Blow Out the Candles September 9

Hall of Fame Cubs player and manager Frank Chance was born in Fresno, California on this date in 1976.

1911 T205 (I need to get this graded)

Frank managed the Cubs to their last World Series Championship. (When he was born Ulysses S. Grant was President.  That's crazy, isn't it?)

These are the saddest of possible words:

"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,

Tinker and Evers and Chance.

Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,

Making a Giant hit into a double –

Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:

"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

"The Fordham Flash", Hall of Famer Frankie Frisch was born in the Bronx, NY on this date in 1898.

 Dizzy Dean, Ruth, and Frisch

 Frankie and Diz

Hall of Fame pitcher and longtime play-by-play voice of the Cincinnati Reds, Waite Hoyt was born in Brooklyn, NY on this date in 1899.

 Waite with Miller Huggins

 Hoyt with Ruth and Gehrig

Waite at the mike

Blow Out the Candles September 9

Hall of Famer Frank Chance was born on this date in 1877.

This is one of the two 1911 T205 Gold Borders I'm lucky enough to own.

The photograph below is from Shorpy. It was taken in 1910 and is obviously the image used to create the card above. If you love photography or history and you've never visited the Shorpy website I highly recommend you do. Just make sure you have some time. It's addicting.

A piece of Frank Chance trivia:

"In the bottom of the ninth inning on April 28, 1906, Chance stole home against the Reds for a 1-0 Chicago victory. According to SABR researcher Jan Larsen, it's the only "walk-off" steal of home for a 1-0 victory in major league history."

"There is one thing I will never believe, and that is the Sox are better than the Cubs." Frank Chance and Hugh Jennings 1907 World Series

"Chance was a born fighter, a determined, able, and magnetic leader of men, who could always inspire his men with extraordinary enthusiasm, get the best work out of them, and always hold their good will. As a field leader it is doubtful if his superior ever lived… he combined all the qualities of an ideal baseball general." — NY Times, July 2, 1911

Polo Grounds 1912 c. 1910-1915 Hall of Famer  "The Fordham Flash", Frankie Frisch was born in the Bronx, NY on this date in 1898.  1991 Conlon Collection #11 Line-Up for Yesterday F is for Fordham And Frankie and Frisch; I wish he were back With the Giants, I wish. — Ogden Nash, Sport magazine (January 1949) "There's nothing tough about playing third. All a guy needs is a strong arm and a strong chest." - Frankie Frisch With Dizzy Dean With Gabby Hartnett

B. A.T. Cards! -- Tinker to Evers to Chance edition

1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes are a series of 165 cards patterned on the T202 Hassan Triple Folders set of the early 20th century. Shown below are five cards that pay tribute to the Cubs HOF trio, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance.

Here's the 1910 poem that made them famous:

These are the saddest of possible words:

"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,

Tinker and Evers and Chance.

Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,

Making a Giant hit into a double –

Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:

"Tinker to Evers to Chance."