Baseball history unpacked, December 27

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:

• 1919 - One day after secretly working out a deal to sell Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee says his team will deal any player except Harry Hooper. But Hooper will be sent to the Chicago White Sox after the 1920 season. (1,2)
• 1941 - The Boston Braves mascot, Chief Nokahoma, adopted today, is considered by many as an aberration of a Natchez Native American and misrepresented in Plains Indians headdress. (2) The Braves retired him before the 1986 season.
• 1995 - Hall of Fame umpire Al Barlick dies at the age of 80 in Springfield, Illinois. Known for his decisiveness and hustle, Barlick worked National League games from 1940 to 1972, and gained election to the Hall in 1989. (2) SABR on Barlick.

• 2014 - Cubs SS Starlin Castro is questioned by police in Monte Cristi in the Dominican Republic after a shooting at a nightclub. Castro explains through his agent that he was present but had nothing to do with the incident. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Bill Bishop, Pete Lamer, Red Lynn, Charlie Brewster, Dutch McCall, Phil Gagliano, Byron Browne, Raul Gonzalez, David Aardsma, Cole Hamels, Dylan Floro.

Today in world history:

• 537 - Hagia Sophia inaugurated by the Emperor Justinian I as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral.
• 1512 - Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regards to native Indians in the New World.
• 1831 - HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin on board departs England for a survey of South America, a voyage Darwin later said “determined my whole career”.
• 1945 - International Monetary Fund formally established by 29 member countries based on ideas of Harry Dexter White and John Maynard Keynes. The World Bank was created with the signing of an agreement by 28 nations.

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!