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Baseball history unpacked, March 6

The Hawk checks in, and other stories

CHICAGO - 1987:  Andre Dawson #8 of the Chicago Cubs follows through on his swing during a game with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1987 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.  (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) Getty Images

Baseball history marches forth ... as always on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I bring 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. The embedded links often point to articles that I’ve chosen as illustrative of the scenes, from The Society for American Baseball Research, reproductions of period newspapers, images, and other such material. It’s all lightly unpacked and folded neatly, just for you.

You might learn something, but mostly, it’s for fun!

Today in baseball history:

  • 1906 - Rookie owner Charles W. Murphy puts the last pieces of a Chicago Cubs dynasty in place, trading rookie infielder Hans Lobert and pitcher Jake Weimer to the Cincinnati Reds for third baseman Harry Steinfeldt. Not a heavy hitter, Steinfeldt completes the Frank Chance-Johnny Evers-Joe Tinker infield with more than adequate defense. (3)
  • 1922 - Babe Ruth becomes the highest paid player in history when he inks a three-year deal with the Yankees worth $52,000 per season, more than three times as much as teammate Home Run Baker, the second best paid major leaguer. (1)
  • 1951 - Charlie Brown, who made his debut in Charles Schultz’s Peanut comic strip in last October, appears in his first baseball game. The perennial loser, who served as his team’s pitcher and manager, usually fielded the following lineup: first baseman - Shermy, second baseman - Linus, third baseman - Pig-pen, shortstop - Snoopy, right fielder - Lucy, center fielder -Patty, left fielder -Violet, and catcher - Schroeder. (1)

Sources:

Thanks for reading. #Cubsnews