By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 27th, 2023
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2727 Views
~Johnny Schmitz 1920 (Cubs 1941-1951) He was nicknamed Bear Tracks because of his lumbering shuffle to the mound. Schmitz was only twenty when he was called up to the majors, and pitched two seasons for the Cubs, but was drafted to serve in World War II in 1942. Bear Tracks was one of the rare [&hell...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 10th, 2023
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3337 Views
~Mike Vail 1951– (Cubs 1978-1980) He was already in his fourth big league season when the Cubs acquired Vail in the trade that sent Tarzan Wallis to the Indians. Vail was a talented hitter who hit well over .300 in his time with the Cubs, but he didn’t have a lot of power, didn’t walk […...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Nov 7th, 2023
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3257 Views
~Joe Niekro 1944–2006 (Cubs 1967-1969) His brother Phil was already a star pitcher for the Braves when Joe Niekro was drafted in the third round by the Cubs in 1966. In his rookie season in Chicago (1967), Joe won 10 games. He won 14 games for the Cubs in 1968, but manager Leo Durocher, never [...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Oct 20th, 2023
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4137 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 This Week In Wrigley History
Oct 1st, 2023
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5771 Views
October 1, 1932 The most famous moment in Wrigley Field history occurred. Or did it? It was Game 3 of the World Series. The Yankees had won the first two at Yankee Stadium. Soon-to-be President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (sitting next to Chicago mayor Anton Cermak) threw out the first pitch. In the st...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Sep 23rd, 2023
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5614 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 Today's Cub Birthday
Aug 21st, 2023
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3618 Views
~Tuffy Rhodes 1968– (Cubs 1993-1995) In 1994, the Cubs had a memorable home opener against the New York Mets. A little-known player named Tuffy Rhodes hit three homers that day to power the Cubs to a victory. Cubs fans had delusions of grandeur after that game, but Tuffy hit only five more home...
By Rick Kaempfer
In Today's Cub Birthday
Jul 4th, 2023
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3325 Views
~Chuck Tanner 1928–2011 (Cubs 1957-1959) Chuck Tanner played in the big leagues for parts of eight different seasons. His career started with a bang — a home run in his very first big league at-bat for the Milwaukee Braves in 1955. They released him near the beginning of the 1957 season, and th...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Weeks Historical Events
Jul 3rd, 2023
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4760 Views
July 7, 1952 The 1952 Republican National Convention is held at the International Amphitheatre from July 7 to July 11, 1952. The Republicans nominate Dwight D. Eisenhower for president. The former general is still immensely popular. As his running mate, they name the anti-communist crusading Senator ...
By Rick Kaempfer
In This Week In Wrigley History
Jul 2nd, 2023
2 Comments
5735 Views
July 2, 1917. Three future NFL Hall of Famers played at Cubs Park (now known as Wrigley Field) in a big league baseball game. Paddy Driscoll (photo) played 2B for the Cubs. That was his only year in baseball, but he went on to a great football career with the Chicago Bears and the Chicago […]...
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