By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 13th, 2023
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4822 Views
~Ferguson Jenkins 1942 (Cubs 1966-1973, 1982-1983) Fergie is one of the top five pitchers to ever wear a Chicago Cubs uniform. He led the league in wins twice, fewest walks per 9 innings five times, and complete games nine times. His streak of six straight seasons with 20 or more wins (1967–1972) is ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 12th, 2023
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2787 Views
Bob Carpenter 1917 (Cubs 1947) He was a local Chicago boy (Parker High School) who pitched for the Giants before and after the war, and finally got his shot at pitching for his hometown Cubs as a 29-year-old in 1947. Carpenter appeared in only four games, and posted an ERA of 4.91. It was the [&helli...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 11th, 2023
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3515 Views
~Bill Nicholson 1914 (Cubs 1939-1948) Though he is known to history by his nickname “Swish”, Cubs fans didn’t call him that, Brooklyn Dodgers fans did. The big left-handed hitter had a routine when he came up to bat. He would swing his bat across the plate several times after steppi...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 10th, 2023
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3842 Views
~Rod Blagojevich 1956 (Cubs fan 1956-Present) He was a Congressman, the Governor of Illinois, and a convicted felon–but through it all, he remained a Cubs fan. When Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano pitched a no-hitter Sept. 14, 2008, Blagojevich proclaimed Sept. 16 “Carlos Zambrano Day.” Be...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 9th, 2023
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3245 Views
~Darold Knowles 1941 (1975-1976) After being acquired in the trade of Cub icon Billy Williams, Knowles became a mentor for a young Bruce Sutter in the bullpen for the Cubs. Knowles had been a key member of the bullpen for the Oakland A’s dynasty in the early 70s, but when he pitched for the Cub...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 8th, 2023
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3088 Views
~Reed Johnson 1976 (Cubs 2008-2009, 2011-2012) Johnson was a fan favorite during his time with the Cubs. He made highlight-reel catches in centerfield, and delivered clutch hits time after time. He hit over .300 in three of his four Cubs seasons. ~Kid Camp 1869 (Colts 1894) They called him “Kid...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week in 1908
Dec 8th, 2023
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4929 Views
How Long Ago Was 1908? The Union Stock Yard & Transit Co., or The Yards, is thriving despite Upton Sinclair’s expose from five years earlier, “The Jungle.” Chicago is known as “hog butcher for the world” and the center of the American meat packing industry. It will remain open until ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 7th, 2023
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4552 Views
~Don Cardwell 1935 (Cubs 1960-1962) The Cubs acquired Cardwell from the Phillies in exchange for second baseman Tony Taylor. Taylor went on to play big league ball for 16 more seasons, but it looked like a great trade at the time. On May 15, 1960, in his first start in a Cubs uniform, Don Cardwell [&...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 6th, 2023
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3545 Views
~Stan Hack 1909 (Cubs 1932-1947) Smiling Stan Hack played his entire career for the Cubs , anchoring four World Series teams (and hitting .348 in those series), and a few not so good teams. He also managed the team for awhile, and throughout his many years in a Cubs uniform, was known for having a [&...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Dec 5th, 2023
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3500 Views
~P.K. Wrigley 1894 (Cubs owner 1932–1977) He was 38 years years old when he inherited the Chicago Cubs. At his father’s deathbed in 1932, Wrigley promised he would never sell the team. Unfortunately for the Cubs, he lived up to that promise. Not only didn’t he have the passion for b...
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