On this day...Cubs trade Dickie Noles for... DIckie Noles

September 22nd, 1987. The Chicago Cubs trade right handed pitcher Dickie Noles to the Detroit Tigers for player to be named later. The Tigers are in a dog-fight with the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League East Division title. Ineligible for the playoff roster if they win the Division, Noles makes 4 appearances for the Tigers, three of them in a critical series in Toronto. He pitched a total of 6 outs (2.0 innings), he faced 10 batters, gave up 2 hits and one earned run. He earned 2 saves, got credit for a hold and had one blown save. For a reason I can't determine from news archives, he did not appear in the final seven games of the Tigers season. He watched his new team win 5 of their last 7, including the final 4 games to win the title.

A month later (October 23rd) two weeks after Detroit was eliminated by the Minnesota Twins in the ALCS, the Cubs and Tigers were unable to agree on the player to be exchanged. Rather than continue to haggle, Dickie Noles was sent back to the Cubs as the player to be named later.