Baseball history unpacked, November 16

... 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:

• 1887 - The Joint Rules Committee does away with the four-strike rule and with the scoring of walks as hits. Five balls for a walk remains the rule. (3)
• 1954 - The Chicago Cubs trade future Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner to the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Sam Jones, minor league outfielder Gale Wade, and $60,000 in cash. Kiner will hit 18 home runs for the Indians in 1955, his final major league season. (3)
• 1961 - The circular New York Mets logo, designed by sports cartoonist Ray Gatto, is unveiled. The design, which represents all five boroughs with various symbols, is blue and orange, the team colors of the Dodgers and Giants, the franchises which left the “Big Apple” and moved to the West Coast leaving New York without a National League representative. (1,3)

• 1962 - Lou Perini sells the Braves to the Chicago-based Lasalle Corporation, led by 34-year-old insurance broker William Bartholomay, for $6.2 million. Team president John McHale, one of the primary stockholders in the purchase, will take the brunt of the wrath of the fanbase when the new ownership makes clear their intent to move the team out of Milwaukee. (1)
• 2002 - After piloting the Giants for ten years and winning this season’s National League pennant, Dusty Baker, leaves the organization, inking a four-year deal to manage the Cubs. Chicago, a franchise that hasn’t been to the World Series since 1945, made it clear the 53-year-old three-time NL Manager of the Year was the team’s first choice to lead the way. (1)
• 2014 - The Braves trade 2B Tommy La Stella to the Cubs in return for P Arodys Vizcaino. The two teams also exchange international signing bonus slots. (3)
• 2015 - Two of the most highly-touted prospects in recent years win the Rookie of the Year Award in their respective leagues. 3B Kris Bryant of the Cubs is a unanimous winner in the National League, while SS Carlos Correa of the Astros wins it in a close race in the American League. (3)
• 2019 - Veteran manager Joe Maddon (1,252-1,068), who spent nine seasons with the Rays and five more with the Cubs, comes to terms on a three-year deal with the Angels, reportedly worth between $12 million and $15 million. The 65-year-old skipper, replacing first-year pilot Brad Ausmus, spent 31 years with the Angels organization before leaving to manage Tampa Bay in 2006. (1)
• Cubs birthdays: Rollie Zeider, Tuffy Stewart, Clay Bryant, Garth Mann, Harry Chiti, Chris Haney.

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!