St. Louis Cardinals received Ray Parson in the 1972-04-14…
St. Louis Cardinals received Ray Parson in the 1972-04-14 exchange with Detroit Lions. Parson did not produce value for St. Louis comparable to what Detroit realized from Schmiesing and his later trade return. Against Detroit Lions' return of Joe Schmiesing, that outcome supports a C grade. The transaction is judged Detroit Lions Win, with the mark tied to the football value that actually followed from the deal.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Ray Parson
Detroit Lions Received
- player Joe Schmiesing
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Lions completed this transaction on 1972-04-14. St. Louis Cardinals received Ray Parson, while Detroit Lions received Joe Schmiesing. The terms are evaluated from the value each club actually realized after the exchange, including documented playing time and any downstream use of an acquired draft choice. That keeps the comparison focused on the transaction itself rather than on hypothetical value.
St. Louis Cardinals Return
Parson did not produce value for St. Louis comparable to what Detroit realized from Schmiesing and his later trade return. That result supports the C grade assigned to St. Louis Cardinals. The mark gives credit for service or asset value traceable to this deal and does not inflate the return simply because a player or draft choice carried a recognizable name. The relevant question is what the club actually received from the asset after the exchange.
Detroit Lions Return
Schmiesing started five games for Detroit in 1972 and was traded to Baltimore in 1973 for additional draft consideration, giving the Lions both service and a later asset path. That result supports the B- grade assigned to Detroit Lions. The same standard applies on this side: realized production, starts, roster utility, or a documented downstream transaction matters more than the nominal label attached to the asset. The grade therefore reflects practical football value rather than theoretical upside.
Value in Hindsight
The advantage belongs to Detroit Lions. Its verified return produced more useful service or downstream value than St. Louis Cardinals' side, while the grade spread remains proportional to the modest scale of the original transaction. The comparison also avoids crediting either club for value that belonged to a later, unrelated team or for a downstream outcome that the club never actually controlled. That produces a cleaner measure of what this specific exchange delivered.
Final Verdict
Detroit Lions Win. St. Louis Cardinals earns a C, while Detroit Lions earns a B-. Detroit Lions receives the better mark because its side produced the clearer realized football return. The conclusion follows the verified service and downstream value tied to each side of the transaction, with the grades scaled to the size and impact of the deal.