By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Sep 29th, 2023
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3081 Views
~Harry Steinfeldt 1877–1914 (Cubs 1906-1910) Harry was the forgotten man in the Cubs infield that also included Hall of Famers Tinker, Evers, and Chance, but he was every bit as important to that Cubs dynasty as any of them. If only his last name were a little more poetic — Franklin Adams may h...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week in 1908
Sep 29th, 2023
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42882 Views
How long ago was 1908? Tension builds for the big game between Pittsburgh and the Cubs… *In Cincinnati, Joe Tinker (photo) hits a home run on September 29th that lodges into the experimental “light tower” in centerfield. Because there isn’t a rule in place about what happens i...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Sep 20th, 2023
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2965 Views
~Zeke Bonura 1908–1987 (Cubs 1940) Bonura was a track and field star as a teen, setting a record for the javelin throw. Zeke started off his baseball career with a bang too, averaging 20 homers and 100+ RBIs four seasons in a row for the White Sox. After going to the Senators and Giants, Bonura...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Sep 17th, 2023
1 Comment
3796 Views
~Wildfire Schulte 1882–1949 (Cubs 1904-1916) Wildfire (real name Frank) didn’t get his nickname for his style of play (although he stole home 22 times), or his tendency to hit the town (although Frank Chance used to chide him for that in the press). He got it because he named his favorite pony ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Uncategorized
Sep 15th, 2023
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2940 Views
How long ago was 1908? Republican presidential nominee William H. Taft turns 51 (Sept 15). He is the hand-picked successor of Teddy Roosevelt, having served as his Secretary of War. The Republicans nominated him in June, and the Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan to oppose him. Taft is from O...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Sep 12th, 2023
1 Comment
3973 Views
~Fred Luderus 1885–1961 (Cubs 1909-1910) Luderus was a rugged German-American first baseman who backed up Hall of Famer Frank Chance during his first two seasons in the big leagues. He only hit one homer for the Cubs, and it was an inside-the-park shot against the team he played for the rest of...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Sep 11th, 2023
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3779 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 Today's Cub Birthday
Sep 10th, 2023
1 Comment
4382 Views
~High Pockets Kelly 1895 (Cubs 1930) Kelly was a member of the legendary 1930 Cubs team that blew the pennant in the last few days of the season. Tall for his time (6’4″), Kelly was nicknamed Highpockets and Long George by the press; but to his teammates he was Kell, a reserved and even-t...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Sep 9th, 2023
1 Comment
4456 Views
~Frank Chance 1876–1924 (Cubs 1898-1912) His real name was Frank Chance, but even his teammates called him “The Peerless Leader.” (Sometimes they just shortened it to “PL”). He was the undisputed leader of the best Cubs team in history, the Cubs of the ’00s. With the Peerless Leader at the helm...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week in 1908
Sep 8th, 2023
1 Comment
5502 Views
How long ago was 1908? Frank Chance celebrates his 31st birthday (Sept 9) in Chicago with a win against the Cardinals–putting the Cubs 28 games over .500 (but still in third place, three games out of first.) Chance was more than just the first baseman and clean up hitter for the 1908 Cubs–...
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