[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen, masters of trading, episode 3.

It never gets old for Merchantmen fans to hear old stories of obscure trades that happend in 86 off-seasons in the IHOF. The plan was to count down the top 10 best trades, in between throw in a handful of bad ones and one specific trade that never happened, which could have had major implications on the history of the Merchantmen. Episode 1 and 2 were about how #86 Gabe Springer and #89 Terry Haskell each become the best wide receiver in Merchantmen history, with a HOF worthy career. Let's continue with the third amazingly talented wide receiver, like Springer and Haskell a home grown top 10 pick, which in team tradition was acquired through trade: J.R. Mills.

The trip in the time machine brings us back to the 2069 off-season. Maassluis Merchantmen had gotten quite lazy in recent off-seasons, not preparing themselves well for the draft with their usual spreadsheets and all. Perhaps spoiled from their first (and so far only) IHOF Bowl victory at the end of the 2066 season and actually thinking 10-win seasons will be sufficient all the time. In 2068, after a 10-6 campaign and choking in the wild card round against fellow 10-win Tucker Tigers, the time for change was announced. A record and playoffs exit that earned the Merchantmen the #24 overall pick for the 2069 draft.

An overjoyed general manager M.IJ.B. was happy to announce a deal with the Moontown Darksiders. Part of the happiness was explained by this being the 300th trade in franchise history (incidentally not M.IJ.B.'s 300th trade in IHOF, in 2017 temporary substitute dann made two draft day trades). The joy came from the ability to move up in the draft from the #24 slot. It cost them their second, third and fourth round picks, as well as an additional second round pick that was acquired from Texas during the 2068 draft for that draft's second round pick.

Ironically, the Merchantmen general manager back then apologized to other g.m.'s for making trade talks so difficult, claiming "It took [Moontown] an hour to convince me to trade after all. Y'all know it's unusual for me to actually want to keep a truckload of picks, but with my decimated roster, I actually wanted to keep a pick or 10". J.R. Mills it was after all the debating. He turned out to be the most productive receiver of his draft class and one of 12 to get elected into the Hall of Fame.

The Moontown Darksiders held onto the four highest picks and got linebacker Kendall Sualua, left tackle Randall Fleming, defensive end Rodney Root and offensive tackle Tim Parker with them. The 4.24 pick was traded to the Capital City Blues for cornerback Randall Heinlein. Capital City then spent the pick on center Noah Springer

Maassluis Merchantmen send:
2069 1.24 pick
2069 2.24 pick
2069 2.29 pick
2069 3.24 pick
2069 4.24 pick

Moontown Darksiders send:
2069 1.9 pick

The #24 overall pick linebacker Kendall Sualua turned out to be a centerpiece for the Moontown Darksiders' exceptional dynasty, winning 4 IHOF Bowls in the '70s. He left Moontown after 11 seasons for 2 more with the Iowa Cobbers and an HOF worthy career. Ten times did Sualua record 100+ tackles, but he also added 19.0 sacks and 28 forced fumbles.

Left tackle Randall Fleming won three championship rings in Moontown, missing the 2079 title after having signed with the Houston Mustangs, where he spent the last 2 seasons of his HOF worthy career. Fleming was a phenomenal run blocker, posting three season with 40+ key run blockers for the Darksiders. He finished his career with 375 key run blocks in the regular season and 39 in 19 playoffs games.

Left tackle Tim Parker's career in Moontown was short, active in 26 games and being released during the 2071 season. It meant he was cut in the middle of the Darksiders' first IHOF Bowl winning season. Two seasons with the Harlem Apollos didn't help his career get a real boost, he retired after his two-year contract expired and no other team offered him a third chance in the league.

Noah Springer's career brought him to five different teams. Capital City let him walk away after 4 seasons in a backup role. The Gothenburg Giants signed him in the 2074 off-season, but released him in pre-season. In 2074 the Frederick Red Menace offered him a new opportunity in a backup role, but in the 2075 off-season he was released. During the 2075 pre-season he signed with the Arizona Miners, playing 11 games there in a backup role. I 2076 he signed a one-year deal with the San Antonio Tidal Force, but remained inactive that season. It was his last stint.

Given their four league championships, with two hall of famers out of this particular trade, it's hard to argue the Darksiders didn't get their fair share of success out of this trade.

Merchantmen fans would probably have liked to see #82 wearing J.R. Mills get a championship ring for himself, but he didn't get closer than the lost AOC Championship game in 2078. Mills' career notoriously ended after 11 seasons. With just 839 catches, Mills still managed to get 14,944 receiving yards for 85 touchdowns. 57 yards short of tying Terry Haskell for the Merchantmen franchise record. Mills did have a sensational 2077 campaign with 111 catches for 2,228 yards, the only season he was an All-IHOF first teamer. His 63 games with 100+ yards receiving was a franchise record, until Theo Bondy jumped ahead in the 2088 season by setting the new mark at 66 and counting.