:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67713001/112867256.0.jpg)
... 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:
- 1911 - Clark Griffith is named manager of the Washington Senators, beginning a stand in the nation’s capital as manager, then owner, that will last until his death in 1955. (3)
- 1945 - Branch Rickey signs Jackie Robinson and John Wright to contracts with Triple-A Montreal of the International League for 1946. It is the beginning of integration. (2,3)
- 1956 - The sale of the historical, but out-of-date, Ebbets Field to real estate developer Marvin Kratter becomes one of the first indications the ballpark is nearing its end, and, perhaps, a harbinger of the Dodgers’ departure from Brooklyn. As part of the deal, club owner Walter O’Malley is given a three-year lease, with an additional two years to be added in January, to stay and play at the Flatbush facility, which means the ‘Bums’ have a potential home in the borough until 1961. (1)
- 1964 - Former big-leaguer Joe Stanka wins the Pacific League MVP award pitching for the Nankai Hawks. His three straight victories over the Yomiuri Giants helps his team capture the Japanese Series. (1,3)
- 1967 - Arthur Allyn announces that his White Sox will play nine games in Milwaukee in 1968. Chicago will become the first American League team to play regular season games outside its own city since 1905.
- 2007 - Ria Cortesio, professional baseball’s only active female umpire and sixth overall, is released after nine years of making calls in the minors. The 31-year-old crew chief, whose mask is in the Hall of Fame, worked the Futures Game and Home Run Derby at the 2006 All-Star Game played in Pittsburgh, and she was on the bases for an exhibition game between the Diamondbacks and Cubs during spring training. (1)
- 2009 - Tom Ricketts, the Cubs’ chairman, makes it clear that the new ownership intends to win a World Championship. At his introductory press conference, the investment banker tells the media he believes a thoughtful, long-range approach is needed for the team to succeed in overcoming its 101-year absence from the Fall Classic. (1)
Video from NBC Sports Chicago.
- 2016 - The Cubs remain alive in the 2016 World Series with a 3-2 win over Cleveland in Game 5. The Indians score first, on a solo homer by Jose Ramirez off Jon Lester in the second but Chicago scores three against Trevor Bauer in the fourth. Aroldis Chapman gets the final 8 outs to record the save.
- Cubs birthdays: Tom Nagle, Rudy Sommers, Kettle Wirts, Roy Joiner, John Burrows, Roe Skidmore. Also notable: Ed Delahanty (HoF), Bill Terry (HoF).
Common 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 vet each item as much as time allows. Please let us know if an item is in error, especially if you have a source. Thanks for reading!