On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.
“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.
Happy birthday to Johneshwy Fargas* and all of you who celebrate your natal anniversary on this date. Plus various and sundry other facts and tales of note to a discerning reader.
Today in baseball history:
1886 – The American Association meets and ratifies the new rules. It also approves the new clause that allows a club to reserve a player for as long as it wants, not just for next year’s contract. (2)
1894 – Veteran manager Jack Chapman expresses his support of a proposed rule change forbidding all but catchers and first basemen from wearing gloves. Citing Cincinnati’s Bid McPhee as an example of one of the few remaining outstanding gloveless fielders, Chapman remarks that “as it is now, inferior players with big gloves can get into the game and force good men out.” (2)
1896 – The first pitching machine, created by Princeton professor Charles E. Hinton, is demonstrated in the university’s gymnasium. The mathematics instructor’s device resembles a rifle which shoots the ball toward the batter. (2)
1965 – William Eckert replaces Ford Frick as 4th Commissioner of Baseball.
2010 – Hall of Famer Bob Feller, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, dies at age 92. “Rapid Robert” made his major league debut at 17 and had the best fastball of his generation. He lost a good part of his prime years while serving with great distinction in the US Navy during World War II and spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians, for whom he posted six 20-win seasons and pitched three no-hitters. He led the Indians to their last World Championship in 1948. (2)
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Cubs Birthdays: Mike Prendergast, Ken Crosby, Mike Proly, Aaron Miles, Michael Wuertz, Luis Montanez, Johneshwy Fargas*.
Today in History:
1256 – Hulagu Khan captures and destroys Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut, in present-day Iran, part of the Mongol offensive on Islamic southwest Asia.
1593 – State of Holland grants patent on windmill with a crankshaft.
1791 – US Bill of Rights ratified when Virginia gives its approval, becomes amendments 1-10 of the US constitution.
Common sources:
*pictured.
Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.