Baseball history unpacked, December 11

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, with plenty of the lore and various narratives to follow as they unfold over the course of time. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along.

Today in baseball history:

• 1884 - The American Association votes to keep its ban on overhand pitching and to continue to allow fouls caught on one bounce to count as outs. It does abolish the tradition of team captains flipping for the honor of batting first. Now the home team will automatically bat first. (2)
• 1917 - The Phils sell star pitcher Grover Alexander, twice a 30-game winner, and his personal catcher ”Reindeer” Bill Killefer to the Cubs for righthander ”Iron” Mike Prendergast, C Pickles Dillhoefer, and $55,000. Phils owner William Baker later admits he made the trade because, “I needed the money.” The fifth-place Cubs expect the addition of Alexander to greatly strengthen their staff, but Alex will be drafted in the Army. (2)
• 1928 - At the National League meeting, President John Heydler proposes the designated hitter for pitchers to improve and speed up the game. He contends fans are tired of seeing weak-hitting pitchers come to bat. Heydler refers to his idea as “the tenth regular.” (1,2)
• 1931 - Despite two wins in the World Series, spitball veteran Burleigh Grimes is traded by the Cards to the Cubs for the fallen Hack Wilson. Wilson will be offered just $7,500, reflecting the owners’ new austerity drive. Grimes will have three losing seasons in Chicago before calling it quits. (2)
• 1940 - The Major Leagues extend commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to another four-year term. They also vote to limit night games to seven per team. (2)
• 1950 - At the winter meetings, held in St. Petersburg, FL, Major League owners vote 9-7 against renewing Commissioner Happy Chandler’s contract for a new term, starting in 1951. The Cardinals’ Fred Saigh led the opposition to Chandler, who had jeopardized the reserve clause and ordered investigations of the alleged gambling activities of several owners. (1,2)
• 1956 - A major league player association is established with Bob Feller as president. (2)
• 1973 - The Cubs come up with a team Ron Santo will agree to be traded to: South Side rivals the White Sox. P Steve Stone and three other players go to the Cubs. (1,2)
• 1985 - The Giants send 2B Manny Trillo to the Cubs for SS Dave Owen. (2)
• 1992 - The Cubs sign OF Candy Maldonado to a two-year contract. (2)
• 1999 - The Cubs obtain OF Damon Buford from the Red Sox in exchange for IF Manny Alexander. (2)
• 2001 - Former USC P Mark Prior wins the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the US. Prior signed a five-year contract with the Cubs after being selected in the June draft. (2)
• 2007 - Former Chunichi Dragons star Kosuke Fukudome* signs with the Chicago Cubs for $48 million over four years, pending a physical. Fukudome was the Central League MVP in 2006 but was sidelined for much of 2007 with an elbow injury. (2)
• 2013 - At the Winter Meetings, owners vote to ban home plate collisions over concerns about serious injuries recently suffered by catchers such as Buster Posey or Alex Avila. The exact wording of the rule still needs to be worked out, but baserunners will now be called out if they deliberately run into the opposing catcher, and will face a fine or suspension for particularly grievous offenses. Catchers will also be banned from blocking access to the plate without the ball. (2)

Cubs Birthdays: Art Wilson, Fred Toney, Bill Nicholson, Gene Hiser. Also notable: Old Hoss Radbourn HOF.

Today in history:

• 1688 - King James II captured in Kent, after trying to flee to France upon the arrival of William of Orange.
• 1792 - France’s King Louis XVI goes on trial, accused of high treason and crimes against the state.
• 1816 - Indiana becomes the 19th state of the Union.

Common sources:

• (1) — Today in Baseball History.
• (2) — Baseball Reference.
• (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
• For world history.

*pictured.

Some of these items spread from site to site without being verified. That is exactly why we ask for reputable sources if you have differences with a posted factoid, so that we can address that to the originators and provide clarity if not ‘truth’. Nothing is posted here without at least one instance of corroboration.