Baseball history unpacked, January 29

... 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*. Beware of rabbit holes.

Today in baseball history:

• 1936 - The result of the first Hall of Fame elections is announced with Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson being selected by the BBWAA or by a special Veterans Committee, made up of individuals with more knowledge about players of the 19th century. The honorees will have to wait until 1939 for enshrinement since the construction of the museum in Cooperstown has not started. (1)

The whole slate.

• 1948 - Commissioner Happy Chandler fines the Yankees, Cubs and Phillies $500 each for signing high school players. (3)
• 1960 - The family feud continues in Chicago when the Illinois Appellate Court rules in favor of Charles Comiskey’s sister, Dorothy Rigney, allowing her to sell her White Sox shares to Bill Veeck. Her younger sibling, known as Chuck, had brought suit to gain control of the club. (1,3)
• 1971 - In accepting the Tris Speaker Award from Houston sportswriters, Roberto Clemente gives a speech which, apart from being called by many of those in attendance “the best talk any baseball player ever made,” is the source of Clemente’s most famous – if oft misquoted – assertion: “If you have an opportunity to accomplish something that will make things better for someone coming behind you, and you don’t do that, you are wasting your time on this earth.” (3)
• 2008 - Baseball announces the annual Hall of Fame Game played since 1940 will end after the June 16th Cooperstown contest between the Cubs and Padres. With the 68-year tradition ending, there will no longer be any major league exhibition games played during the season. (1)
• Cubs birthdays: Bill Krieg, Bill Voiselle, Hank Edwards, Hy Cohen, Jim Tyrone, Kevin Roberson, Alex Avila.

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.

*We try to vet each item. Please let us know if an item is in error, especially if you have a source.

Thanks for reading.