Baseball history unpacked, November 27

... on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue brings a you a lighthearted 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:

• 1950 - Former Cleveland shortstop standout Lou Boudreau signs a two-year contract with the Red Sox for $150,000. The 33-year-old future Hall-of-Fame infielder will hit .267 playing full-time next season, becoming the team’s player-manager in 1952, before managing full time from the bench for the following two seasons. (1)
• 1973 - San Francisco Giants outfielder Gary Matthews, who batted .300 in 145 games, outpolls eight others, receiving 11 of 24 nominations for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. (2,3)
• 1974 - Bowie Kuhn suspends Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for two years as a result of Steinbrenner’s conviction for illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon and others. (2)
• 2001 - The major league owners vote unanimously to extend baseball commissioner Bud Selig’s contract through 2006. The former Brewers’ owner, who had held the top spot on an interim basis since 1992, was given the title permanently midway through the 1998 season. (1)
• 2012 - Marvin Miller, who served as head of the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1966 to 1983, dies at 95. A veteran union organizer from the steel industry, Miller made the union highly powerful, leading to the first collective bargaining agreement in professional sports in 1968 and other breakthroughs such as salary arbitration and free agency in the 1970s. These advances required a number of strikes, which made Miller a vilified figure among owners. Lingering bitterness explains while Miller failed to secure election to the Hall of Fame by a small margin in recent years. (3)
• Cubs birthdays: Hank Miklos, Tony York, Johnny Schmitz, Bob Schultz, Cal Howe, Dave Giusti, Ron Tompkins, Jason Berken. Also notable: Ivan Rodriguez (HoF).

Sources:

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

Thanks for reading.