Baseball history unpacked, November 13

.. 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:

• 1965 - At the beginning of his induction speech at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Branch Rickey mumbles to the audience before collapsing over the podium, “I don’t believe I’m going to be able to speak any longer.” The 83 year-old baseball executive, who suffered a massive heart attack on stage, will remain unconscious while in intensive care at Boone County Memorial Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, before dying three weeks later. (1)
• 1984 - Ryne Sandberg wins the National League MVP Award, becoming the first Chicago Cubs player to do so since Ernie Banks in 1959. Sandberg hit .314 with 19 home runs and 32 stolen bases and led the NL in runs (114) and triples (19). (1,2,3)
• 1987 - Jim Frey, the team’s former manager and broadcaster, is named the Cubs’ Director of Baseball Operations. The first major move made by the skipper of the 1984 Chicago squad that won the NL East title will be to name Don Zimmer, a longtime friend, as Chicago’s field boss. (1)
• Cubs birthdays: Johnny Kling, Bob Garbark, Steve Bilko, Arodys Vizcaino.

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!