By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Jun 24th, 2023
1 Comment
4068 Views
~Rollie Hemsley 1907–1972 (Cubs 1931-1932) Rollie was the backup catcher on the Cubs in 1931 and 1932, but he didn’t get along with manager Rogers Hornsby. Although Hornsby was a degenerate gambler, he was also a teetotaler that really cracked down on the team drinkers. Offenders included just ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week in 1908
Jun 23rd, 2023
0 Comments
4638 Views
How Long Ago was 1908? Chicago is just starting to enforce the brand new “Anti-White Slavery” laws passed by the Illinois House and Senate. Chicago Cops are reluctant to do this because many of them have made “personal agreements” with the various madames in the red-light Leve...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Jun 23rd, 2023
0 Comments
2526 Views
~Jack Hardy 1877–1921 (Cubs 1907) One of the most obscure members of the first World Series champion Cubs team (1907), Hardy played in exactly one game for Chicago. The catcher went 1 for 4, with a single and a strikeout. He got a few more cups of coffee in the big leagues with Cleveland (his [...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Jun 22nd, 2023
0 Comments
3503 Views
~John Dillinger 1902–1934 (Cubs fan) He was Public Enemy #1–so hounded and hunted by the FBI that he underwent drastic plastic surgery to change his appearance. The surgery left him disfigured, but didn’t do a very good job of disguising his appearance. Other bank robbers and gangst...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week in 1945
Jun 21st, 2023
0 Comments
5303 Views
This week (June 21-27) during the last year the Cubs went to the World Series (before 2016)… World War II *General Eisenhower returns home… *The Battle of Okinawa ends. Total loss of life—American, Japanese and Okinawan—exceeds 250,000. *The Russians stage a Victory Parade in Red Square, ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Jun 21st, 2023
0 Comments
3153 Views
~Rick Sutcliffe 1952– (Cubs 1984-1991) The nickname “The Red Baron” was given to Rick Sutcliffe by Harry Caray, because of his intimidating presence (he was 6’7″) and red beard. 82 of his 171 career wins came with the Cubs, including 16 in his Cy Young-winning season of 1984. He was almost unhi...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Jun 20th, 2023
0 Comments
3995 Views
~Wayland Dean 1902–1930 (Cubs 1927) Wayland Dean was one of those tragic stories that pepper baseball history. He was deeply troubled; a chronic alcoholic who suffered from depression. But he had a live fastball and made his way up to the majors in 1924 with the New York Giants. The Giants unde...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Jun 19th, 2023
1 Comment
6067 Views
When the Rolling Stones came to Chicago in 1972, they were huge stars How huge? They stayed at the Playboy Mansion with Hugh Heffner. Robert Greenfield’s book, “S.T.P.: A Journey Through America with the Rolling Stones,” describes that Chicago trip this way… “The couches...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Jun 19th, 2023
0 Comments
2823 Views
~Blake Parker 1985– (Cubs 2012-2014) Parker was a Cubs draft choice who got a lot of action of out the bullpen during the 2013 season. He appeared in 49 games for the Cubs that year and pitched fairly well, registering an ERA of 2.72. Unfortunately, the 2014 season didn’t go nearly as well, and...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Jun 18th, 2023
1 Comment
3932 Views
~Lou Brock 1939–2020 (Cubs 1961-1964) It’s not that the Cubs didn’t realize they had a good potential player on their hands. It’s just that they didn’t know how to develop him. Brock came up through the Cubs system during their ill-fated College of Coaches era. Every few weeks Lou was getting d...
The Pothole Store | Eckhartz Press | Rick Kaempfer's Blog | Illinois Entertainer
Site construction by WorkSite, LLC