The Wild Baseball Trade You've Never Heard About

It's May 30, 1922, a hot early summer day in Chicago. The Cubs and Cardinals are squaring off in a doubleheader. There's nothing unusual ... until the break between games.

In what might be the most bonkers transaction in Major League Baseball history, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals traded outfielders Max Flack and Cliff Heathcote between games. Not later that night. Not the next morning. Between games of a doubleheader.

Then, and here's the kicker, both players suited up for their new team and played immediately in the second game.

Imagine being in the stands at Wrigley Field (then called Cubs Park), watching Max Flack hustle in from right field in Game 1 wearing a Cubs jersey … and then seeing him trot back out in Game 2, but now repping the Cardinals. The guy you were just cheering for? Now he’s batting against you.

And vice versa for Cliff Heathcote, who probably didn’t even get a chance to move his stuff out of the visiting locker room. Talk about a “don’t unpack your bags” situation.

This Isn’t a Trade — It’s a Sitcom Plot

Today’s MLB trades take weeks of analysis, spreadsheets, and a dozen phone calls. In 1922? Apparently, it took a handshake and enough time to switch jerseys. It’s the kind of move that feels more like a “Freaky Friday” plot twist than a real-life sports transaction.

Need more irony? Both players got hits for their new teams that day. Not a bad way to say hello.

Why This Matters (Besides Being Hilarious)

The Max Flack–Cliff Heathcote trade is one of those stories that captures the magic and mayhem of Major League Baseball's early years — a time when front office deals happened on the fly, players carried their gloves in their back pockets, and the line between sport and spectacle was delightfully thin.

It’s also the only known instance in MLB history where players were traded between games of a doubleheader and both played for both teams on the same day. Think about that next time a blockbuster trade gets held up for "pending physicals."

So if you’re a baseball history buff, a trivia nerd, or just someone who appreciates chaos with your peanuts and Cracker Jacks, this is one tale worth sharing — and shaking your head at.