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6 unusual facts about Chicago Cubs


Joe Ricketts

In October 2009, the Ricketts family acquired a 95 percent controlling interest in Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field, as well as 20 percent of Comcast Sportsnet Chicago.

Lester Strode

After his playing career ended, he was a longtime pitching coach in the Chicago Cubs farm system.

Neil Ramirez

Neil Andrew Ramirez (born May 25, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently on the Chicago Cubs' 40-man roster.

Shane Lindsay

He subsequently signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on May 31.

Sreenath Sreenivasan

From 2009 through 2011, Sreenivasan helped launch and develop DNAinfo.com, a hyperlocal news startup covering Manhattan, founded by Ameritrade founder and Chicago Cubs owner Joe Ricketts.

The Given Day

In the prologue, the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs are traveling by train from Chicago to Boston during the 1918 World Series.


1959 Milwaukee Braves season

Mathews finished second to Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs in the voting for the league's Most Valuable Player, who hit 47 home runs and lead the league in runs batted in.

Barret Loux

At the 2012 trade deadline, the Rangers acquired Geovany Soto from the Chicago Cubs for Jake Brigham; however, the Cubs were concerned about Brigham's health and agreed to the trade on the condition that if Brigham was unable to play, the Cubs would send Brigham back to the Rangers and acquire Loux and a player to be named later in his place.

Bernie Friberg

Gustaf Bernhard Friberg (August 18, 1899 – December 8, 1958) born in Manchester, New Hampshire, attended Worcester Academy, was a Utility Player for the Chicago Cubs (1919–20 and 1922–25), Philadelphia Phillies (1925–32) and Boston Red Sox (1933).

Betsy Jochum

Chewing gum magnate and Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley decided, in 1942, to start a women's professional baseball league, concerned that the 1943 Major League Baseball season might be canceled because of World War II.

Big League Chew

It was created by Portland Mavericks left-handed pitcher Rob Nelson, and pitched to the Wrigley Company (longtime owners of the Chicago Cubs) by former New York Yankee All-Star Jim Bouton, a Maverick teammate of Nelson's, as a fun alternative to the unhealthy tobacco-chewing habit common among ballplayers in the 1970s.

Bishop Dunne Catholic School

Steve Macko, played for the Chicago Cubs from 1979 - 1980 before being diagnosed with Testicular Cancer.

Blair Barbier

Blair Matthew Barbier (born February 13, 1978 in Marrero, Louisiana) is a former professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs organization, former baseball standout for Louisiana State University and former volunteer assistant baseball coach with LSU for the 2007 season.

Bushong, Kansas

Following the Browns 4 game to 2 win of the 1886 World Series over Chicago White Stockings, the Missouri Pacific Railroad honored several of the St. Louis players by naming some of their towns after the players.

Buzz Bissinger

The New York Times bestselling Three Nights in August, published in 2005, chronicles a series in August 2003 between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs through the perspective of Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.

Center on Halsted

Collaborators in the past have included the Museum of Contemporary Art, After School Matters, The Chicago Historical Society, The University of Chicago, The Chicago Architecture Foundation, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Garfield Park Conservatory, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Cubs.

Charles Fincher

In 2008, Fincher was commissioned by the ABA’s Council of Appellate Staff Attorneys (CASA) to paint a fantasy illustration of Constitutional law professor Erwin Chemerinsky as a shortstop with the Chicago Cubs, the scholar's favorite team.

Dave Liddell

Liddell was a 4th round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 1984 - the 83rd overall pick in the draft - after attending Rubidoux High School in Riverdale, California.

Davey Lopes

The Athletics traded him to the Chicago Cubs on August 31, 1984 to complete an earlier deal for Chuck Rainey.

El Tappe

Elvin Walter Tappe (May 21, 1927 – October 10, 1998) was an American professional baseball player, a catcher for the Chicago Cubs from 1954 to 1962, but he was best known for being part of the Philip K. Wrigley-implemented College of Coaches in the 1961 season.

Goldie Holt

An outfielder and third baseman by trade, the native of Enloe, Texas, logged his playing and managing career exclusively in minor league baseball, but served the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs as a coach on the Major League level, and spent two separate terms scouting for the Dodgers in both Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

Grady Hatton

He came to the majors in 1946 without any minor league seasoning, making his debut against the Chicago Cubs.

Hatton batted .254 with 91 home runs in a 12-year big league career with Cincinnati, the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs, for whom he served as a player-coach in 1960 at the end of his playing career.

Hal Breeden

He was developing himself into quite the prospect - or at least the Chicago Cubs thought so - because on November 30, 1970, he was traded straight up for future Hall of Fame pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm.

Hal Gilson

Nicknamed "Lefty", he was originally signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1961 and was traded to the Cardinals on April 7, 1965 with Bobby Pfeil for Bob Humphreys.

James Roark

Roark was nominated for the Pulitzer prize in 1976 for his photograph of Chicago Cubs outfielder Rick Monday saving an American flag from being burned by two protesters.

Jarry Park Stadium

September 29, 1971: Batting against Milt Pappas of the Chicago Cubs, Ron Hunt is hit by a pitch for the 50th time during the season.

Jim Brillheart

James Benson Brillheart (September 28, 1903 – September 2, 1972) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played between 1922 and 1931 for the Washington Senators (1922–23), Chicago Cubs (1927) and Boston Red Sox (1931).

Joe Girardi

In 1989, while a prospect for the Chicago Cubs, Girardi played for the Águilas del Zulia in the Venezuelan Winter League.

John Sipin

On May 24, 1969, Sipin hit triples in the first and fourth innings off pitcher Ken Holtzman of the Chicago Cubs.

Larry Stahl

Playing for the Padres on September 2, 1972, against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Stahl drew one of the most questionable bases on balls in baseball history — if only because of the circumstances surrounding it.

Middletown High School South

Jeff Kunkel (born 1962), former MLB shortstop who played for the Texas Rangers '83 - '91 and Chicago Cubs '92; 1983 1st Round MLB Draft pick (3rd selection overall).

Mike Pagel

Sports is part of the family bloodline; Mike's brother Karl Pagel played baseball for the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians.

My Boys

He also realizes his pattern of dating mentally unstable women, such as the one in "Carpe Burritoem", has to stop; a point emphasized by the crazy "girlfriend" of Chicago Cubs player Mike Fontenot, who makes a cameo appearance in the season 3 finale.

Oscar Gamble

Born in Ramer, Alabama, Gamble was discovered playing baseball in a semi-professional league by legendary Negro League baseball player Buck O'Neil, who was working as a scout for the Chicago Cubs at the time.

Pete Mikkelsen

Peter James Mikkelsen (October 25, 1939 – November 29, 2006) was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1964 through 1972 for the New York Yankees (1964–65), Pittsburgh Pirates (1966–67), Chicago Cubs (1967–68), St. Louis Cardinals (1968) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1969–72).

Roamin' In The Gloamin'

Gabby Hartnett's clutch home run for Chicago Cubs late in the 1938 baseball season, when the game was at risk of being called on account of darkness, was dubbed the "Homer in the Gloamin'".

Rob Sperring

Robert Walter Sperring (born October 10, 1949 in San Francisco, California) was a baseball player who played for the Chicago Cubs from 1974 to 1976 and the Houston Astros in 1977.

Roger Metzger

Roger Henry Metzger (born October 10, 1947, in Fredericksburg, Texas) was a Shortstop for the Chicago Cubs (1970), Houston Astros (1971–78) and San Francisco Giants (1978–80).

Ryan Searle

He was signed to a professional baseball contract at the age of 17 with the Chicago Cubs in 2007.

Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks

Former Chicago Cubs first-round pick Ty Griffin hit .274 and tied for the league lead with 11 home runs.

Ty Cline

Tyrone Alexander Cline (born June 15, 1939 in Hampton, South Carolina) is a former Major League baseball player, primarily a reserve outfielder and pinch-hitter for the Cleveland Indians (1960–62), Milwaukee Braves (1963–65), Chicago Cubs (1966), Atlanta Braves (1966–67), San Francisco Giants (1967–68), Montreal Expos (1969–70) and Cincinnati Reds (1970–71).

Vern Morgan

Morgan's Major League playing career consisted of 31 games and 71 at bats for the 19541955 Chicago Cubs.

Wayne Garrett

Baseball ran in the Garrett family; Wayne Garrett's brother, Adrian, played for the Chicago Cubs, the Oakland Athletics, the California Angels and the Atlanta Braves, mostly as a catcher, first baseman and outfielder.

Wayne Schurr

Wayne Allen Schurr (born August 6, 1937 in Garrett, Indiana) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who pitched for the Chicago Cubs in 1964.

We Believe: Chicago and Its Cubs

We Believe: Chicago and its Cubs is a 2009 documentary film about the city of Chicago and her enduring love for the Chicago Cubs directed by John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs. John Lennon).

Wes Schulmerich

He was signed by the Chicago Cubs, but before he played for the team he was traded on October 14, 1930, to the Boston Braves along with Bill McAfee for pitcher Bob Smith and outfielder Jimmy Welsh.

You Know Me Al

Lardner was a sportswriter who moved to Chicago in 1907, where he covered the Cubs and White Sox for several city newspapers, most notably the Chicago Tribune.


see also

1977 Oakland Athletics season

March 15, 1977: Gaylen Pitts was traded by the Athletics to the Chicago Cubs for Jim Tyrone.

Bloomfield Cemetery

Hank Borowy (1916–2004), Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers.

Bobb

Randy Bobb (b. 1947), a baseball player for the Chicago Cubs

Brian Dopirak

He was originally selected by Chicago Cubs in the second round (56th overall) of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft.

Buckley, Illinois

Former players for the Dutch Masters include Scott Garrelts, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants (was supposed to pitch the opener in the 1989 World Series, but an earthquake had other ideas); Mark Scheiwe, drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1979 (the same year Scott was drafted by the Giants), but never making it to the big league because of injury; and Ernie Westfield, who played in the Negro League and still represents them publicly.

Derrick Carter

Carter was recently named #66 in the 100 Most Famous Chicagoans according to a survey (relying mostly on Google hits) by the free weekly newspaper, New City (11/2006), finishing just between syndicated radio show host Tom Joyner(#65) and Chicago Cubs player, Carlos Zambrano(#67).

Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Montclair

Big Ed Reulbach, who pitched in the Chicago Cubs' last World Series victory in 1908, is there, too, as is Bob Hooper, who pitched for three major league teams in the 1950s.

Jay Baller

He spent the next two seasons as a starter in Cleveland's minor leagues before being traded again to the Chicago Cubs for Dan Rohn in April 1985.

Ken Hubbs

Two future big league players played on the Schenectady team: Jim Barbieri, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Bill Connors, with the Chicago Cubs, both in 1966.

Signer

Walter Signer (October 12, 1910 - July 23, 1974) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago Cubs in 1943 and 1945.

Speier

Chris Speier (born 1950), former baseball player and former third base coach for the Chicago Cubs

Sveum

Dale Sveum (born 1963), American former baseball player and current manager of the Chicago Cubs

Uel

Uel Eubanks (1903-1954), baseball pitcher, briefly with the Chicago Cubs