By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 26th, 2023
0 Comments
3027 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 23rd, 2023
0 Comments
4695 Views
Ken Hubbs 1941 (Cubs 1961-1963) He wasn’t even 20 when he debuted for the Cubs in September of 1961, but he made enough of an impact to be named the starting second baseman in 1962. It was a rough year for the Cubs (they finished with their worst record ever—behind even the expansion Houston Co...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 21st, 2023
0 Comments
4238 Views
~Bob Rush 1925 (Cubs 1948-1957) The big righthander was a two-time all-star for some pretty bad Cubs teams. He won over 100 games in a Cubs uniform, including a 17-win year in 1952, and four different seasons with 13 wins. The Cubs traded him to the World Champion Milwaukee Braves after the 1957 seas...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 18th, 2023
0 Comments
3123 Views
~Lance Richbourg 1897 (Cubs 1932) Richbourg (photo) was a backup outfielder on the 1932 pennant winning Cubs. It was the last season of his eight-year big league career (spent mostly in Boston). He was 34 years old at the time, and backed up all three starting outfielders: Kiki Cuyler, Johnny Moore a...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 25th, 2023
0 Comments
5084 Views
~Joe DiMaggio 1914 (Offered to the Cubs 1934) He was never a member of the Chicago Cubs, but he could have been. That’s right: The Chicago Cubs passed on Joe DiMaggio. Is there anything that sums up a bad century better than that sentence? The sad part of the story is that it was even […...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Nov 1st, 2023
0 Comments
6843 Views
November 10, 1483 Martin Luther was born. He is known, of course, for starting the Protestant Reformation in Europe, but some Cub fans believe he also has a hand in keeping the Cubs out of the World Series. How can that be? Consider this. Before Charles Weeghman built the ballpark we now know as Wrig...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Nov 1st, 2023
0 Comments
9602 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 This Weeks Historical Events
Oct 9th, 2023
0 Comments
6420 Views
This week in history, the Cubs were actually involved in historical events… October 9, 1907 The Cubs were playing the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. It was Game 2 of the series–the first game had ended in a tie (called because of darkness). More than 21,000 braved the cold October Ch...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Sep 17th, 2023
1 Comment
3801 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 Today's Cub Birthday
Aug 30th, 2023
0 Comments
3453 Views
~Kiki Cuyler 1898–1950 (Cubs 1928-1935) His real name is Hazen Shirley Cuyler. Cuyler was called “Cuy” by his school teammates. It was while winning the MVP title of the Southern Association with Nashville in 1923 that he acquired the Kiki nickname. Fans heard the players shout for him to take ...
The Pothole Store | Eckhartz Press | Rick Kaempfer's Blog | Illinois Entertainer
Site construction by WorkSite, LLC