Baseball history unpacked, February 26

... on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue brings a you a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along as we review select scenes from the rich tapestry of Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball history*.

Today in baseball history:

• 1894 - In a series of rule changes designed to help pitchers, all foul bunts will now be called strikes, and the infield fly rule is instituted. (3)
• 1991 - Bill Veeck, considered the P.T. Barnum of baseball due to the imaginative innovations he put in place as the owner of the Indians (1946-50), Browns (1951-53), and White Sox (1959-61, 1975-80), is elected by the Veterans Committee into the Hall of Fame. ‘Sport Shirt Bill’ integrated the American League by signing Larry Doby to play for the Tribe and assembled the 1948 World Champion Indians, a team that drew more than 2.6 million fans, setting an attendance record that lasted for more than three decades. Yankees great Tony Lazzeri is also inducted. (1,3)
• 2004 - With hundreds of on-lookers, including a man covered in ivy, singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game, the foul ball made famous by Steve Bartman in the 2003 National League Championship Series is blown up at Harry Caray’s restaurant in Chicago. The infamous ball’s demise is executed by Michael Lantieri, a Cubs die-hard fan and Oscar Award winner who has worked on similar special effects in the films Jurassic Park and Back to the Future.(1,3)

• 2011 - Major League Baseball names former manager Joe Torre as executive vice-president for baseball operations, replacing Bob Watson who retired after last season. Torre will be in charge of supervising umpires and meting out discipline for on-field incidents. (3)

Cubs birthdays: Pete Alexander HOF, Harry Weaver, Joe Graves, Don Lee, Mark DeRosa, Jose Reyes, Hector Rondon.

Common sources:

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

*We vet each item as much as time allows. Please let us know if an item is in error, especially if you have a source. Thanks for reading.