By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Oct 20th, 2023
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4324 Views
~Wid Matthews 1896–1965 (Cubs GM 1950-1956) When Matthews came to the Cubs in 1950, he arrived with a sparkling reputation. Wid had been an assistant to Branch Rickey with the Dodgers, and he promised to return the Cubs to their glory days. He did do one thing that was long overdue before he le...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Oct 15th, 2023
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2903 Views
~Bill Henry 1927–2014 (Cubs 1958-1959) Bill led the league in appearances in his second and final season with the Cubs. He served as their closer in 1959, winning 9 games, and saving 12. After the season ended, Henry was traded (along with Lou Jackson and Lee Walls) to the Reds for slugging thi...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Oct 6th, 2023
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3319 Views
~Jay Baller 1960– (Cubs 1985-1987) He pitched out of the Cubs bullpen for three seasons (’85-’87) and got progressively worse each season (3.46 ERA, 5.37 ERA, 6.35 ERA). After the ’87 season, the Cubs sent him packing. He later had a cup of coffee with the Royals and the Phillies. (Photo: Topps...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Sep 23rd, 2023
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5791 Views
September 24, 1943 The Cubs call up outfielder Andy Pafko from their Los Angeles minor league team, and put him in the lineup. He would remain there for the next eight seasons. His first game at Wrigley Field is played in absolutely miserable weather conditions. It is freezing cold, the wind is howli...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Sep 17th, 2023
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4496 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 Today's Cub Birthday
Sep 11th, 2023
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3787 Views
~Ray Grimes 1893–1953 (Cubs 1922-1925) Ray Grimes was an instant phenom for the Cubs when he joined them for his rookie season of 1922. He was an absolute RBI machine, one of the great clutch hitters of his era. During that season he set a record that still stands today when he got an RBI [&hel...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Sep 10th, 2023
1 Comment
6513 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 Weeks Historical Events
Sep 4th, 2023
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4462 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 Week In Wrigley History
Sep 3rd, 2023
2 Comments
5936 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, 2023
3 Comments
6336 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...
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