A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday, Arodys Vizcaino, and other events in Cubdom, including Ryne Sandberg’s MVP Award.
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:
- 1899 – The National League announces that, starting next season, there will be two umpires working each game.(2)
- 1931 – New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert buys the Newark Bears International League franchise. The Bears will be very successful as the Bronx Bombers’ top farm team and will send many players to New York. (2)
- 1951 – Lefty O’Doul’s All-Stars, including Joe DiMaggio, Ferris Fain and Billy Martin, lose 3 – 1 to a Pacific League All-Star team. This is only the second time since 1922 that an American professional team has lost to Japan, and the first time to professional players. (1,2)
- 1967 – Following a meeting of National League owners, president Warren Giles says the league will not stand in the way of American League expansion to Seattle and Kansas City. (1,2)
- 1984 – Ryne Sandberg wins the National League MVP Award, becoming the first Chicago Cubs player to do so since Ernie Banks in 1959. Sandberg hit .314 with 19 home runs and 32 stolen bases and led the NL in runs (114) and triples (19). (1,2)
- 1995 – Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux wins the National League Cy Young Award for an unprecedented fourth straight time. Maddux had a remarkable 19-2 record with a 1.63 ERA, the second year his ERA is below 1.80. (2)
- 2001 – Pitcher Randy Johnson, who posted a 21-6 record with a 2.49 ERA and 372 strikeouts, wins his fourth Cy Young Award, his third straight as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Previously, Johnson also won the honor in 1995 with Seattle, and is the second pitcher to win three consecutive Cy Young awards, joining Greg Maddux who won four in a row from 1992–1995. (2)
- 2017 – Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr passes away in Junction City, OR at the age of 99. He was the Oldest Living MLB Player and also the last surviving player to have played in the 1930s. (2)
- 2023 – The Brewers settle on bench coach Pat Murphy to replace Craig Counsell, who left recently to join the Cubs, as their new manager.(2)
Cubs Birthdays: Johnny Kling, Bob Garbark, Steve Bilko, Arodys Vizcaíno. Also notable: Buck O’Neil HOF.
Today in History:
- 1553 – English Lady Jane Grey and Archbishop Thomas Cranmer accused of high treason.
- 1775 – American Revolutionary forces capture Montreal.
- 1789 – In a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, Benjamin Franklin writes “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
- 1856 – The Great Bell of Big Ben first chimes at the foot of the still unfinished clock tower outside the Palace of Westminster.
- 1933 – First modern sit-down strike by Hormel meat packers in Austin, Minnesota.
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.
- 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.