I've been working on revising the book for the upcoming 5th edition (which will be out on Opening Day). Thought I'd share a few of these EveryCubEver entries with you while I worked...
Charlie Grimm 1898--1983 (Cubs player 1925-1936, Cubs manager 1932-1938, 1944-1949, 1960)
They called Charlie Grimm “Jolly Cholly” because he was a fun-loving guy who
always seemed to be happy during his 20 seasons as a player. He played the
banjo to loosen up the team on long train rides, and was a constant chatterbox
on the field. He was so beloved by his teammates that Phillip K. Wrigley named
him to manage the team while he was still a player (Charlie played first base).
His laidback and tolerant approach seemed to coax great performances from
mediocre teammates and legendary performances from great players. Taking over
the team from the despised disciplinarian Rogers Hornsby in 1932, Charlie led
the team to the pennant that season. He was also the manager of the 1935
pennant winners and the last Chicago team to win the National League for many
years — the 1945 Cubs. After he stepped down as a manager, he remained in the
Cubs front office in one capacity or another for the rest of his life. He was
such an important part of Cubs lore that his wife was allowed to spread his
ashes in Wrigley when he died in 1983.
Historical
note: On the day the 1932 Democratic Convention began in Chicago (which
nominated FDR for the first time), Charlie slammed a homer to help beat the
Reds 7-0 at Wrigley Field.
