Baseball history unpacked, January 4

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:

• 1884 - Pitcher Larry Corcoran, who had signed with the Chicago team of the outlaw Union Association, breaks his contract to re-sign with his old club, the Chicago White Stockings of the National League. (2)
• 1889 - The Spalding Baseball Tourists play their final game in Australia, with the Chicagos winning, 5-0. (2)
• 1918 - The Chicago Cubs acquire Boston Braves pitcher Lefty Tyler in exchange for Larry Doyle, Art Wilson and $15,000. Tyler will win 19 games for the Cubs this year. (2)
• 1969 - Attorney Jack Reynolds, administrator of the new umpires union, says an economic agreement has been worked out between the American League and umpires that will avert a strike this year. (2)
• 1977 - Mary Shane is hired by the Chicago White Sox as the first woman TV play-by-play announcer. (1,2)
• 1995 - Five bills aimed at ending the Major League Baseball strike are introduced in the United States Congress. (2)
• 2021 - The Red Sox announce the hiring of Bianca Smith as a minor league coach. While female coaches have been growing in numbers in recent years, Smith is the first African-American woman to occupy such a position. She has previously worked as a coach and Director of baseball operations for a number of college programs and was previously a softball player. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Al Bridwell, Alex Metzler, Ted Lilly, Kris Bryant.

Today in history:

• 1698 - Most of the Palace of Whitehall in London, the main residence of the English monarchs, is destroyed by fire.
• 1780 - Snowstorm hits George Washington’s army at Morristown, New Jersey.
• 1887 - Thomas Stevens is the first man to bicycle around the world (San Francisco to San Francisco).
• 1966 - WFLD TV channel 32 in Chicago, IL (IND) begins broadcasting.

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.

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.

Also please remember that this is supposed to be fun.