By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 12th, 2023
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3690 Views
~Sammy Sosa 1968– (Cubs 1992-2004) Sammy was a phenomenon during his time with the Cubs. He holds the all-time record for homers hit in a Cubs uniform (545), and many of them were hit in dramatic fashion. His chase of the Roger Maris record (along with Mark McGwire) captivated the world in 1998...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 11th, 2023
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3744 Views
~Rabbit Maranville 1891–1954 (Cubs 1925) His real name was Walter. Nicknamed for his speed and rabbit-like leaps, Rabbit Maranville was always a great fielder, but he was even better known for his partying. When he was with the Pirates he was known for playing with a flask in his pocket. One ti...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week in 1908
Nov 10th, 2023
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4788 Views
How Long Ago Was 1908? The city of Chicago is abuzz with tons of new construction. The big shoulders are getting stronger and sturdier, especially downtown. City Hall is being built a few blocks away, but that project is dwarfed by the structure going up on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Balbo Str...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 10th, 2023
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3580 Views
~Mike Vail 1951– (Cubs 1978-1980) He was already in his fourth big league season when the Cubs acquired Vail in the trade that sent Tarzan Wallis to the Indians. Vail was a talented hitter who hit well over .300 in his time with the Cubs, but he didn’t have a lot of power, didn’t walk […...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 8th, 2023
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3309 Views
~Henry Rodriguez 1967– (Cubs 1998-2000) Henry started in left field for the Cubs in 1998, 1999, and 2000, and became a fan favorite. The left field bleacher bums would throw Oh Henry bars at him when he returned to his position after hitting a homer. He hit 75 of them in his three seasons in [&...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 7th, 2023
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3460 Views
~Joe Niekro 1944–2006 (Cubs 1967-1969) His brother Phil was already a star pitcher for the Braves when Joe Niekro was drafted in the third round by the Cubs in 1966. In his rookie season in Chicago (1967), Joe won 10 games. He won 14 games for the Cubs in 1968, but manager Leo Durocher, never [...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 6th, 2023
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3385 Views
~Chick Tolson 1898–1965 (1926-1930) Chick was a backup first baseman and pinch hitter for the Cubs in the late 1920s. His teammates called him “Slug” for his less-than-speedy wheels. Slug played four seasons for the Cubs, and had his best season in 1929, when the Cubs won the pennant. He had a ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 5th, 2023
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2977 Views
~Bryan LaHair 1982– (Cubs 2011-2012) LaHair was a slugger in the minor leagues, and then stormed out of the box in the beginning of the 2012 season for the Cubs. He was among the league leaders in homers for the first few months and made the All-Star team. Then…reality set in. At the end of [&h...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 4th, 2023
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4468 Views
~Dick Selma 1943–2001 (Cubs 1969) He was nicknamed Mortimer Snerd by his teammates after Edgar Bergen’s famous dummy. Selma was a key member of the 1969 Cubs. He won 10 games for them and led the staff in strikeouts per nine innings after being acquired from the Padres. Selma became a fan favor...
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