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:
- 1949 - Hall of Fame pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander is found lying unconscious in an alley in Hollywood, CA. The great Old Pete, who was elected to the HoF in 1938, is suffering from epilepsy and is missing one of his ears. He will die from liver disease less than a year later. (2)
- 1969 - In a letter to Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, traded St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood* states his refusal to report to the Philadelphia Phillies citing he is not a piece of property to be sold. The MLB Players Association announces it supports Flood’s suit against baseball and will pay his legal fees. (2)
Cubs birthdays: Del Howard, Ernie Groth, Andrew Romine, James Norwood.
Today in world history:
- 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by earthquakes.
- 1814 - Treaty of Ghent signed, ending the War of 1812 between the United States, the United Kingdom and their allies.
- 1877 - Thomas Edison files a patent for the phonograph.
- 1893 - Henry Ford completes his first useful petrol / gasoline fueled engine.
- 1943 - US President FDR appoints General Eisenhower Supreme Commander of the Allied forces.
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.
- For world 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.
Thank you for your cooperation. And thanks for reading!
*Pictured.