Baseball history unpacked, February 11

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue brings a you a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, with plenty of the lore and deep dives into various narratives that expand over the course of time. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along.

Today in baseball history:

• 1911 - The Chicago Cubs acquire second baseman Dave Shean from the Boston Rustlers for third baseman Scotty Ingerton and pitcher Big Jeff Pfeffer. This is the second time that Boston has traded with the Cubs for Big Jeff. (2)
• 1914 - Declining to remain with the Chicago Cubs as a player after being fired as manager, second baseman Johnny Evers is traded to the Boston Braves for second baseman Bill Sweeney and cash considerations. Evers will have one good season left, leading the “Miracle Braves” to the National League pennant and winning the Chalmers Award for Most Valuable Player. Meanwhile, Sweeney will sour in Chicago. (2)
• 1950 - Hall of Fame outfielder Hazen (Kiki) Cuyler dies in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the age of 50. Considered an outstanding defensive player and baserunner, Cuyler was a .321 hitter with 2,299 hits and 328 stolen bases during an 18-year career. At the time of his death, Cuyler was serving as a coach for the Boston Red Sox. (2)
• 1974 - Forty-eight major-league players invoke the new arbitration procedure established to settle contract differences. Pitcher Dick Woodson (seeking a contract for $29,000) and the Twins (offering $23,000) are the first to present their respective cases to Detroit lawyer and labor arbitrator Harry H. Platt, who must decide on one of the monetary amounts presented. Woodson wins. (1,2)
• 1977 - The Chicago Cubs trade two-time National League batting champion Bill Madlock* and infielder Rob Sperring to the San Francisco Giants for outfielder Bobby Murcer, third baseman Steve Ontiveros, and a minor league pitcher. In 1976, Madlock led the NL with a .339 mark, while Murcer hit 23 home runs and 90 RBI. Madlock leaves Chicago having hit .336 for them, which ties him with Riggs Stephenson for the top career average in team history. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Jimmy Ryan, Red Shannon, Hal Rice, Chris Kitsos, Willie Smith, Tom Veryzer, Dave Swartzbaugh, Brian Matusz.

*pictured.

Today in world history:

• 660 BC — Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
• 1794 - 1st session of US Senate open to the public.
• 1808 — Anthracite coal 1st burned as fuel, experimentally, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
• 1971 — US, UK, USSR, others sign Seabed Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons.
• 1990 — Nelson Mandela released after 27 years imprisonment in South Africa.

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.

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. BBRef is very cooperative in this regard, as are SABR and the Baseball Almanac. We have removed thenationalpastime from our sourcing list, as there have been multiple complaints about their content and they do not respond to attempts to communicate.

Also please remember that this is supposed to be fun.

Thank you for your cooperation. And thanks for reading!