Baseball history unpacked, November 16

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.

Today in baseball history:

• 1887 - The Joint Rules Committee does away with the four-strike rule and with the scoring of walks as hits. Five balls for a walk remains the rule. (2)
• 1914 - Frank Leland, pioneer black ballplayer and founder of the Leland Giants, dies in Chicago after a brief illness. He was 45. (2)
• 1954 - The Chicago Cubs trade future Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner to the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Sam Jones, minor league outfielder Gale Wade, and $60,000 in cash. Kiner will hit 18 home runs for the Indians in 1955, his final major league season. (2)
• 2000 - The Chicago Cubs sign free agent pitcher Julian Tavarez to a two-year contract. (2)
• 2014 - The Braves trade 2B Tommy La Stella to the Cubs in return for P Arodys Vizcaino. The two teams also exchange international signing bonus slots, giving the Braves more room to be active on that market. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Joe Quest, Rollie Zeider, Tuffy Stewart, Clay Bryant, Garth Mann. Harry Chiti*, Chris Haney. Also notable: Cristóbal Torriente HOF.

The Harry Chiti story, from SABR.

Today in history:

• 534 - Second and final revision of the Justinian Code published, a codified set of imperial and classical laws begun initially in 528.
• 1519 - City of Havana moved to its current location to avoid mosquito infestations.
• 1676 - 1st colonial prison organized in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
• 1776 - British troops capture Fort Washington during American Revolution.
• 1841 - Life preservers made of cork are patented by Napoleon Guerin (NYC).
• 1907 - Oklahoma becomes the United States 46th state.
• 1938 LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) is first synthesized by Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland.
• 1939 - Al Capone freed from Alcatraz jail.
• 1945 - Founding of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
• 2021 - Men’s roller derby team settles dispute with MLB baseball team, allowing both to use Cleveland Guardians name.

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.

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.