Baseball history unpacked, October 26

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, with plenty of the lore and various narratives to follow as they unfold over the course of time. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along. We also include Cubs’ player birthdays and a bit of world history, for context.

Today in baseball history:

• 1931 - Charles Comiskey dies at age 72. The Chicago White Sox owner and pioneer player never recovered from the betrayal of the 1919 World Series. (1,2)
• 1960 - After operating the team in the nation’s capital ever since Clark Griffith took over as manager of the club in 1912, Calvin Griffith, president of the Washington Senators, makes the decision to move his club to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. In a move designed to get a jump on the National League in the expansion race, the American League announces that it will expand by two teams and approves the move of the Senators. The new AL teams will play in Los Angeles and in Washington, DC, as all teams will play a 162-game schedule, with 18 games against each opponent. (2)
• 1979 - Commissioner Bowie Kuhn notifies Hall of Famer Willie Mays that if he accepts a position with the Bally Manufacturing Corporation, owner of several gambling casinos, he must disassociate himself from major league baseball. Mays, a part-time coach and goodwill ambassador for the Mets, will relinquish his duties upon accepting Bally’s job offer. (1,2)
• 2011 - New Chicago Cubs President Theo Epstein announces the appointment of Jed Hoyer, who worked with him with the Boston Red Sox, as the team’s new general manager. The San Diego Padres are expected to name Josh Byrnes as Hoyer’s replacement and will receive a player in compensation** from the Cubs. (2)
• 2016 - The Cubs tie up the World Series with a 5-1 win over the Indians in Game 2. Jake Arrieta does not allow a hit until the 6th, while the Cubs score against Trevor Bauer in the top of the 1st and add runs in the 3rd and 5th. Anthony Rizzo scores twice while Kyle Schwarber drives in a pair. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Andy Sommers, Harry Chapman, Tommy Griffith, Steve Ontiveros,

Today in history:

• 1492 - Lead (graphite) pencils first used.
• 1774 - First Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia.
• 1858 - Hamilton Smith patents rotary washing machine in Pittsburgh.
• 1881 - Gunfight at the OK Corral: The most famous shootout in the Wild West occurs, between lawmen (including Wyatt Earp) and the Cowboys, with Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton killed.
• 1887 - ”World Championship” Baseball Series, Sportsman’s Park, Detroit Wolverines (NL) beat St. Louis Browns (AA), 10 games to 5 in series played in bitterly cold conditions.
• 1970 - ”Doonesbury” comic strip debuts in 28 newspapers.

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.

*pictured.

**one million BCB points for the party who can identify the PTBNL in the Hoyer deal. I spent an hour looking.

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.

Also please remember that this is supposed to be fun.