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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:
- 1900 - Boston Beaneaters catcher Marty Bergen kills his wife and two children with an axe, then takes his own life. He was reportedly depressed by his son’s death the previous April, and had suffered symptoms of mental illness for several years. Billy Hamilton is the only Boston player to attend the backstop’s funeral. (2)
- 1934 - Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis denies Shoeless Joe Jackson’s appeal for reinstatement. Jackson was one of eight Chicago White Sox players banned for their part in throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. (2)
- 1972 - The New York Yankees acquire outfielder Johnny Callison on a conditional basis from the Chicago Cubs. The Yankees will end up keeping him and completing the deal by shipping pitcher Jack Aker to the Cubs on May 17th. (2)
- 1977 - The BBWAA elects Ernie Banks* to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. In a 19-season career, Banks hit 512 home runs, had 11 All-Star selections, and won back-to-back National League MVP Awards, (2)
- 1983 - Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Ron Cey is sent to the Chicago Cubs for minor leaguers Vance Lovelace and Dan Cataline. Cey will play 518 games at third for the Cubs, the most since Ron Santo. (2)
- 1994 - Major league owners amend the major league agreement, giving complete power to the Commissioner on labor negotiations. Bud Selig will continue to act as interim commissioner. (2)
- 2013 - Two all-time greats pass away today, as long-time Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver dies at 82 and St. Louis Cardinals slugger Stan Musial is a victim of Alzheimer’s disease at 92 later in the day. Both were members of the Hall of Fame. (2)
- 2015 - The Astros trade OF Dexter Fowler to the Cubs for 3B Luis Valbuena and P Dan Straily. The deal opens the way for top prospect Kris Bryant to start at third base for the Cubs. (2)
- 2021 - Hall of Famer Don Sutton, a 300-game winner, passes away at age 75, as the wave of deaths among playing greats of the 1970s continues unabated: he is the 9th member of Cooperstown to pass away over a 12-month period. (2)
Cubs birthdays: Charlie Eden, Babe Twombly, Billy Grabarkewitz, Dave Geisel.
Today in history:
- 1258 - Mongol army of 150,000, led by Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, arrives at the walls of Baghdad (city falls Feb 13).
- 1535 - Francisco Pizarro founds the city of Lima in Peru.
- 1644 - Perplexed Pilgrims in Boston reported America’s first UFO sighting. Believe it or not.
- 1958 - Willie O’Ree is the first African-American to appear in the NHL, making his debut for the Boston Bruins in a 3-0 victory in Montreal.
- 2022 - Boston Bruins retire Willie O’Ree’s No. 22 jersey, on the 64th anniversary of his becoming the NHL’s first Black player.
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.