A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday to Porter Hodge* and other Cubs, Pete Rose has a conversation with the brass, and the PTBNL for Theo Epstein is identified.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, with plenty of the lore and various narratives to follow as they unfold over the course of time. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along.
“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly.
Today in baseball history:
- 1931 – The Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants become the first major league teams to meet in a night game. They collect 23 hits in a 10-inning exhibition game played at Buffs Stadium in Houston. (1)
- 1957 – Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley trades minor league franchises with Phil Wrigley of the Chicago Cubs. Brooklyn gives up its Fort Worth club in the Texas League in return for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League. In a year’s time, Brooklyn will be without a team and Los Angeles will be a major league city. (1,2)
- 1968 – Major League Baseball owners and the Players Association sign the first “Basic Agreement” in the game’s history. The agreement will serve as a working contract between players and owners, dictating the working relationship between the two sides along with financial rules and parameters. (2)
- 1989 – Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose meets with Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and Commissioner-elect Bart Giamatti to discuss his gambling habits. (1,2)
- 2011 – 36-year-old Justine Siegal makes a bit of history at the Cleveland Indians spring training complex in Goodyear, AZ. The former assistant coach at Springfield College and first base coach with the Brockton Rox is believed to be the first woman to throw batting practice to a group of major league hitters. (2)
- 2012 – The Cubs and Red Sox finally agree on compensation for the Cubs’ hiring of Boston GM Theo Epstein to be their team President while Epstein was still under contract earlier this off-season. The Cubs agree to send pitcher Chris Carpenter to the BoSox, and the two teams will also exchange players to be named later to complete the deal. (2)
Cubs birthdays: Joe Hughes, Ted Savage, Tsuyoshi Wada, Adam Greenberg, Ian Miller, Porter Hodge*. Also notable: Alan Trammell HOF.
Today in History:
- 1598 – Boris Godunov crowned Tsar of Russia.
- 1804 – The world’s first steam locomotive, built by Richard Trevithick, runs for the first time along the tramway of the Penydarren Ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.
- 1821 – Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire begins.
- 1874 – Benjamin Disraeli succeeds William Gladstone as British Prime Minister.
- 1885 – Washington Monument dedicated in Washington, D.C.
- 1965 – Civil rights activist and Muslim minister Malcolm X is shot dead by Nation of Islam followers at Audubon Ballroom in New York City.
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.
- For world history.
*pictured.
Some of these items spread from site to site without being verified. That is exactly why we ask for reputable sources if you have differences with a posted factoid. We are trying to set the record as straight as possible. But it isn’t brain surgery.
Also, the ‘history’ segment is highly edited for space and interest. Of course a great many other things happened on those days. We try to follow up on the interesting or unfamiliar ones.
Thanks for reading.