Baseball history unpacked, December 6

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:

• 1877 - William Hulbert is reelected president of the National League. The Hartford Dark Blues are dropped from the league. (2)
• 1882 - Abraham Mills is elected president of the National League. The league replaces the Troy Trojans and Worcester Ruby Legs with the New York Gothams and Philadelphia Quakers, respectively. (2)
• 1914 - In a vision of things to come, an indoor baseball game is played in Chicago, IL to raise money for the family of recently deceased Chicago Cubs third baseman Jim Doyle. (2)
• 1920 - A lawsuit that awarded $264,000 in damages to the Baltimore Federal League club on April 12, 1919, is reversed by a court of appeals, which upholds the reserve clause and holds that baseball is not interstate commerce nor subject to antitrust laws. The original suit was initiated because the Baltimore Feds were not included in the settlement of the Federal League war. They wanted a major league team in Baltimore and did not receive satisfaction. The ruling will be upheld in 1922 by the U.S. Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice William Howard Taft. (1,2)
• 1937 - It is announced that Ford Frick has been reelected President of the National League for 3 years. (2)
• 1938 - In a trade of major names‚ the Giants send Dick Bartell‚ Hank Leiber‚ and Gus Mancuso to the Cubs for Billy Jurges‚ Frank Demaree‚ and Ken O’Dea. The trade works best for the Giants as the New York-born Jurges will anchor the infield for 7 years; Chicago-born Bartell lasts just a season at Wrigley. (2)
• 1939 - In a trade of veteran shortstops - or “worn-out shortstops‚” as one newspaper describes it - the Cubs acquire Billy Rogell from the Detroit Tigers for Dick Bartell. Rogell‚ who injured his arm playing handball the previous year‚ will hit just .136 before hanging up his spikes. The Tigers will release “Rowdy Richard” 5 games into the 1941 season‚ but he will stick with the Giants until 1946. (2)
• 1959 - The Cubs trade OF Lee Walls and Lou Jackson‚ and P Bill Henry to the Reds for slugger Frank Thomas. (2)
• 1968 - William Eckert resigns as commissioner. (2)
• 1982 - Kenneth Moffett‚ who helped mediate the 1981 strike settlement‚ is named to succeed Marvin Miller as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players’ Association. (2)
• 1990 - Free agent George Bell signs with the Cubs. (2)
• 2018 - José Castillo, 38, and Luis Valbuena, 33, are both killed in a car crash in their native Venezuela as they are driving home from a winter league game with the Cardenales de Lara. Their car, driven by teammate Carlos Rivero, who survives the accident, apparently hit a rock on the road, placed by bandits who then robbed the passengers. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Harry Wolverton, Tony Lazzeri HOF*, Stan Hack, Tommy Brown, Larry Bowa. Also notable: Jocko Conlan HOF.

*featured image.

Today in world history:

• 1735 - First recorded appendectomy performed by Claudius Amyand at St George’s Hospital in London.
• 1768 - 1st edition of “Encyclopedia Brittanica” published in Scotland.
• 1825 - US President John Adams suggests establishment of a national observatory.
• 1849 - Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery in Maryland for the 2nd and final time.
• 1865 - 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution is ratified, abolishing slavery.
• 1925 - Record 73,000 pay to watch Chicago Bears beat NY Giants 19-7.
• 1957 - 1st US attempt to launch a satellite fails-Vanguard rocket blows up.
• 1964 - ”Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” 1st airs on TV.
• 1969 - 300,000 attend Altamont free concert in California, featuring The Rolling Stones.

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.