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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:
- 1912 - Frank Chance is sold by the Chicago Cubs to the Cincinnati Reds. When all National League clubs waive claims to him in December, the Reds free Chance to manage the Yankees. (2)
- 1925 - Rabbit Maranville is waived to the Brooklyn Robins from the Chicago Cubs. (2)
- 1953 - Reaffirming its earlier position, the United States Supreme Court rules, 7-2, that baseball is a sport and not a business and therefore not subject to antitrust laws. The ruling is made in a case involving New York Yankees minor leaguer George Toolson, who refused to move from Triple-A to Double-A. (1,2)
- 1976 - The Oakland Athletics give future Hall of Famer Billy Williams his unconditional release, ending his 18-year major league career. Williams, who spent all but two seasons with the Chicago Cubs, retires with 426 home runs, 1,475 RBI, 2,711 hits, and a .290 batting average. (1,2)
- 1998 - Chicago pitcher Kerry Wood* was voted the National League Rookie of the Year after going 13-6 with a 3.40 ERA and helping the Cubs to the playoffs. (2,3)
- 2004 - Hoping to fill the void created by Steve Stone’s resignation, the Chicago Cubs hire former Arizona Diamondbacks manager and current FOX TV analyst Bob Brenly to broadcast games on WGN. After spending 20 years in the broadcast booth, Stone left Chicago after his on-air comments concerning the team’s swoon in the wild card race angered manager Dusty Baker and some of the players. (2)
Cubs birthdays: Harvey Hendrick, Walt Lanfranconi, Tony Barnette, Rowan Wick. Also notable: Whitey Herzog HOF, Bob Gibson HOF.
Today in history:
- 1799 - Napoleon Bonaparte pulls off a coup and becomes the dictator of France under the title of First Consul.
- 1925 - Robert A. Millikan confirms the existence of cosmic rays from outer space in a speech to the National Academy of Sciences at Madison, Wisconsin.
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.