Baseball history unpacked, November 7

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:

• 1889 - The Brotherhood and its backers meet to begin preliminary work on the organization of a Players League. The players believe “that the game can be played more fairly and its business conducted more intelligently under a plan which excludes everything arbitrary and un-American.” (2)
• 1928 - The Boston Braves trade National League batting champion Rogers Hornsby to the Chicago Cubs for $200,000 and players Freddie Maguire (IF), Percy Jones (P), Lou Legett (C), Socks Seibold and P Bruce Cunningham. The hard-hitting Hornsby, who posted a .387 batting average with 21 home runs for the Braves, will enjoy another spectacular season in 1929 for his new club. He will compile a .380 average with 39 home runs and 149 RBI. Braves owner-president Emil Fuchs also decides to be his own manager. Under Fuchs, the Braves will finish 56-98, good for last place. He will be the last manager with no professional playing experience until Ted Turner’s one game on May 11, 1977. (2)
• 1951 - Representative Emanuel Celler’s committee issues financial data from 1945-1949 that differs with Walter O’Malley’s numbers. According to Celler, the Brooklyn Dodgers made a profit of $2.364 million in the five-year period. The Dodgers’ “loss” of $129,318 in 1950 included a $167,000 loss due to the promotion of the Brooklyn Dodgers professional football team. In his continuing investigation into antitrust violations, Celler says that evidence in his committee suggests altering the reserve clause in that it does limit players. (2)
• 1963 - New York Yankees catcher Elston Howard becomes the first Black player to win the American League MVP Award. Howard beats out Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers by 248 votes to 148 in the balloting. (2)
• 1973 - The Chicago Cubs trade second baseman Glenn Beckert and a minor leaguer to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Jerry Morales. (2)
• 1979 - Chicago Cubs closer Bruce Sutter, who had a 6-6 record with a 2.23 ERA and saved 37 of his team’s 80 victories, wins the National League Cy Young Award by a 72-66 margin over Houston Astros starter Joe Niekro. (1,2)
• 2004 - After refusing a $60 million, four-year contract extension from the Boston Red Sox the previous winter, Nomar Garciaparra signs a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, the team he was traded to in 2004, for $8 million. The All-Star shortstop, who is coming off an injury-plagued season, can increase the value of the contract up to $11 million with bonus incentives based on performance and playing time. (2)
• 2013 - The Cubs hire Padres bench coach Rick Renteria as their new manager. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Monte McFarland, Joe Hatten, Clarence Jones, Joe Niekro, Reggie Patterson, Glendon Rusch, Les Walrond. Also notable: Jim Kaat HOF.

Today in history:

• 1492 - Ensisheim Meteorite strikes a wheat field near the village of Ensisheim in Alsace, France. Oldest meteorite with a known date of impact.
• 1631 - Pierre Gassendi observes 1st ever transit of Mercury predicted by Johannes Kepler.
• 1805 - Lewis and Clark Expedition first sights the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River.
• 1916 - Jeannette Rankin (R-Montana) is elected to Congress as its first woman Representative.
• 1918 - Robert Goddard demonstrates tube-launched solid propellant rockets.
• 1962 - Glenn Hall set NHL record of 503 consecutive games as goalie.

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.