By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Sep 17th, 2024
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4651 Views
September 21, 1919 Grover Cleveland Alexander takes the mound against the Boston Braves. Ol’ Pete has had a season for the ages, shutting out every single team in the league at least once. With the season coming to a close, and both teams out of the pennant picture, Alexander bears down and takes car...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Sep 11th, 2024
1 Comment
7858 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 Week In Wrigley History
Sep 10th, 2024
1 Comment
6859 Views
September 12, 1998 Sammy Sosa becomes the first Cubs player to hit 60 home runs in a season. He does it in the sixth inning of wild slugfest against Milwaukee Brewers reliever Valerio de los Santos. Sammy’s homer is memorable, but it isn’t the most dramatic homer of the game. On a day the...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Sep 3rd, 2024
2 Comments
6240 Views
September 3, 1936. A police officer may have cost the Cubs a victory. Henry Hanson was an ordinary Chicago cop. He was working security at a Cubs-Dodgers game. In the first inning of the game, young Cubs first baseman Phil Cavarretta hit a ball down the right field line, right were Hanson was standin...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Aug 27th, 2024
3 Comments
6837 Views
August 29, 1918 The Cubs clinched the National League pennant with a double-header sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. Lefty Tyler wins his 18th game in the opener, and Claude Hendrix wins his 20th game in the nightcap. It is the earliest any team in National League history clinched a pennant, but that rec...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Aug 20th, 2024
1 Comment
6055 Views
August 22, 1982 The Cubs retire the first number in franchise history: #14 in honor of Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. No-one had worn #14 since Ernie retired as a coach in 1973, but by raising the #14 flag the Cubs make it official. In the lineup for the Cubs that day is a rookie third […]...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Aug 18th, 2024
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4329 Views
~Burleigh Grimes 1893–1985 (Cubs 1932-1933) Grimes never shaved on days he pitched, because the slippery elm he chewed to increase saliva irritated his skin, so he always had stubble on his face when he took the mound. That led to his nickname, Ol’ Stubblebeard. He wasn’t just known for his stu...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Aug 13th, 2024
2 Comments
7266 Views
August 13, 1987 The Cubs retire the number of one of the all-time greats: Good Ol’ Number 26, Billy Williams. It is only the second number they ever retired (Ernie was first). Maybe there is some magic in the air, because the woeful Cubs come back to win the game in dramatic fashion. Catcher Jo...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Aug 6th, 2024
2 Comments
6292 Views
August 6, 1959 Billy Williams makes his major league debut with the Cubs. He plays left field and bats third, and in his first big league at-bat, facing journeyman Phillies pitcher Jim Owens, Billy drives in Tony Taylor with the first run of the game. That turns out to be the game winner, as the [&he...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Jul 31st, 2024
2 Comments
6685 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...
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