Baseball history unpacked, November 5

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:

• 1901 - Ban Johnson and Charles Comiskey lease Sportsman’s Park for five years for an American League team. Two weeks later it is announced the Milwaukee Brewers franchise will become the St. Louis Browns in 1902. (2)
• 1940 - 1940 - Former pitcher Walter Johnson, who won 416 games for the Washington Senators, goes down in defeat as a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland. Johnson entered the Hall of Fame in 1936. (1,2)
• 1970 - Former major league pitcher Charlie Root dies at the age of 71. Root posted a 201-160 record over 17 major league seasons, but was best known for an incident in the 1932 World Series. Root was on the mound for the Chicago Cubs when Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees allegedly “called his shot” before hitting a home run. (2)
• 1997 - In what Bud Selig says is Phase One of a realignment of the major leagues, his Milwaukee Brewers move from the American League to the National League. Phase 2 will have to wait until 2013, however. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Charlie Newman, Bryan LaHair.

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.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Today in history:

• 1605 - Gunpowder Plot: Catholic conspirator Guy Fawkes attempts to blow up King James I and the British Parliament. Plot discovered, Guy Fawkes caught, tortured and later executed along with seven others. Celebrated ever since as Guy Fawkes Day, where his effigy is traditionally burned on a bonfire, accompanied by fireworks.
• 1872 - Ulysses S. Grant re-elected President.
• 1916 - Emperors Wilhelm II (Germany) and Franz Joseph I (Austria-Hungary) establish the kingdom of Poland.
• 1935 - Parker Brothers launches game of Monopoly.
• 1987 - US Supreme Court nominee Douglas H. Ginsburg admits using marijuana, later withdraws from consideration.

Thanks for reading.