By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Sep 18th, 2023
0 Comments
4418 Views
September 19, 1949 Easy Eddie O’Hare was a lawyer. He moved to Chicago in 1927, and soon found himself working for Al Capone. He made a fortune as a lawyer in the Capone empire, and became one of Scarface’s confidants. He was there when Capone eagerly greeted Charles Lindbergh upon the av...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Sep 11th, 2023
1 Comment
7035 Views
September 11, 2001 Terrorists crash passenger jets into the World Trade Center in New York, and the Pentagon in Washington. Another jet crashes in Pennsylvania. In all, nearly 3000 were people killed. America is in shock. On what might have been the worst day in American history, the Cubs are at home...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Sep 4th, 2023
1 Comment
4154 Views
September 9th, 1965. The place was Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. 29,130 fans in the stands witnessed one of the best pitched games in Major League History. On the mound for the Dodgers was Sandy Koufax, on his way to his second Cy Young (he would a third in 1966). For the Cubs, Bob Hendley, [&helli...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Aug 28th, 2023
1 Comment
3852 Views
September 1, 1918 For the first time in baseball history, the season was ended a month early, by mutual agreement between baseball and President Wilson. Baseball was hit hard by the World War I. Some of the greatest players were shipped out. Cubs pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander was among them. He ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Aug 21st, 2023
1 Comment
4239 Views
Johnny Conlisk is as “Chicago” as they come. Both his father and grandfather were high ranking members of the Chicago Police Department. Many other family members have been Chicago Police officers as well. His father advised him not to go into “the family business” and Johnny took him at his word. Fo...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Aug 14th, 2023
1 Comment
7299 Views
August 14, 1908 In the midst of the Cubs final championship season, a horrible race riot broke out in Springfield Illinois. Before the race riots were over, forty homes were burned to the ground, 24 businesses were destroyed, and seven people were dead: two black people (lynched by the angry mob) and...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Aug 7th, 2023
0 Comments
3341 Views
August 7, 1931. Former Cubs catcher Jimmy Archer adds to his legend. Jimmy was one of the best players on the Cubs during his decade in a Chicago uniform, being named to the “All American” team three years in a row (1912-1914). His throwing arm was the envy of the league. Chief Meyers, th...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Jul 31st, 2023
2 Comments
6098 Views
August 2, 1923 President Warren G. Harding dies unexpectedly. He wasn’t from Chicago, but Chicago nevertheless played an important role in the his presidency. For one thing, in 1920 he was nominated by Republican party leaders in a smoke filled Chicago hotel room; Suite 4046 on the 13th floor o...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Jul 24th, 2023
2 Comments
5191 Views
July 25, 1941 Emmett Till is born on the south side of Chicago. His mother Mamie probably doesn’t care that the all-white Chicago Cubs are at Wrigley Field beating Boston 5-4, thanks to a 6th inning homer from Babe Dahlgren. Chicago is just as segregated as the big leagues. Emmett Till will live long...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Jul 17th, 2023
2 Comments
6794 Views
July 18, 1910 The poem “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon” written by Franklin Adams was published in the New York Evening Mail. It’s probably the most famous poem ever written about the Cubs, and it was so memorable it probably got Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance elected into...
The Pothole Store | Eckhartz Press | Rick Kaempfer's Blog | Illinois Entertainer
Site construction by WorkSite, LLC