The Rajah arrives, Glenn Beckert packs his bags for San Diego, Bruce Sutter wins the Cy Young, Nomar Garciaparra* heads for Chicago, and other stories.
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.
Today in baseball history:
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1889 – The Brotherhood and its backers meet to begin preliminary work on the organization of a Players League. The players believe “that the game can be played more fairly and its business conducted more intelligently under a plan which excludes everything arbitrary and un-American.” (2)
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1951 – Representative Emanuel Celler’s committee issues financial data from 1945–1949 that differs with Walter O’Malley’s numbers. According to Celler, the Brooklyn Dodgers made a profit of $2.364 million in the five-year period. The Dodgers’ “loss” of $129,318 in 1950 included a $167,000 loss due to the promotion of the Brooklyn Dodgers professional football team. In his continuing investigation into antitrust violations, Celler says that evidence in his committee suggests altering the reserve clause in that it does limit players. (2)
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2004 – After refusing a $60 million, four-year contract extension from the Boston Red Sox the previous winter, Nomar Garciaparra* signs a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, the team he was traded to in 2004, for $8 million. The All-Star shortstop, who is coming off an injury-plagued season, can increase the value of the contract up to $11 million with bonus incentives based on performance and playing time. (2)
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Cubs Birthdays: Monte McFarland, Joe Hatten, Clarence Jones, Joe Niekro, Reggie Patterson, Glendon Rusch, Les Walrond. Also notable: Jim Kaat HOF.
Today in History:
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1492 – Ensisheim Meteorite strikes a wheat field near the village of Ensisheim in Alsace, France. Oldest meteorite with a known date of impact.
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1631 – Pierre Gassendi observes 1st ever transit of Mercury predicted by Johannes Kepler.
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1805 – Lewis and Clark Expedition first sights the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River.
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1916 – Jeannette Rankin (R-Montana) is elected to Congress as its first woman Representative.
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1918 – Robert Goddard demonstrates tube-launched solid propellant rockets.
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1962 – Glenn Hall set NHL record of 503 consecutive games as goalie.
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, so that we can help update the records and have documentation. Also, this is supposed to be fun.
