By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Feb 12th, 2024
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3565 Views
~Sweetbread Bailey 1895–1939 (Cubs 1919-1921) His real name is Abraham Lincoln Bailey because he shares a birthday with the famous president. What is the origin of his nickname? Well, “sweetbreads” is defined as “the thymus or, sometimes, the pancreas of a young animal (usuall...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Feb 11th, 2024
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3134 Views
~Willie Smith 1939–2006 (Cubs 1968-1970) Willie’s greatest day as a Cub happened on April 8, 1969. He hit a pinch-hit 2-run walk off home run to win the game on Opening Day. That began a year long love affair between the Cubs and their fans. On September 4, 1969, with the Cubs still holdi...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week in 1908
Feb 10th, 2024
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6279 Views
How long ago was 1908? This young violinist, Benny Kubelsky, is a Cubs fan living in Waukegan, Illinois. He turns 14 years old on Valentine’s Day. Three years from now he’ll have a chance to join the Marx Brothers on tour, but his mother won’t let him. So, he pursues a Vaudeville ca...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Feb 10th, 2024
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3694 Views
–Randy Jackson 1926–2019 (Cubs 1950-1955, 1959) His real first name was Ransom, and gosh darnit, he was kind of handsome, so his teammates began calling him Handsome Ransom (His teammates thought he looked like Gregory Peck). “Handsome Ransom” Jackson was one of the best playe...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Feb 9th, 2024
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3672 Views
~Heinie Zimmerman 1887–1969 (Cubs 1907-1916) Heinie saw some of the biggest moments in Cubs history, including both of their World Series championships, their last ever game at West Side Grounds, and their first ever game at Weeghman Park (now known as Wrigley Field). He was a great hitter̵...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Feb 8th, 2024
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3484 Views
~Steve Dillard 1951 (Cubs 1979-1981) Dillard may have only been a backup infielder for the Cubs from 1979-1981, and he may have only hit .225 and .218 in two of those years, but Steve Dillard’s mustache didn’t take a back seat to anyone. He once pulled the hidden ball trick by hiding it i...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week in 1945
Feb 8th, 2024
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6937 Views
This week during the last year the Cubs won the World Series… World War II Rages On… *The Yalta Conference between President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin ends. *San Francisco selected for site of United Natio...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Feb 7th, 2024
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3655 Views
Burt Hooton 1950 (Cubs 1971-1975) Hooton got off to an incredible start in his big league career. He came up at the end of the 1971 season and had three tremendous starts (2-0, two complete games, one shutout, 22 Ks in 21 innings). In fact, he was so good, the Cubs felt they could afford […]...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Feb 6th, 2024
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3721 Views
~Smoky Burgess 1927–1991 (Cubs 1949-1951) His real name was Forrest Harrill Burgess, but no-one called him that. He was Smoky Burgess, a five-time National League All-Star. He was a very good catcher, but he became even better known as one of the best pinch hitters of his era. He retired with a...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Feb 5th, 2024
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3030 Views
~Max Flack 1890–1975 (Cubs 1916-1922) Max has the distinction of playing in the very first game in Weeghman Park history as a member of the Chi-Feds, and then playing in the very first game the Cubs played in the same ballpark (as a Cub). He was their star right fielder during that time. During...
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