By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 1st, 2023
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3167 Views
~Javier Baez 1992– (Cubs 2014-Present) Baez was the 9th overall pick of the 2011 draft: the last first round pick of the Jim Hendry era. At each level of the minors, Baez was a superstar, but when he joined the Cubs in August 2014, Javy struggled. Despite hitting a game-winning homer in his fir...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Oct 13th, 2023
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5015 Views
~Rube Waddell 1876–1914 (Orphans 1901) Rube was a common nickname for hayseeds and farm boys, and Rube Waddell was definitely that. He only pitched one season for the Cubs (before they were even called that) in 1901, and was only a .500 pitcher that season, but he blossomed as a pitcher the nex...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Jul 8th, 2023
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3785 Views
~Hank O’Day 1859–1935 (Cubs manager 1914) He was the umpire who made the most controversial call in baseball history…the play that became known as “The Merkle Boner.” The NY Giants never forgave him for favoring the Cubs on that play, and were especially suspicious of him because he was born an...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Apr 30th, 2023
2 Comments
6128 Views
May 2, 1917. Only one pitcher in Major League history has lost a no-hitter to another pitcher throwing a no-hitter. Of course, that player was a Cub: Hippo Vaughn. Only 3500 fans were in the stands at Weeghman Park (now known as Wrigley Field). Fred Toney was pitching for the Reds. Vaughn was the ace...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Apr 23rd, 2023
4 Comments
7323 Views
April 23, 1914. One day after the Cubs drew the smallest Opening Day crowd in their history, a new ballpark opened on Addison & Clark. At the time, it was called “Weeghman Park”, and the team that played there was in the Federal League. This is how the Chicago Tribune described that ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 11th, 2022
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3072 Views
~Bill Nicholson 1914 (Cubs 1939-1948) Though he is known to history by his nickname “Swish”, Cubs fans didn’t call him that, Brooklyn Dodgers fans did. The big left-handed hitter had a routine when he came up to bat. He would swing his bat across the plate several times after steppi...
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