Baseball history unpacked, January 16

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:

• 1890 - Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, and three other labor leaders pledge support for the Players League at a league meeting in Philadelphia. (2)
• 1917 - The Cubs send P Jimmy Lavender and $5,000 to the Phillies for P Al Demaree, who will be sent to the Giants in July. (2)
• 1964 - American League owners vote down Charlie Finley’s proposed move of the Kansas City Athletics to Louisville, Kentucky. The owners, who vote 9-1 against the proposal, also tell Finley to sign a lease with Kansas City or surrender the franchise. (1,2)
• 1970 - Gold Glove outfielder Curt Flood files a lawsuit challenging the reserve clause, which binds major league players to teams perpetually. Flood had been traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Philadelphia Phillies on October 7, 1969, but has refused to report to the Phillies. Flood contends that the reserve clause violates antitrust laws. He will lose the suit but the judge will suggest changes to the reserve system, opening the door for salary arbitration and free agency. (1,2)
• 1996 - Major League Baseball’s executive council approves a history-making first: interleague play for the 1997 season. The Players’ Association will also give its approval, enabling geographic rivals like New York’s Mets and Yankees, Chicago’s Cubs and White Sox, and Los Angeles’ Angels and Dodgers to play each other during the regular season. (2)
• 2003 - Trying to restore a competitive edge to the All-Star Game, the owners unanimously approve that the winning league of the Mid-Summer classic will have home field advantage during the World Series. Approval is needed by the players to change the current rotation between the two leagues, which was put in place since the inception of the World Series in 1903. (2)
• 2014 - At their quarterly meeting, MLB owners agree to the proposed expansion of instant replay; as the Players Association and Umpires Association have also agreed to the changes, they will be effective at the start of this season. A manager will be able to challenge up to two decisions per game, and the umpiring crew can decide on its own to review a call from the 7th inning on. Almost all calls will be subject to review, except for balls and strikes, obstruction and interference. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Jim Murray, Dizzy Dean HOF*, Bob Ramazzotti, Moe Morhardt. Also notable: Jimmy Collins HOF.

Today in history:

• 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate.
• 550 - Gothic War (535-552): The Ostrogoths, under King Totila, conquer Rome after a long siege, by bribing the Isaurian garrison.
• 1547 - Ivan IV the Terrible, aged 17, crowns himself the 1st tsar of Moscow.
• 1793 - French King Louis XVI sentenced to death by the National Convention during the French Revolution.
• 1919 - The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution, authorizing the prohibition of alcohol, is ratified by a majority of US states.
• 1966 - Chicago is granted an NBA franchise to be called the Bulls; become the 3rd NBA franchise in the city, after the Chicago Stags (1946–50) and Chicago Packers/Zephyrs (now Washington Wizards).

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.

Some of these items spread from site to site without being verified. That is exactly why we ask for reputable sources if you have differences with a posted factoid, so that we can address that to the originators and provide clarity if not ‘truth’. Nothing is posted here without at least one instance of corroboration. Thanks for reading.