Baseball history unpacked, November 30

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:

• 1932 - The Chicago Cubs get Babe Herman from the Cincinnati Reds for Rollie Hemsley and three others. (2)
• 1948 - Player-manager Lou Boudreau is selected the American League Most Valuable Player. Boudreau had almost been traded to the St. Louis Browns earlier in the year, but protests by fans kept Lou in Cleveland. After the World Series win, owner Bill Veeck commented, “Sometimes the best trades are the ones you never make.” (1,2)
• 1953 - The Cubs sell C Carl Sawatski to the White Sox. (2)
• 1961 - Cubs outfielder Billy Williams (.278, 25, 86) is selected as the National League Rookie of the Year. Braves catcher Joe Torre and Cubs southpaw Jack Curtis also receive consideration for the honor. (1,2)
• 1967 - The Cubs give up on pitcher Ray Culp and ship him to the Red Sox for minor leaguer Rudy Schlesinger and cash. A steal for the Sox, Culp will develop a palmball and win 64 games for them over the next four seasons. (2)
• 1970 - The Cubs trade 48-year-old veteran knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm to the Braves for minor league first baseman Hal Breeden. The White Sox also make a rare trade with the Cubs when they send OF Jose Ortiz and infielder Ossie Blanco to the North Side for pitchers Pat Jacquez and Dave Lemonds. (2)
• 2011 - The Cubs sign free agent OF David DeJesus to a two-year contract. (2)
• 2016 - Major League Baseball owners and the Players’ Association agree on a new five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. Highlights of the deal include: a raise in the threshold for luxury tax payments to $195 million in 2017, gradually rising to reach $210 million in 2021; the All-Star Game will no longer determine home field advantage for the World Series; and teams will no longer forfeit a first-round pick in the amateur draft if they sign a premium free agent. There is no agreement on instituting an international draft; instead, teams will have an annual $6 million bonus pool limit for international signings. The deal ensures that labor peace in MLB will have exceeded a quarter of a century by the time the agreement expires. (2)
• 2021 - With the self-imposed deadline of 11:59 pm on December 1st for completing negotiations of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement looming, teams are doubling down on signing free agents before a possible freeze, continuing a frenzy begun three days ago. The latest beneficiary of a huge contract is IF Javier Baez, who reportedly signs with the Tigers for six years and $150 million, already the sixth deal over $100 million this off-season. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Frank Killen, Elmer Koestner, Ed Mayer, Steve Hamilton, Bob Tewksbury, Matt Lawton, Rich Harden, Alec Mills*.

Today in history:

• 1487 - The first German Beer Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot), is promulgated in Munich by Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria stating beer should be brewed from only three ingredients – water, malt and hops.
• 1731 - Beijing hit by an earthquake; about 100,000 die
• 1866 - Work begins on first US underwater highway tunnel in Chicago.
• 1876 - Archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann finds the gold Mask of Agamemnon at Mycenae (modern Greece) “the Mona Lisa of prehistory”.
• 1887 - 1st indoor softball game in Chicago (disputed — many reports say Thanksgiving Day). It took place at the Farragut Boat Club and the ball was said to be a boxing glove, tied up.
• 1971 Emmy and Peabody Award-winning TV movie “Brian’s Song,” about the friendship of Chicago Bears football teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers (based on Sayers’ autobiography) premieres on ABC, starring James Caan and Billie Dee Williams.

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.