A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday to Matt Duffy* and others, and stories of baseball deeds and misdeeds.
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:
- 1888 – The Texas League is organized when the following six cities are awarded franchises: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston, and San Antonio. (2)
- 1936 – Horace Stoneham is elected president of the New York Giants, succeeding his late father, Charles. Stoneham, at age 32, will remain president for the next 40 years, presiding over its move to San Francisco, CA, before selling the team in 1976. (2)
- 1942 – US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sends his famed “Green Light Letter” to Commissioner Judge Landis, encouraging Major League Baseball to continue playing during World War II. President Roosevelt states that he believes playing the sport would be good for Americans and encourages the owners to have more games at night to give war workers an opportunity to attend games. Despite a loss of many star players to military service, all 16 teams will continue to play regular schedules for the duration of the war. Ironically, the Chicago Cubs, who had signed an agreement with a contractor to install lights at Wrigley Field, drop their plans because of the military’s need for the material. It will take 46 more years before lights are finally installed at the venerable ballpark. (1,2)
- 1958 – The New York Yankees announce that 140 games will be televised this season. The deal is worth over one million dollars. Six days later, the Philadelphia Phillies agree to televise 78 games into the New York City area, which is without National League baseball for the first time since the league’s inception in 1876. (2)
- 1959 – The Texas League makes a radical rule change, allowing pitchers to automatically signal an intentional walk. The rule change eliminates the need for the pitcher to intentionally throw four pitches out of the strike zone. (2)
- 1981 – Pitcher Bob Gibson is elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Gibson, who needed 301 votes for election, is named on 337 ballots by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In 17 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Gibson won 251 games, struck out 3,117 batters, compiled a 2.91 ERA, won 20 games five times, and earned two World Championship rings. In 1968, Gibson enjoyed his best season ever, going 22-9 with a 1.12 ERA and captured the Cy Young Award. Players falling short of the 301 votes needed for election include Don Drysdale (243), Gil Hodges (241), Harmon Killebrew (239), Hoyt Wilhelm (238) and Juan Marichal (233). (2)
- 1998– The Chicago Cubs sign free agent relief pitcher Rod Beck to a one-year contract. (2)
- 2015 -At the last owners meeting chaired by outgoing Commissioner Bud Selig, owners decide to use a pitch clock during minor league games at the Double-A and Triple-A level this season in an experiment to quicken the pace of games. (2)
Cubs birthdays: John Menefee, Grover Lowdermilk, Dick Culler, William Brennan, Ray King, Matt Duffy*,
Today in History:
- 588 BC – Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah’s reign. The siege lasts until July 23, 586 BC.
- 1759 – British Museum opens in Montague House, London.
- 1797 – First top hat worn by John Etherington of London.
- 1861 – Steam elevator patented by Elisha Otis.
- 1892 – Basketball rules first published in Triangle Magazine, written by James Naismith.
- 1968 – Minnesota North Stars forward Bill Masterton dies two days after suffering a head injury in a game against the Oakland Seals; the only death as a result of a game injury in NHL history.
- 2001 – Wikipedia is launched by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger.
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.
- 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.