Baseball history unpacked, November 18

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 National League adopts a new contract that spells out reserve provisions for the first time. The NL refuses to accept the players’ demand that the salary be written out on all contracts, however. (2)
• 1914 - The Chicago Cubs name future Hall of Famer Roger Bresnahan as their manager. The former St. Louis Cardinals skipper will be in the dugout for just one year during which Chicago will finish fourth with a 73-80 record. (2)
• 1951 - Former Chicago Cubs first baseman and future star of the TV series The Rifleman Chuck Connors becomes the first player to refuse to participate in the major league draft. Currently the 1B for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League, Connors wants to stay in California, instead of going to whatever team might draft him for the major leagues. The PCL views his refusal in a positive manner, allowing them to ask for higher prices for minor league players than what the major leagues usually offers. (2)
• 1954 - The Kansas City Athletics hire Lou Boudreau as manager, replacing Eddie Joost, who is given his unconditional release. During his three-year tenure in Kansas City, the future Hall of Famer will pilot the second-division club to a 151-260 record. (2)
• 1960 - Charlie Finley, a 42-year-old insurance tycoon from Gary, Indiana, makes a formal bid for the new Los Angeles club of the American League. (1,2)
• 1966 - Los Angeles Dodgers ace pitcher Sandy Koufax announces his retirement, due to increasing pain in his arthritic left elbow. Just three weeks earlier, Koufax won a record third Cy Young Award. (1,2)
• 1987 - Chicago Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson becomes the first player from a last-place club ever to win an Most Valuable Player Award, taking National League honors with a .287 batting average and as the league leader in home runs (49) and RBI (137). (1,2)
• 2005 - The Chicago Cubs sign free agent reliever Scott Eyre to a three-year, $11 million contract. (2)
• 2010 - Commissioner Bud Selig states that Major League Baseball is considering expanding the postseason by two teams, by adding a second wild card in each league. The two wild card winners would face each other in a best-of-three series to open the postseason, with the three division winners getting a bye. The proposal will now be discussed at the December Winter Meetings and will need to be accepted by the Players Association. A slightly modified version of the proposal will come into effect in 2012. (2)
• 2011 - Major League Baseball owners and the Players Association reach a tentative deal on a new five-year collective bargaining agreement. The agreement signed in Rosemont, IL near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, includes a ceiling for bonuses paid to picks in the amateur draft and international free agents. It also provides for testing for human growth hormone and a raise in the minimum salary to $480,000. The agreement will be finalized on November 22nd. (2)
• 2015 - In the Cy Young Award vote, Jake Arrieta of the Cubs is the winner in the National League while Dallas Keuchel does the same in the American League. Both pitchers won their respective league’s Wild Card Game with strong performances, in addition to being dominant in the regular season. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Frank Griffith, Les Mann, Gene Mauch, Cal Koonce, Sterling Slaughter, Dan Briggs, Steve Henderson, Jamie Moyer, Ron Coomer, Tom Gordon, Shawn Camp. Also notable: David Ortiz HOF.

Today in history:

• 326 - Old St. Peter’s Basilica consecrated in Rome (stood 4th - 16th century), later replaced by current Basilica.
• 1307 - William Tell reportedly shoots an apple off his son’s head.
• 1477 - First English dated printed book “Dictes & Sayengis of the Phylosophers” by William Caxton at his press in London.
• 1626 - St. Peter’s Basilica is consecrated, replacing an earlier basilica on the same site and becoming the world’s largest Christian basilica.
• 1872 - Suffragette Susan B. Anthony is arrested by a U.S. Deputy Marshal and charged with illegally voting.
• 1883 - Four standard time zones for the Continental US introduced - Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific, replacing over 100 previous time zones.
• 1978 - In Jonestown, Guyana, 918 members of the Peoples Temple are murdered or commit suicide under the leadership of cult leader Jim Jones.

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.