JUST IN: Baseball history unpacked, November 20 A Remarkable Date for The Cubs. Let’s See How Many Remember Today

A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday, Sam Fuld, and other stories.

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

• 1884 – The National League agrees to allow overhand pitching, but rules that pitchers must keep both feet on the ground throughout their pitching motion in order to reduce the velocity of their pitches. They still must throw the ball at the height requested by the batter. In addition, teams are now required to supply a separate bench for each club at their park to limit inter-team fraternization. (2)
• 1888 – The Joint Rules Committee reduces the number of balls for a walk from five to four, establishing the four balls/three strikes count that remains in effect to this day. It also eliminates an out on a foul tip if the catcher catches it within 10 feet of home plate. (2)
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• 1934 – 17-year-old pitcher Eiji Sawamura gives up one hit, a home run to Lou Gehrig, as the touring major league All-Stars win in Japan, 1-0. At one point, Sawamura strikes out four future Hall of Famers in a row: Charlie Gehringer, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Gehrig. Also visiting Japan as part of the big league All-Stars, catcher Moe Berg shoots movie film showing the roofs of Tokyo. The film will allegedly be used as a guide by United States bombers during World War II. (1,2)
• 1952 – Chicago Cubs slugger Hank Sauer is named National League Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers Association of America. The Cubs finished in fifth place despite Sauer’s 37 home runs and 121 RBI. (1,2)
• 1987 – Don Zimmer is hired by long-time friend Jim Frey to manage the Chicago Cubs. Zimmer will compile a 265-258 record during his three-plus-year tenure with the Cubs, including a division title in 1989. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Laurie Reis, Clark Griffith HOF, Andy Coakley, Jess Dobernic, Jay Johnstone, Rick Monday, Alex Arias, Sam Fuld*

Today in History:

• 284 – Roman general Diocletian proclaimed Emperor by armies of the east and west after the death of Carinus at the Battle of the Margus.
• 1637 – Peter Minuit and the first Swedish immigrants to Delaware sail from Sweden.
• 1815 – Second Treaty of Paris: France and her allies agree France will pay indemnities after Battle of Waterloo, ending the Napoleonic Wars.
• 1917 – First successful tank use in battle, at the Battle of Cambrai in World War I as Britain uses the new technology to break through German lines.
• 1919 – First municipally owned airport in US opens in Tucson, Arizona.
• 1923 – American inventor Garrett Morgan patents his traffic signal design, adding a caution between ‘stop and ‘go,’ an important development in automobile safety.
• 1977 – Walter Payton of the Bears rushes for then-NFL record 275 yards.

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