By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Apr 17th, 2024
2 Comments
9717 Views
April 21, 1986 It’s hard to imagine a more heavily hyped television program than Geraldo Rivera’s broadcast on April 21, 1986 from the former Al Capone headquarters (1928-1931) at the Lexington Hotel in Chicago. The hotel was about to be renovated, but not before Geraldo was allowed to in...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Apr 9th, 2024
3 Comments
6679 Views
On April 12, 1933, the Wrigley Field crowd is happier than it has been since 1919. This is the first game at Wrigley Field since Prohibition has been repealed, although it would be another month before beer is officially available again. The Cubs are the defending NL Champs, and the crowd of 25,000 w...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Feb 1st, 2024
0 Comments
7069 Views
Where were the Cubs? February 6, 1911 The most famous Cubs fan in history was born on this day. His name was Ronald Reagan. Reagan didn’t just grow up a Chicago Cubs fan. He owes much of his success to the team. Following college graduation, Reagan landed a job as a radio announcer at WOC [&hel...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 26th, 2023
0 Comments
3028 Views
~Dave Rader 1948 (Cubs 1978) Rader was a Cub for only one season (1978), and he hit only .203 that season, but all three Cubs catchers in 1978 sported tremendous mustaches (the other two were Tim Blackwell and Larry Cox).That’s a feat that may never be replicated. Rader also caught for the Gian...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 20th, 2023
0 Comments
3159 Views
~Gabby Hartnett 1900 (Cubs 1922-1940) Gabby was one of the greatest Cubs of all-time. His real name was Charles Leo Hartnett. No surprise where that nickname came from, he was known as someone who was “constantly talking” when he was catching. Gabby is known as one of the all-time greats,...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 26th, 2023
0 Comments
3696 Views
~Larry Gura 1947 (Cubs 1970-1973, 1985) Gura didn’t pitch too much for the team that drafted him. He appeared in a total of 54 games over four seasons (mostly out of the bullpen). The Cubs traded him for pitcher Mike Paul. Paul had very little left in the tank. Gura, on the other hand, was [&he...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 13th, 2023
0 Comments
3375 Views
~Johnny Kling 1875–1947 (Cubs 1900-1911) Kling was one of the best catchers in baseball; a grizzled veteran who was so good defensively, he caused former catcher Frank Chance to move positions (to first base). Hall of Fame pitcher Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown often said that his secret weapon ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Nov 1st, 2023
0 Comments
9603 Views
November 2, 2016 It didn’t happen at Wrigley, but who cares. We have to chronicle this forever… November 7, 1928 The Cubs acquired the greatest right handed batter in baseball history; Rogers Hornsby. He had one of the greatest seasons in Cubs history in 1929, got hurt in 1930, was named ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Oct 30th, 2023
0 Comments
3108 Views
~Roe Skidmore 1945– (Cubs 1970) He played in exactly one game for the Cubs in 1970, and his lifetime batting average is 1.000. Skidmore hit a Jerry Reuss pitch over third baseman Joe Torre’s head for a clean single against the Cardinals. The New York Times wrote a piece in 1999 about him and ot...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Oct 19th, 2023
0 Comments
4471 Views
~Mordecai Brown 1876–1948 (Cubs 1904-1912, 1916) He was born in 1876, the same year the Cubs played their very first season in the National League. Three Finger probably owns one of the best nicknames in baseball history, and he earned it the hard way. As a seven-year-old boy, Mordecai caught h...
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