Baseball history unpacked, November 17

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue brings a you a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, with plenty of the lore and deep dives into various narratives that expand over the course of time. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along. Don’t be afraid to click the links for ‘inside baseball’ on the entries, which change from year to year as we re-examine the subjects.

Today in baseball history:

• 1887 - The National League meets and officially recognizes the Brotherhood by meeting with a committee of three players, Monte Ward, Ned Hanlon, and Dan Brouthers. (2)
• 1892 - National League magnates conclude a four-day meeting in Chicago where they agree to shorten the 1893 schedule to 132 games and drop the double championship concept. They also pledge to continue to reduce player salaries and other team expenses. (2)
• 1903 - Chicago Cubs shortstop Joe Tinker tells an interviewer that it is “impossible to fix” a major league baseball game. (2)
• 1940 - Jimmie Wilson is named as the new Chicago Cubs manager. He gets his reward for managing the woeful Philadelphia Phillies in the 1930s and for his late-season role filling in at catcher with the Cincinnati Reds. (2)
• 1953 - The St. Louis Browns officially become the Baltimore Baseball Club Inc. The Baltimore franchise board officially changes its name to the Orioles, the traditional name for baseball teams from the city. (1,2)
• 1965 - Major League Baseball owners unanimously elect William D. Eckert as Commissioner, succeeding Ford Frick, who leaves office after 14 years. Eckert, a retired Lt. General in the United States Air Force, becomes baseball’s fourth commissioner. He will serve only one term before being replaced by Bowie Kuhn. (1,2)
• 1992 - the Chicago Cubs trade shortstop Alex Arias and third baseman Gary Scott to the Florida Marlins for pitcher Greg Hibbard. (2)
• 2011 - The Chicago Cubs announce they have hired Dale Sveum as their new manager, replacing Mike Quade. Sveum managed the Milwaukee Brewers at the tail end of the 2008 season, ending a swoon and leading them through their first playoff appearance since the 1982 World Series, but has not managed since. (2)
• 2013 - Cubs prospect Kris Bryant is named MVP of the Arizona Fall League after batting .364 and leading the circuit in most hitting categories. (2)
• 2020 - Theo Epstein, the architect behind the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 World Series title that ended a drought of over a century, and before that of the Boston Red Sox’ first title in almost 90 years in 2004 as the original wunderkind General Manager, resigns from his job as team President of the Cubs. Still in his 40s, he is likely to look for a new challenge in baseball at some point in the future, but for now he sticks to his principle that a senior executive should not stay with an organization for more than 10 years. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Tom Dettore, Mitch Williams, Darnell McDonald, Scott Moore. Also notable: Tom Seaver HOF.

Today in world history:

• 1800 - Congress holds its 1st session in Washington, D.C. in an incomplete Capitol Building.
• 1869 - Suez Canal in Egypt opens, linking Mediterranean and Red seas.
• 1894 - Serial killer H. H. Holmes is arrested in Boston after being tracked there from Philadelphia by the Pinkertons.
• 1913 - The first ship sails through the Panama Canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
• 1926 - NHL’s Chicago Black Hawks play their 1st game, beat Toronto St Pats 4-1.

Common sources:

• (1) — Today in Baseball History.
• (2) — Baseball Reference.
• (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.

There is a very active baseball history community and there are many facets to their views. We strive for clarity. Please be aware that we are trying to make the historical record as represented by our main sources coherent and as accurate as is possible. No item is posted here without corroboration. Some of these items spread from site to site without being verified. That is exactly why we ask for reputable sources, so that we can address them to the originators. BBRef is very cooperative in this regard, as are SABR and the Baseball Almanac. We have removed thenationalpastime from our sourcing list, as there have been multiple complaints about their content and they do not respond to attempts to communicate.

Also please remember that this is supposed to be fun.

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