A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Birthday wishes to Bruce Sutter and others, and more.
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:
- 1913 – The New York Yankees sign Frank Chance to be their next manager. Chance previously won two World Series and four pennants as the manager of the Chicago Cubs. (2)
- 1930 – Chicago Cubs star pitcher Art Nehf announces his retirement. Nehf won 184 games during his major league career and pitched in five World Series. (2)
- 1953 – The Cleveland Indians bar night games with the St. Louis Browns due to St. Louis owner Bill Veeck’s refusal to share receipts of the game telecasts. (1,2)
- 1981 – The Reds finally give in and sign their first free agent – Larry Biittner. The Reds are the last of the 26 major league teams to sign a player through free agency, which began in 1976. (1)
- 1985 – The San Diego Padres sign free agent reliever Tim Stoddard to a three-year, $1.5 million contract. Stoddard was 10-6 with seven saves for the Chicago Cubs last season. (2)
- 1987 – Ten free agents (Doyle Alexander, Bob Boone, Andre Dawson, Rich Gedman, Ron Guidry, Toby Harrah, Bob Horner, Lance Parrish, Tim Raines, and Gary Roenicke) fail to meet a midnight deadline and thus will not be allowed to re-sign with their former clubs until May 1st if they are not offered contracts by new teams. The general lack of interest in the players will become the focus of the Players Association’s first anti-collusion suit against the owners. (1,2)
- 1991 – For the first time since 1984, three players are elected to the Hall of Fame: Gaylord Perry and Ferguson Jenkins, and a member of the 3,000-hit club, Rod Carew, who becomes the 22nd player to be named in his first year of eligibility. Ironically, none of the three players ever appeared in a World Series. (1,2)
Cubs birthdays: Walker Cooper, Marv Rickert, Bruce Sutter HOF*, Geremi González, James Russell.
Today in History:
- 1297 – Monaco gains independence.
- 1656 – Oldest surviving commercial newspaper, “Weeckelycke Courante van Europa,” now known as “Haarlems Dagblad,” still in printed circulation begins publication in Haarlem, Netherlands.
- 1800 – Wild Boy of Aveyron (approx.12) discovered in southern France after possibly 7 years in the wild, later christened Victor of Aveyron.
- 1894 – Columbus World’s Fair in Chicago destroyed by fire.
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.