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• Wrigley Field historical sleuthing: Don Drysdale edition

Drysdale played second banana to Sandy Koufax for years, but was a legitimately great pitcher himself. Here we have future Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, who spent his entire 14-year MLB career with the Dodgers, at Wrigley Field. After I tell you the date this was taken, there’s something interesting about it beyond just the date. First, here’s the entire photo as I received it, which pretty much giv...2024
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• This day in Braves History: Sam Jethroe becomes oldest player to win Rookie of the Year Award

Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images The first Black player in Braves history wins Rookie of the Year honors at the age of 31 Braves Franchise History 1950: Sam Jethroe of the Boston Braves is named as Rookie of the Year for the National League. Jethroe, at 31 years of age, is the oldest rookie to win the award. MLB History 1925: The Brooklyn Robins claim Rabbit Mara...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, November 8

Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Neifi Perez signs! And other stories, including Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith ROY results. Dwight’s birthday, too. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, wi...2024
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• The case for each of the Classic Baseball Hall of Fame candidates

Photo by Louis Requena/MLB via Getty Images Luis Tiant, Dick Allen and Tommy John are among eight players on this year’s Classic Era ballot. The Baseball Hall of Fame has had some form of “Veterans Committee” ballot in its induction process going all the way back to 1939. The committees have taken various forms over the years, but the most recent process breaks up potential candidates into...2024
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• A look at Cubs trades in the pre-expansion era: 1960

Richie Ashburn bats for the Cubs in 1960 | Photo by Hy Peskin/Getty Images This was not a good year for Cubs deals. In 1959, the Cubs had contended briefly, and finished with 74 wins, their most since 1952 and second-most since 1946. They had the two-time MVP Ernie Banks anchoring a pretty good offense. The first thing the Cubs did in the offseason was fire manager Bob Scheffing. The edict...2024
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• A look at Cubs trades in the pre-expansion era: 1961

“The other” Frank Thomas bats for the Cubs in 1960 | Photo by Hy Peskin/Getty Images A companion series to last year’s. Last year’s offseason series here was a look at Cubs trades from 1962-2023. You can read all those articles here. So, this year I’m going to do the rest of the trades in Cubs history in the Modern Era, since 1901. Unlike last year, when I began in 1962 and ended in the pr...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, November 8
2024

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• A look at Cubs trades in the pre-expansion era: 1960
2024

Read about Ernie Banks injury report
• A look at Cubs trades in the pre-expansion era: 1961
2024

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• The 1971 Cubs: What went wrong in this contending year

Fergie Jenkins pitches against the Giants, May 19, 1971 | Photo by John F. Jaqua /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images Once again, a talented Cubs team failed to make the postseason. So, I figured after writing about the 1969 Cubs failures and those of 1970 the last couple of days, I’d continue this brief series with a look at the team in 1971. General manager John Holland was curiously ina...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, October 23

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. David Ross is signed, Rick Sutcliffe lets out a Cy, 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...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, September 18

Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday to Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg, and other stories. Klaatu barada nikto. 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 fo...2024
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• 2025 Cubs attendance watch: A deep dive into the season ticket price increases

Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images We’ve got numbers and charts explaining things. As posted here last week, the Cubs have raised season ticket prices for 2025 in many sections, including more than 6 percent in the bleachers. While 12 percent of the home season remains (10 dates of the 81 scheduled), I asked BCBer Lifetime Cubs Fan to analyze the price increases. Here’s what h...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, September 2

Happy birthday, Christian Bethancourt! | Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Pappas throws a no-no and other stories. Happy birthday to Christian Bethancourt! On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseba...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, August 19

Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Hack Wilson, Norman Rockwell, and the short story of Eddie Gaedel. But wait, there’s more! Holtzman throws a gem, Fergie goes deep, and Jim Hendry joins the ranks of the unemployed. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-cent...2024
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• Guardians 9, Cubs 8: Frustrating

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images Just... not... quite... enough. The Cubs don’t really have any margin for error as they seek a wild-card berth in the season’s home stretch. And, unfortunately, it was a fielding error that helped lead to the team’s 9-8 loss to the Guardians in the series opener in Cleveland. Oh, yes, and an egregiously bad umpiring call that might have changed the course...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, July 26

Happy birthday, Alex Burnett! | Photo by Brian D. Kersey/Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday, Alex Burnett! Bill Madlock and Tyler Houston had big days, 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...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, May 15

Happy birthday, Rafael Ortega! | Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday, Rafael Ortega! No-hitters 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 an...2024
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• Sammy Sosa in Exile: There's Silence Rather Than Apology from Former Cubs Star
2015

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2024
"Pre-game, the Cubs had their living Hall of Famers come to the mound for a first-pitch ceremony, and it was great to see Fergie Jenkins, Lee Smith, Andre Dawson and Billy Williams together — and Billy looked great, I thought."

2023
"The Cubs’ fastest pair of cycles were 25 days apart, in 1966: by Billy Williams on July 17, and Randy Hundley on August 11."

2022
"Other Cubs Hall of Famers who participated: Billy Williams, Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg and Lee Smith."

2018
"Cubs icon Billy Williams shares memories of fellow Mobile, Ala."

2017
"Hall of Famer Billy Williams was to attend a breakfast on Monday to celebrate Rev."

2016
"So this, too, is what it looks like when the Cubs charge into the World Series: Hall of Famer Billy Williams standing on the field amid the celebration, nearly swallowed by the roaring wall of sound in the minutes after the final out and practically being overcome with emotion."

2015
"The Chicago Sun-Times noted the third baseman broke the team record Billy Williams held for most home runs as a rookie with 26."

2014
"On this day in 1976, the Athletics released outfielder Billy Williams, marking the end of his Major League career."

• Baseball history unpacked, November 8
2024

See more articles George Gojkovich salary rumors
• The case for each of the Classic Baseball Hall of Fame candidates
2024

Click for news about Louis Requena trade rumors
• A look at Cubs trades in the pre-expansion era: 1960
2024

Continue with Ernie Banks contract
• A look at Cubs trades in the pre-expansion era: 1961
2024

Check it out Frank Thomas salary
• The 1971 Cubs: What went wrong in this contending year
2024

Visit the page Fergie Jenkins contract rumors
• Baseball history unpacked, October 23
2024

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• Here are some players the Cubs let go who might have helped them win in 1969

Ernie Banks (left) and Tony Taylor working out at Spring Training in 1958 | Getty Images Even more evidence of how poorly run the team was back then. The 1969 Cubs are a fabled team, perhaps the most loved group of players in MLB history that never won anything. They had four core players who became Hall of Famers — Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Fergie Jenkins — and several ot...2024
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• A look at Cubs no-hitters through history

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images The Cubs threw their second-ever combined no-no Wednesday. Here are all the other Cubs no-hitters. The combined no-hitter Wednesday evening by Shōta Imanaga, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge against the Pirates is the 18th in Cubs franchise history. That statement has to be looked at with a small grain of salt. The first four no-hitters thrown by the Chicago ...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, August 19
2024

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• Baseball history unpacked, July 31

Happy birthday, Leon Durham! | Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday to Leon Durham, Jon Lester lays it down, 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...2024
Continue with Leon Durham salary rumors

• Baseball history unpacked, November 8
2024

See more articles George Gojkovich stats
• The case for each of the Classic Baseball Hall of Fame candidates
2024

Continue with Louis Requena stats
• A look at Cubs trades in the pre-expansion era: 1961
2024

Visit the page Frank Thomas scores
• Wrigley Field historical sleuthing: Johnny Bench edition

This is a cool snapshot of the Hall of Fame catcher. Once again, let me show you the full photo before I get into this one, which turned out to be pretty easy: This, of course, is Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench. One thing that stood out immediately in this photo is that there are only five games on each side of the board. That limits this photo to 1967 or 1968, because when th...2024
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• The 1972 Cubs: Another failed potential contender

Billy Williams bats for the Cubs at Shea Stadium in August 1972, showing off the unusual road uniforms worn only in that year | Photo by Walter Leporati/Getty Images The Cubs wound up a distant second. The beginning of the 1972 season was marred by a players’ strike, the first such labor stoppage in MLB history. It lasted only a week or so, and it was decided that the games missed would no...2024
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• The 1970 Cubs were better than the 1969 Cubs. Why didn’t they win?

Jim Hickman scores for the Cubs against the Mets on May 23, 1970 | Photo by James Drake /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images It was another failure, in some ways more frustrating than the fabled ‘69 team. Yesterday, I posted this article about how some players who the Cubs let go for almost nothing in the late 1950s and early 1960s might have helped the 1969 team get over the hump and make...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, October 23
2024

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• Baseball history unpacked, September 2
2024

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• Cubs 6, Marlins 3: A good beginning

Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images The Cubs started their road trip with a solid victory. All of us knew before this Cubs road trip began that they’d have to win, and win again, and keep winning, to have any chance at all at the third NL wild-card spot. Getting there is still a long shot, but they at least began the trip on a nigh note with a well-played 6-3 win over the Marlins Friday even...2024
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• Baseball history unpacked, August 19
2024

Continue with Hack Wilson

• 2025 Cubs attendance watch: A deep dive into the season ticket price increases
2024

Read about Matt Dirksen
• Baseball history unpacked, July 17

Happy birthday. Don Kessinger! | Photo by: 1970 SPX/Diamond Images via Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday. Don Kessinger! The first pay-per-view game 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 p...2024
Read about Christy Mathewson
• Ryne Sandberg is honored with the fifth player statue at Wrigley Field

Ryne Sandberg poses with his new statue moments after it was unveiled before a packed Gallagher Way crowd outside Wrigley Field | Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images “It’s amazing what can happen when dreams meet hard work” People arrived to claim their spot in line by 9:30 a.m. Sunday while Cubs staff were setting up for a day to honor Ryne Sandberg. A banner reading “Ryne Sandberg Second t...2024
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• Cubs 3, Astros 1: PCA saves the day

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images Pete Crow-Armstrong won the game with his first MLB hit. The first thing I thought when I saw Pete Crow-Armstrong’s sixth-inning blast head toward the right-field bleachers was, “You have got to be kidding me!” PCA had struggled so mightily in his first exposure to MLB pitching last September, and Justin Verlander had just made him look silly in his fir...2024
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• Today in 1984 Cubs history: The Gary Matthews/Bob Dernier trade changed everything

Getty Images The Cubs struggled through a painful spring training, and then Dallas Green made a deal that defined the 1984 team. The Cubs lost 91 games in 1983, two more than they had in 1982, the first year of “Building A New Tradition” under Tribune Co. and general manager Dallas Green. In fact, they had hovered around .500 as late as June 19, when they were 30-32, but went 41-59 the res...2024
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• The 2024 Cubs by the numbers

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images A complete numerical list of this year’s Cubs as they get ready for this year’s Spring Training. As I do here every spring, I present to you a full numerical roster of all the players and coaches in Cubs spring camp. Also included are the Cubs’ retired numbers, so you can see the full numerical progression. There are 59 players in camp, the 40-man roste...2024
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• BCB After Dark: Who goes next?

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks what other free agents will the Cubs sign this winter. Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the hippest hole-in-the-wall for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad that you braved the weather to make it here. Come on in out of the cold. We can check your coat for you. There’...2024
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• A perfect tribute to Lin Brehmer on what would have been his 69th birthday

Sara Sanchez Lin’s Binge was a home run all on its own Saturday at Wrigley Field The weather was perfection. The vibes were good with the Cubs unexpectedly in a Wild Card and Division race in mid-August. It was a quintessentially Chicago weekend with the Air and Water Show punctuating the normal cadence of a Cubs game with the roar of fighter jets. The Cubs’ 6-4 win over the Royals was the...2023
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• Baseball history unpacked, July 31
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources, a little bit cheesy but nicely displayed. Happy birthday to Leon Durham, Mike Bielecki, and others, plus a plethora of good stories. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s co...2023
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• Baseball history unpacked, July 21
Big Shoes | Photo by NASA/Newsmakers A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources and nicely displayed. A giant step for humanity and a whole bunch of smaller steps. 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 n...2023
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• Jake Arrieta 1st Pitcher in 2015 to Reach 20 Wins: Latest Details and Reaction
2015

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• Scott Miller's Starting 9: Kershaw Can Bring 300 Strikeout Feat Back from Dead
2015

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• Cubs 5, Rockies 0: Shōta Imanaga shines in the rain

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images The Cubs got the game in and got a great pitching performance. Let me get this out of the way first. Last Friday I wrote this article saying the Cubs should postpone Opening Day — right then. The forecasts were dire. But they got the game in, though it rained pretty hard from about the seventh inning on. So, mea culpa, they played, got Opening Day in — ...2024
Continue with Michael Reaves
• Today in Cubs history: Mark Grace hits for the cycle
Getty Images It’s the last time any Cub has accomplished this feat. Hitting for the cycle is a fairly rare feat, although in recent times it’s happened maybe half a dozen times a year. Still, in all of MLB history, there have been 340 cycles, including one this year by Luis Arraez of the Marlins. That makes them slightly less rare than no-hitters, of which there have been 318. This is the...2023
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• Sammy Sosa in Exile: There's Silence Rather Than Apology from Former Cubs Star
2015

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• Bryant ties Cubs rookie record with 25th HR
Kris Bryant made history when he connected on his 25th home run of the year on Saturday. He tied Billy Williams' record -- set in 1961 -- for the most by a Cubs rookie in a single season....2015
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• Bryant ties Cubs rookie record with 25th HR
Kris Bryant made history when he connected on his 25th home run of the year on Saturday. He tied Billy Williams' record -- set in 1961 -- for the most by a Cubs rookie in a single season....2015
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• Bryant's huge homer ties Cubs' rookie marks
Kris Bryant's 23rd home run of the year, an 0-2 pitch off D-backs starter Rubby De La Rosa in the fifth inning, was projected by Statcast to travel 495 feet from home plate, the longest home run in Major League Baseball this season. It gave Bryant his 86th RBI, tying him with Billy Williams and Geovany Soto for the most by a rookie during a single season in club history....2015
Visit the page Kris Bryant

1. White Sox

2. World Series

3. Red Sox

. . .

731. Billy Williams

• Baseball history unpacked, November 8
2024

See more George Gojkovich
• The case for each of the Classic Baseball Hall of Fame candidates
2024

See also Louis Requena
• A look at Cubs trades in the pre-expansion era: 1961
2024

See more Frank Thomas
• Wrigley Field historical sleuthing: Johnny Bench edition
2024

See more Wrigley Field
• The 1972 Cubs: Another failed potential contender
2024

Continue with Shea Stadium
• The 1971 Cubs: What went wrong in this contending year
2024

See more articles Fergie Jenkins
• The 1970 Cubs were better than the 1969 Cubs. Why didn’t they win?
2024

See more articles Instructional League
• Baseball history unpacked, October 23
2024

Read about Michael Reaves
• Here are some players the Cubs let go who might have helped them win in 1969
2024

See more articles Ernie Banks
• 2025 Cubs attendance watch: A deep dive into the season ticket price increases
2024

Click for news about Matt Dirksen

• The 1970 Cubs were better than the 1969 Cubs. Why didn’t they win?
2024

Check it out Instructional League
• Baseball history unpacked, October 23
2024

Check it out Michael Reaves
• Baseball history unpacked, September 2
2024

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• Baseball history unpacked, July 31
2024

Read about Leon Durham scandal
• Cub Tracks’ no one here gets out alive

Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB news, notes, and commentary, four days a week, rain or shine. Five to one, baby. Weird scenes from the Confines as the Cubs claim victory and open the door to the meatloaf. WELCOME to today’s episode of Cub Tracks news and notes™, a greatest-hits collection of Chicago-style beat writers and bloggers, ground from #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB bas...2024
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• Cubs 3, Padres 2: Michael Busch walks it off

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports A game that started like many recent others had a stunning ending. New Cubs first baseman Michael Busch can be described in part as just getting his job done. You don’t hear many quotes from him; he just plays pretty good defense and has been hitting reasonably well in his first full MLB season. That all changed with one swing of the bat, as Busch hit the...2024
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• BCB After Dark: Who goes next?
2024

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• Baseball history unpacked, October 23

Photo Reproduction by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Quite a glare he had, Jack Coombs. He was a Cubs nemesis for a long time, way back in the day. Plus many other events in this episode. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centr...2023
Check it out World Series rumors
• A perfect tribute to Lin Brehmer on what would have been his 69th birthday
2023

Click for news about Sara Sanchez rumors
• Baseball history unpacked, July 31
2023

See also Leon Durham