JOBC Cubs Almanac--February 6

Today's Cubs Birthdays...

JOBC Cubs Almanac--February 5

Cubs Birthdays

~Max Flack 1890 (Cubs 1916-1922)
Max has the distinction of playing in the very first game in Weeghman Park history as a member of the Chi-Feds, and then playing in the very first game the Cubs played in the same ballpark (as a Cub). He was their star right fielder during that time. During their pennant winning season of 1918, he led the league's outfielders in fielding percentage, put-outs, double plays, and assists. He also, unfortunately, dropped an easy fly ball in the 1918 World Series. The Cubs were leading the game 1-0 at the time, and the dropped flyball allowed the Red Sox to score two runs and win the game 2-1. Whenever someone accuses the Cubs of throwing that series (entire books have been written on the subject), this is one of those plays that is discussed. In 1922, Max was traded to the Cardinals for Cliff Heathcote in the middle of a double header. The two men just changed uniforms and dugouts.

~Harry Smith 1856 (White Stockings 1877)
Harry got into only 24 games with Chicago in their second National League season, before moving on mid-season to play with Cincinnati. He played second base, center field, and catcher in the era before players wore gloves. Among his teammates in Chicago were Hall of Famers Al Spalding and Cap Anson. He died before the turn of the century (in 1898) at the way too young age of 42.

~Dewey Williams 1916 (Cubs 1944-1948)
He was a member of the last pennant winning Cubs team (1945) as the backup catcher, and even played in two of the 1945 World Series games. He struck out as a pinch hitter in Game 5 at Wrigley Field, and came in to catch in extra innings during Game 6, the last World Series game the Cubs won. (For more about Dewey, check out "This Week in 1945").

~Don Hoak 1928 (Cubs 1956)
He was a Marine, and a boxer before he came to baseball, so it's no wonder his teammates called him Tiger. Before he made it to the big leagues, Hoak played in Cuba for a part of a season and faced future dictator Fidel Castro in a game. He was a World Series champ with the Dodgers in 1955, and shared third base with an aging Jackie Robinson that season, so the Cubs were excited to get him (along with Russ Meyer and Walt Moryn) a few weeks after the series ended. Unfortunately, he had a terrible season in Chicago in 1956. In over 400 at bats, he hit only .215, so the Cubs got rid of him. Of course, after he left the Cubs, he immediately became an All-Star (in 1957). Then, in 1960, he finished 2nd in the MVP voting and led the Pittsburgh Pirates to the World Series championship. Hoak died of a heart attack while chasing his brother-in-law's stolen car. He was only 42 years old.

~Lee Thomas 1936 (Cubs 1966-1967)
Thomas was a backup outfielder/first baseman for the Cubs toward the end of his playing career. One of his claims to fame came in 1966 when he knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning to beat the Astros. While the Cubs were playing at Wrigley Field that afternoon, John Lennon was holding a press conference at the Astor Hotel in downtown Chicago, apologizing for his famous "we're more popular than Jesus" remark. Thomas retired after the following season and went into management. He was one of the architects of the Whitey Herzog-era Cardinals in the 80s, and then became the GM of the Phillies and led them to the 1993 World Series. The ex-Cub GM watched his ex-Cub closer Mitch Williams give up the walk-off series-ending home run to the ex-Cub outfielder Joe Carter.

~Roberto Rodriguez 1941 (Cubs 1970)
The Venezuelan was one of the relievers in a very shaky Cubs bullpen in 1970. He saved two games for the Cubs, but he was routinely rocked. His final ERA for the season was 5.82. The Cubs tried to convert him into a starter in the minors the next season, and he stayed in their system for the next four years. He never made it back to the big leagues.


A/V Club

Former Cub Don Hoak in the 1960 World Series (playing for Pittsburgh)...

JOBC Cubs Almanac--February 4

Cubs Birthdays

~Germany Schaeffer 1876 (Orphans 1901-1902)
He was born in a town that boasted nearly 25% German heritage--Chicago, Illinois--and his parents were fresh off the boat immigrants. So naturally, he got the nickname Germany. He began his big-league career in his hometown, but really made a name for himself in Detroit. He was the starting second baseman for the Tigers in both of their World Series losses to the Cubs (1907 & 1908). Germany was known for his wackiness. He once stole second base to attempt to force a throw, allowing a teammate to score from home. When the catcher didn't fall for it, Germany stole first base on the next pitch, so he could try it again. Here's another colorful story from the Baseball Biography Project:

According to teammate Davy Jones in The Glory of Their Times, Germany announced to the crowd: "Ladies and gentlemen, you are now looking at Herman Schaefer, better known as 'Herman the Great,' acknowledged by one and all to be the greatest pinch-hitter in the world. I am now going to hit the ball into the left field bleachers. Thank you." Facing Chicago's Doc White, Schaefer proceeded to hit the first pitch into the left field bleachers for a game-winning homer. As he made his way around the diamond, Germany supposedly slid into every base, announcing his progress as if it were a horse race as he went around. "Schaefer leads at the half!" and so on. After hook-sliding into home, he popped up, doffed his cap, bowed, and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this concludes this afternoon's performance. I thank you for your kind attention."

Germany Schaefer died way too young, from a hemorrhage at the age of 42. He had only been retired for about a year.

~Doc Miller 1883 (Cubs 1910)
The Canadian-born Miller got exactly one bat for the pennant-bound Cubs on May 4, 1910. He couldn't crack the Cubs lineup, and they needed pitching, so they traded him eight days later to Boston for pitcher Lew Ritchie. It turned out to be a good trade for both teams. Miller became the starting right fielder for Boston. He led the league in hits the following year and batted .333. Meanwhile Ritchie won 42 games over the next three seasons for the Cubs.

~Pat Perry 1959 (Cubs 1988-1989)
The Cubs got Perry in the trade that sent Leon Durham to the Reds. He was a member of the division champion 1989 Cubs team, but he was used sparingly out of the bullpen (19 appearances), and didn't make the post-season roster. They released him in December of that year. He did manage to win two games and save two games during his tenure with the Cubs.

~Dan Plesac 1962 (Cubs 1993-1994)
Plesac was a very effective reliever with the Brewers (a three-time all-star), and he was a workhorse out of the bullpen during his two seasons in his hometown of Chicago (he's actually from Crown Point, Indiana). After his career ended he moved into broadcasting. For a few years (2005-2008) he was the studio analyst for Comcast in Chicago, but he has been with the MLB network since 2009.


A/V Club

Dan Plesac was a very good reliever, but he also gave up over 100 homers in his career. This one by Cecil Fielder was probably hit the furthest...

JOBC Cubs Almanac--February 3

Cubs Birthdays

~Norman Rockwell 1893 (Cubs cover 1948)
How bad were the Cubs in 1948? They finished in last place, 27 ½ games out of first place. Their hitting was atrocious (fewest home runs, fewest walks), their pitching staff was brutal (fewest shutouts, second most walks), their speed was non-existent (fewest stolen bases), and their fielding was embarrassing (second worst in the league). It must have been tough to watch, even for cheerful Jolly Cholly Grimm, the team's manager that year. That must have been what inspired this cover from artist Norman Rockwell on the September 4, 1948 issue of the Saturday Evening Post. The Cubs manager, the one in the middle who looks like his wife just left him, bears a remarkable likeness to Charlie Grimm.

~Newt Randall 1890 (Cubs 1907)
Newt had a very good minor league career, but didn't get his shot at the big leagues until 1907. He earned a shot by having a great spring training in New Orleans that year, and came north with the defending National League champs. He was the only rookie on the team. On June 20th of that year, he was traded to Boston in a pretty unusual way. The two managers decided to trade their right fielders as they exchanged lineup cards at home plate. Newt was sent to the Boston dugout, and Del Howard came over to the Cubs. Newt finished the season in Boston, his only season in the big leagues.

~Don "Tiger" Kaiser 1935 (Cubs 1955-1957).
His real first name was Clyde, he went by Don, and everyone called him Tiger. Unlike another well-known Tiger today, Chicago's Tiger was not controversial. Don Kaiser was a bonus baby pitcher the Cubs signed in 1955 with high hopes. That ’55 Cubs team was as bad as any of Chicago’s incredibly woeful 1950s bunch, so they brought Tiger right up to the bigs and put him in the bullpen. He performed well enough to get a shot at the starting rotation the next year, and the big tall (6’5”) right hander from Oklahoma was 6-15 as a member of the Cubs rotation in '56 and '57. He was dealt to the Braves after the ’57 season. Tiger couldn’t crack that loaded NL champion team squad the next spring, however, and never made it back to the big leagues again.

~Joe Coleman 1947 (Cubs 1976)
He pitched in the big leagues for 15 seasons and won 142 games, but only 2 of those came for the Cubs. His father (also named Joe) pitched ten years in the big leagues too, and his son Casey made it to the show as well (with the Cubs).


A/V Club

Going inside the studio of Norman Rockwell, and around the world with him (for Pan Am Airlines)

JOBC Cubs Almanac--February 2

Cubs Birthdays

~George Halas 1895 (Cubs fan 1900-1983)
Growing up in Chicago during the Cubs championship era (the first decade of last century), George Halas was a die-hard Cubs fan. When he was a boy, he and his friends used to hang around the player's entrance at West Side Grounds and wait for Frank Chance to show up. When he arrived, the boys would beg the Peerless Leader to let them into the games for free. Chance obliged them on several occasions, something George Halas never forgot. Halas later became a baseball player himself. A month after World War 1 ended, he signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees. He eventually made it to the show for part of the 1919 season, but an injury ended his career after only 22 at bats.

The next year the Yankees had another right fielder; a little known fella with the last name of Ruth.

Halas obviously also excelled at football, and was one of the founders of the National Football League. He patterned the team colors after his college team (the University of Illinois), but he named them "The Bears" as a tribute to his favorite baseball team: The Chicago Cubs. Halas' Bears even shared Wrigley Field with the Cubs for nearly 50 years. George Halas is a member of Pro Football's Hall of Fame, and Chicago Bears fans will always revere him for his incredible success. But never forget, George Halas was a Cubs fan even longer.

~Orval Overall 1881 (Cubs 1905-1913)
He was a key member of the Cubs dynasty of 1906-1910. He was a two-time 20-game winner, and led the league in shutouts (twice) and strikeouts. He also remains the last pitcher in Cubs history to win a World Series-clinching game. He won the deciding game of the 1908 World Series.

~Ted Tappe 1931 (Cubs 1955)
He was part of the ill-fated Johnny Klippstein trade with the Reds. Tappe played the first few months of the 1955 season before being sent down to the minors by the Cubs. He never returned. His Cubs career consisted of 50 at bats.

~Warren Brusstar 1952 (Cubs 1983-85)
Warren pitched out of the bullpen for the Cubs for three seasons. His first two were excellent, and his third one was so bad it became the last season of his big league career.

~Pat Tabler 1958 (Cubs 1981-1982)
He was involved in the same trade that brought Warren Brusstar to the Cubs, though neither of them were the main bargaining chips. The Cubs acquired Steve Trout in that trade, and the White Sox got Dick Tidrow. Tabler ended up playing in the big leagues for 12 seasons, and won a ring with the 1992 Blue Jays. His nickname was Mr. Clutch.

~Paul Kilgus 1962 (Cubs 1989)
He was part of the trade that brought Mitch Williams to the Cubs (at great cost--Rafael Palmeiro and Jamie Moyer went to the Rangers). Kilgus and Williams both contributed during the Cubs division winning season of 1989. Kilgus threw three shutout innings in the series against the Giants, one of the few Cubs pitchers who pitched well. Even Greg Maddux was lit up by the white-hot Will Clark.

~Ronny Cedeno 1983 (Cubs 2005-2008)
Ronny filled in nicely for Nomar Garciaparra when he was called up as a rookie, and got the starting job the following season, but he couldn't get on base. He managed only 17 walks in over 500 at bats in 2006, the worst ratio in the entire league. He has managed to stay in the big leagues thanks to his glove, however.

~Scott Maine 1985 (Cubs 2010-2012)
He was a very effective closer in Iowa, but big league hitters were not fooled. In 2011 he gave up four homers in only seven innings pitched.


A/V Club

The 1963 NFL Championship game, the last championship in Wrigley Field history. George Halas is the Bears coach...

JOBC Cubs Almanac--February 1

CUBS BIRTHDAYS

~Carl Reynolds 1903 (Cubs 1937-1939)
He was a ten-year veteran of the big leagues when he joined the Cubs in 1937, and claimed a starting outfield spot on the 1938 pennant winners. But in the World Series he came up to bat thirteen times and only got on base once (via walk). He went back to fourth outfielder in 1939--his last season in the big leagues. (1933 Goudy Baseball Card)

~Lew Brown 1858 (White Stockings 1879)
Brown was a catcher and considered a troublemaker. After he left Chicago he was suspended for an entire season for "general insubordination". One night, at the age of 30, he was wrestling with a friend, and twisted his knee. He went into the hospital for treatment, contracted pneumonia, and never came out again. The January 23, 1889 issue of Sporting Life had his obituary, and praised his catching abilities during an age when the catchers didn't wear any equipment (including mitts) or padding.

~Walt Golvin 1894 (Cubs 1922)
He got his cup of coffee with the Cubs early in the 1922 season as a 28-year-old rookie. The first baseman got two at bats and didn't reach base either time. He played another three years in the minors after that, and retired for good at the age of 31.

~Vince Barton 1908 (Cubs 1931-1932)
Vince was a Canadian who played outfield for the Cubs in the early 30s. As a rookie on the Rogers Hornbsy managed team in 1931, he hit 13 homers in a part-time role.

~Edwardo Zambrano 1966 (Cubs 1993-94)
He had some pop in his bat, but by the time the Cubs gave him a break, he was already 27 years old. During the strike shortened 1994 season, the 1B/OF hit six homers in only 116 at bats.

~Kent Mercker 1968 (Cubs 2004)
Merker was a good relief pitcher for the Cubs in 2004, appearing in 71 games as a left-handed specialist and registering a 2.55 ERA, but he is most remembered for his role in driving Steve Stone away from the Cubs broadcasting booth. On September 30, 2004, after the Cubs had choked away a nearly certain playoff spot, Steve Stone assessed the team on the air. He said the 2004 Cubs were: "(a) bunch of talented guys who want to look at all directions except where they should really look and kind of make excuses for what happened. ... At the end of the day, boys, don't tell me how rough the water is, you bring in the ship." Kent Mercker was particularly vocal about what he considered a betrayal. Stone resigned after the season.

~Phil Norton 1976 (Cubs 2000-2003)
He didn't exactly start his Cubs career well. In his second start he gave up four homers in one inning to the Dodgers. Light-hitting Kevin Elster knocked one out, then the pitcher Darren Dreifort did. Gary Sheffield followed that up with a solo homer, and Shawn Green hit a 2-run shot. The Cubs lost the game 7-5.


A/V Club

There is some footage of the 1938 World Series, and you can briefly see Carl Reynolds. The clip is as brief as the Series. The Yanks swept it in four games.

JOBC Cubs Almanac--January 31

Today's Featured Cub: Ernie Banks

On this day in 1931, Ernie Banks was born. 22 years later he became the first African American player to play for the Chicago Cubs.

The way he became a Cub is almost a fluke. At the end of the 1953 season, Gene Baker was called up to be the first African-American Cubs player. Ernie was signed shortly thereafter from the Kansas City Monarchs. They signed Ernie strictly because they needed another black player to room with Baker. If they didn’t have Baker, they wouldn't have signed Banks. They honestly had no idea what they were getting in Banks, either. One of the Cubs coaches, Ray Blades, gave Ernie a book called "How to play baseball" even though he had hit .380 for the Monarchs.

Banks only got in the lineup first because Baker was hurt (he got into a game three days later). At the time, inserting Banks into the lineup was a very controversial move, because shortstop was considered a "thinking man's" position, and Banks was the first African-American in Major League history to play shortstop on a regular basis.

Needless to say, it worked out just fine.

In a little known bit of trivia, he also was the first African-American manager. When manager Whitey Lockman was kicked out of a game in 1974, Ernie was the acting manager for one inning. Frank Robinson became the first full-time African American manager just a few months later.

Ernie Banks was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977.


Today's Featured Baseball Card: Ernie Banks

(1955 Bowman Baseball Card)

This card features the stats from his rookie season of 1954: 593 at bats, 70 runs, 163 hits, 19 doubles, 7 triples, 19 homers, 78 RBI, and a .275 batting average. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year vote behind Wally Moon of the Cardinals.



Nickname of the Day: Mr. Cub

Why do they call Ernie Banks Mr. Cub? Ernie is among the top 5 all-time Cubs in games played (1st), at bats (1st), hits (2nd), runs (5th), doubles (3rd), home runs (2nd), and RBI (2nd). Unfortunately he also played in more losses than any other player in baseball history.



Wrigley at 100

(Photo: Wrigley Field postcard, 1940s)

On March 31, 2008, Ernie Banks became a part of Wrigley Field when the club unveiled his statue. It stands right in front of the main gate at Addison and Clark. Countless Cub fans take pictures in front of it every year.




Cup of Coffee

Ray Brown was born in Chicago on this day in 1889. He was only 20 years old when he got his cup of coffee with the Cubs in 1909, the tenth youngest player in league history at that point. He pitched exactly one game, on September 29, 1909 against the Phillies at West Side Grounds. Brown threw a five hit complete game victory. He never pitched in the big leagues again. After a few more seasons in the minors, he hung up his spikes at the tender age of 24.

Ray passed away in Los Angeles in 1955.


Other Cubs Birthdays

~Bob Ferguson 1845 (White Stockings 1878)
He was the player/manager for one season, and was known for his ferocious temper. He hit .351 as a player, but was fired because owner Al Spalding considered him tactless and brutish. Read his very interesting story at the Baseball Biography Project. (I love his nickname--"Death To Flying Things")

~Charlie Wiedemeyer 1914 (Cubs 1934)
Charlie was only 20 when he pitched for his hometown Cubs. It didn't go well (9.72 ERA). He pitched in the minors until 1938.



A/V Club

Ernie takes on Gil Hodges in home run derby. (Spoiler alert: Don't bet on Gil)