding the deadline.

In a few short hours, fans will see what management thinks of their post-season chances. Some teams – like San Francisco and Philadelphia – have already made deals, electing to go after a three-month rental of superstars Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence, respectively. Others are having a fire sale, selling everything in hopes of building for the future.

But if there's one thing that can be said about the trade deadline, it's that it is hard on everyone involved. Just look at Pence during Friday night's game in Milwaukee.

After being pulled from the game, Pence hugged each of his teammates as a way of saying goodbye. Little does he know, he's about to go from a lowly Astros team to the heart of the playoff race with the Phillies. And while he was visibly upset, my guess is he'll quickly warm to his new teammates.

Whether your team is a buyer or seller – or you're just looking for a laugh through trade names – the trade deadline offers some hope for all of us. If nothing else, it means that football is right around the corner.