Baseball history unpacked, March 7

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:

• 1889 - Pittsburgh Alleghenys third baseman Billy Kuehne is arrested at his billiards parlour in Allegheny City and is charged, along with his partner pitcher Ed Morris, with running a gambling house. When the case comes to trial, the key witness fails to appear and the charges will be dropped. (2)
• 1893 - In arguably the most significant rule change in major league history, the National League eliminates the pitching box and adds a pitcher’s rubber five feet behind the previous back line of the box, establishing the modern pitching distance of 60 feet 6 inches. In addition, bats flattened on one side to facilitate bunting are banned. (2)
• 1902 - Hall of Famer James (Pud) Galvin dies at the age of 45. Galvin won 361 games over a 14-year career, placing him in a tie for sixth on the all-time list for most wins. In 1883 and 1884, Galvin won a combined 92 games. (2)
• 1924 - At Orlando, Florida, Cincinnati Reds manager Pat Moran dies from Bright’s disease at the age of 48. A veteran of nine National League seasons as a manager, Moran guided the Reds to a record of 91-63 and a second-place finish in 1923. Coach Jack Hendricks replaces the popular Moran, who was the Reds’ manager when they won the controversial 1919 World Series. (2)
• 1955 - Commissioner Ford Frick states that he favors legalization of the spitter, “a great pitch and one of the easiest to throw.” (2)
• 1956 - The Players Association accept the owners’ decisions on minimum pay and the World Series television agreement. They seek workman’s compensation coverage. The PA rehire J.M. Lewis as their representative. (2)
• 1979 - Slugging outfielder Hack Wilson* and longtime executive Warren Giles are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Wilson, who had a relatively short career, won four National League home run titles while with the Chicago Cubs. His most productive season came in 1930, when he set an all-time major league record with 191 RBI, hit 56 home runs (a NL record for 68 years) and batted .356. For his career, Wilson hit .307 with 244 home runs and 1,063 RBI. Giles served as president of the Cincinnati Reds from 1937 to 1951, before becoming National League President for 18 seasons. (1,2)
• 1991 - Cool Papa Bell dies in St. Louis, Missouri, at the age of 87. An outfielder with blazing speed, Bell played in the Negro Leagues from 1922 to 1946. Bell entered the Hall of Fame in 1974, joining fellow Negro Leagues stars Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard and Monte Irvin. (2)
• 2011 - The Diamondbacks and White Sox play an exhibition game in their old Cactus League ballpark in Tucson, AZ in benefit for a fund set up in memory of Christina Taylor Green, the daughter of John Green and granddaughter of Dallas Green, who was killed in Tucson in January. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Merwin Jacobson, Ed Bouchee, Jimmie Hall, Randy Stein, Joe Carter, Tyler Ladendorf.

*Pictured

Today in history:

• 321 - Roman Emperor Constantine I decrees that the dies Solis Invicti (sun-day) is the day of rest in the Empire.
• 1530 - English King Henry VIII’s divorce request is denied by the Pope.
• 1857 - Baseball decides 9 innings constitutes an official game, not 9 runs.
• 1870 - Cincinnati Red Stockings, 1st pro BB team, begin 8-mo tour of Midwest & East.
• 1876 - Alexander Graham Bell receives a patent for the telephone in the US.
• 1965 - Alabama state troopers and 600 black protesters clash in Selma during “Bloody Sunday”, protesters, including future congressman John Lewis beaten and hospitalized.
• 1979 - Baseball exhibition season opens with semi-pro & amateur umpires.

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!