Baseball history unpacked, December 5

A wildly popular Cubs-centric look at baseball’s past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along as we review select scenes from the rich tapestry of Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball history.

Today in baseball history:

• 1973 - The Cubs’ plan to trade their veteran third baseman Ron Santo is thwarted when he becomes the first player to invoke the new 10 and 5 rule. The team wanted to send their 33-year-old infielder to the Angels for two pitchers, but his 10+ years in the major leagues with 5+ being in Chicago gave him the right to veto the deal. (1)
• 1988 - The Cubs and Rangers complete a nine-player swap, with Chicago giving up OF Rafael Palmeiro, P Jamie Moyer, and P Drew Hall in exchange for IF Curtis Wilkerson and pitchers Mitch Williams, Paul Kilgus, and Steve Wilson, and a pair of minor leaguers to be named. (3)
• 2011 - Ron Santo is elected to the Hall of Fame posthumously by the Golden Era Committee, receiving 15 of its possible 16 votes. The former Cubs’ third baseman, who played in the 1960s and early ‘70s, compiled a .277 lifetime batting average, won five Gold Gloves and was a member of nine All-Star teams during his 15-year tenure in Chicago, including a season on the South Side with the White Sox. (1)
• Cubs birthdays: Patsy Tebeau, Dick Cogan, Gus Mancuso, Bobby Mattick, Mike Mahoney. Also notable: Mike Mahoney.

Sources:

• (1) — The National Pastime.
• (2) — Today in Baseball History.
• (3) — Baseball Reference.
• (4) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (5) — Baseball Hall of Fame.

Thanks for reading. #Cubsnews