Baseball history unpacked, March 25

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. We also add a bit of world history, for perspective’s sake.

Today in baseball history:

• 1885 - A new rule is adopted stating that the pitcher must “do all his throwing to bases before he has taken his stride as if to pitch ball.” (2)
• 1891 - Albert Spalding retires from active participation in the affairs of the Chicago Colts club and the National League. James A. Hart will assume the club presidency. (2)
• 1934 - In New Orleans, Louisiana Mildred Didrickson (Babe Zaharias) pitches again, this time for the New Orleans Pelicans against a split squad of the Cleveland Indians. She throws two scoreless innings and lines out in her only plate appearance. In nearby Lafayette, manager Walter Johnson pitches for the other Cleveland squad against the minor league Kansas City Blues. (2)
• 1935 - The Yankees purchase pitcher Pat Malone from the Cubs. Malone had led the N.L. in wins in 1929 and 1930, but Malone will only post a 19-13 record with the Yankees for the next three seasons. (1,2)
• 1945 - Tryouts are granted to pitcher Terris McDuffie and first baseman Dave Thomas when a group of black players appear at the Brooklyn Dodgers’ offices. The two players will work out at Ebbets Field in front of general manager Branch Rickey on April 7th. (2)
• 1951 - Hall of Fame player/manager Eddie Collins dies in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 63. Collins batted .333 and stole 744 bases over a 25-year career, and batted .328 in six World Series with the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics. (2)
• 1962 - Elvin Tappe is named as the Chicago Cubs’ first “head coach” of the season in team’s college of coaches plan. Chicago hasn’t had a manager since 1960. (2)
• 2008 - Opening Day in Major League Baseball is held in the Tokyo Dome. The game was put in doubt earlier in the month when the Red Sox planned to “strike” due to disagreements with MLB over payment for coaches who make the trip. Daisuke Matsuzaka battles control problems, walking five, and allows two runs in five innings in a homecoming of sorts. In the sixth inning, Manny Ramirez hits a two-run double off Joe Blanton to tie the score and Brandon Moss singles him in for the lead. Oakland retakes the lead, 4-3, entering the ninth. Moss then delivers more heroics with one out in the ninth, homering off A’s closer Huston Street to tie the score. Hideki Okajima tosses a scoreless bottom of the inning for the win. In the 10th, Ramirez hits a two-run, two-out double off Street for a 6-4 lead. Oakland scores once off Jonathan Papelbon in the 10th, but he hangs on for the save. (2)
• 2011 - Blue Jays OF Corey Patterson is sent to the hospital when he is hit in the head by a Daniel Bard fastball during a Grapefruit League game with the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers, FL. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Frank Dwyer, Bill Carney, Polly McLarry, Denver Grigsby, Dutch Leonard**, Jim Ellis, Jeff Kunkel. Also notable: Tom Glavine HOF.

**pictured

Today in world history:

• 31 - First Easter, according to calendar-maker Dionysius Exiguus.
• 421 - City of Venice founded.
• 708 - Constantine begins his reign as Catholic Pope.
• 1306 - Robert the Bruce crowned Robert I, King of Scots, having killed his rival John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch.
• 1634 - Under charter granted to Lord Baltimore and led by his brother Leonard Calvert first settlers found Catholic colony of Maryland.
• 1655 - Christiaan Huygens discovers Titan (Saturn’s largest satellite).
• 1669 - Mount Etna in Sicily erupts, destroying Nicolosi, killing 20,000.
• 1882 - 1st demonstration of pancake making, held at a department store in NYC.
• 1954 - RCA manufactures 1st color TV set (12½” screen at $1,000).
• 1970 - Concorde makes its 1st supersonic flight (700 MPH/1,127 KPH).
• 1982 - Wayne Gretzky becomes first NHL player to score 200 points in a season.

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!