On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.
“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.
Hack Wilson finds another new team. Happy birthday, Jeff Samardzija* and other stories for the discerning reader.
Today in baseball history:
- 1887 – In Alameda, California, Dave Foutz and a touring team based in Louisville are accused of throwing a game against another touring team of Eastern pros. These exhibitions and the local California League competition are making for a lively winter in the San Francisco Bay Area. (2)
- 1927 – In the continuing clash between Commissioner Kenesaw Landis and American League President Ban Johnson, the AL owners are prepared to censure Johnson. But his serious health problems convince them to change their stance and Johnson is given an indefinite leave of absence instead. Detroit Tigers President Frank Navin takes over control of the league on an interim basis and the owners adopt a resolution repudiating the charges that Johnson made against Landis. (2)
- 1932 – The Brooklyn Dodgers acquire slugger Hack Wilson from the St. Louis Cardinals. Wilson, who costs only $45,000 and a minor league pitcher, will sign for $16,500, half his previous year’s salary. He will hit .297 with 23 home runs and 123 RBI for Brooklyn.
- 1953 – Argyle R. Mackey warns ‘alien players’ they will face deportation if found jumping U.S. professional contracts. The Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization cites the McCarran-Walter Act as the basis of his decision. (1)
Further reading: The history of the Antitrust Exemption (NYT); Los Chorizeros.
- 1956 – Hall of Fame umpire Billy Evans dies in Miami, Florida, at the age of 71. Evans began his major league umpiring career in 1906, when he was only 22 years old. (2)
- 1981 – Faced with the possibility of losing star outfielder Fred Lynn to free agency because of a front-office blunder, the Red Sox trade Lynn and pitcher Steve Renko to the Angels for pitchers Frank Tanana and Jim Dorsey and outfielder Joe Rudi. The Players Association contends that Lynn and catcher Carlton Fisk are free agents because the Red Sox failed to mail their new contracts by the deadline provided for in the Basic Agreement. Lynn signs a four-year deal with the Angels and agrees to drop his case. Fisk’s case will go to arbitration. (1,2)
- 1988 – Arbitrator Thomas Roberts declares seven presently contracted players no-risk free agents as a result of the collusion suit against Major League baseball. The players, who include Kirk Gibson, Carlton Fisk, and Joe Niekro, have until March 1 to make deals with other clubs. (1)
- 2013 – Coming off the best season of his career, free agent OF Scott Hairston signs a two-year deal with the Chicago Cubs.(2)
Cubs Birthdays: Bill Bowman, Joey Amalfitano, Don Nottebart, Dick Burwell, Jeff Samardzija*, Addison Russell.
Today in History:
- 393 – Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor.
- 971 – War elephant corps of the Southern Han defeated at Shao by crossbow fire from Song Dynasty troops; Southern Han state forced to submit to the Song Dynasty. 1st regular war elephant corps in Chinese army.
- 1556 – Shaanxi Earthquake, the deadliest ever recorded, kills 830,000 in Shaanxi Province, China.
- 1812 – 7.8 earthquake shakes New Madrid, Missouri.
- 1930 – Clyde Tombaugh photographs dwarf planet Pluto.
- 1957 – Wham-O Company produces the first Frisbee flying disc (originally called the “Pluto Platter” – until 1958).
- 1973 – US President Richard Nixon announces an accord has been reached to end the Vietnam War.
Common sources:
- (1) — Today in Baseball History.
- (2) — Baseball Reference.
- (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
- (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
- (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
- (6) — Wikipedia.
- (7) — The British Museum
- (8) — For world history.
*pictured.
Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.
