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.
Happy birthday to Johneshwy Fargas* and all of you who celebrate your natal anniversary on this date. Plus various and sundry other facts and tales of note to a discerning reader.
Today in baseball history:
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1886 – The American Association meets and ratifies the new rules. It also approves the new clause that allows a club to reserve a player for as long as it wants, not just for next year’s contract. (2)
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1887 – The Texas League is organized at a meeting in Austin, thanks largely to the efforts of John J. McCloskey.
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1894 – Veteran manager Jack Chapman expresses his support of a proposed rule change forbidding all but catchers and first basemen from wearing gloves. Citing Cincinnati’s Bid McPhee as an example of one of the few remaining outstanding gloveless fielders, Chapman remarks that “as it is now, inferior players with big gloves can get into the game and force good men out.” (2)
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1896 – The first pitching machine, created by Princeton professor Charles E. Hinton, is demonstrated in the university’s gymnasium. The mathematics instructor’s device resembles a rifle which shoots the ball toward the batter. (2)
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1905 – Boston continues trading, sending C Pat Moran to the Cubs for C Jack O’Neill and P Big Jeff Pfeffer. (2)
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1933 – The major leagues agree on a uniform ball to be livelier than the National League ball of recent seasons, to match the American League balls. Owners also agree to ban Sunday doubleheaders until after June 15th. (1,2)
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1965 – William Eckert replaces Ford Frick as 4th Commissioner of Baseball.
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1969 – The National Labor Relations Board accepts the case of fired umpires Bill Valentine and Al Salerno, thereby issuing a challenge to baseball’s antitrust status. (2)
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2009 – Commissioner Bud Selig announces that he will chair a 14-person committee to analyze ways to improve baseball’s on-field product. The group will look at issues such as the pace of the game, umpiring, instant replay and possible rule changes. (2)
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2010 – Hall of Famer Bob Feller, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, dies at age 92. “Rapid Robert” made his major league debut at 17 and had the best fastball of his generation. He lost a good part of his prime years while serving with great distinction in the US Navy during World War II and spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians, for whom he posted six 20-win seasons and pitched three no-hitters. He led the Indians to their last World Championship in 1948. (2)
Cubs Birthdays: Mike Prendergast, Ken Crosby, Mike Proly, Aaron Miles, Michael Wuertz, Luis Montanez, Johneshwy Fargas*.
Today in History:
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1256 – Hulagu Khan captures and destroys Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut, in present-day Iran, part of the Mongol offensive on Islamic southwest Asia.
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1593 – State of Holland grants patent on windmill with a crankshaft.
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1791 – US Bill of Rights ratified when Virginia gives its approval, becomes amendments 1-10 of the US constitution.
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1946 – Chicago Bears beat New York Giants, 24-14; record attendance of 58,346 at the final NFL title game played at the Polo Grounds.
Common sources:
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(1) — Today in Baseball History.
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(2) — Baseball Reference.
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(4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
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(6) — Wikipedia.
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(7) — The British Museum
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(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.
