Ronald Reagan

This weekend is the 99th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth. Some remember him as an actor. Others remember him as a President.

I choose to remember him as a Cubs announcer and fan.

1910, 1935

One hundred years ago this week, the Cubs are preparing for yet another NL Pennant winning season. Meanwhile, in London, King Edward VII is very ill. His son is being prepared to take over if and when his father passes away.
(Photos: Jack "The Giant Killer" Pfiester and King Edward VII)





Seventy five years ago this week, the Cubs are preparing for yet another NL Pennant winning season. Meanwhile in Rome, Italy is enamored with their charismatic new premier: Benito Mussolini.

Babe Ruth & Lemons

This coming weekend is the 115th anniversary of Babe Ruth's birth. Everyone remembers Babe Ruth's (alleged) called shot at Wrigley Field, but have you ever heard the part that lemons may have played in that story?

That's right, lemons.

Read all about it here.

Norman Rockwell

The famous artist was born on this date in 1893.

In 1948, he immortalized the Cubs, and inadvertently chronicled the next two decades of misery perfectly, when the Saturday Evening Post came out with this Rockwell original on the cover.

Read all about it here.

Sammy

The Cubs traded Sammy Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles exactly five years ago today. In return, they got a peppy little infielder that still wears Cubbie blue (Mike Fontenot), and another infielder/outfielder that just won a ring with the New York Yankees (Jerry Hairston Jr.)

Seems like they could have gotten more for their all-time greatest slugger, doesn't it? Well, in this case you may not remember how bad it got at the end of Sammy's reign. It got this bad.

Just like they recently did with Milton Bradley, instead of building Sammy up to potential trading partners by accentuating his positives, the Cubs were doing their best to damage his reputation beyond repair. (Not that either guy really needed a lot of help in that department...)

Seems like a "How-Not-To" guide to trading.

Mr. Cub

He was Jack Brickhouse's favorite Cub.

He was my favorite Cub.

He's probably your favorite Cub.

Hell, he's Mr. Cub, and he celebrated his 79th birthday over the weekend. Can you believe it?