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...
Sweetbread Bailey 1895--1939 (Cubs 1919-1921)
His real name is Abraham Lincoln Bailey because he shares a birthday with the
famous president. What is the origin of his nickname? Well, sweetbread is
defined as “the thymus or, sometimes, the pancreas of a young animal (usually a
calf or lamb) used for food,” and though the origins of Bailey’s nickname have
been lost to time, historians think it may have come from Bailey’s tendency to
swerve his pitches right into the batter’s sweetbread. He hit seven batters
there. The Cubs signed him in 1917, but before he joined the team he served in
the military with the 72nd field artillery. He was a reliever for the Cubs,
winning four games and saving none. That was the extent of his big league
career. After a few more seasons in the minors, he returned to his hometown of
Joliet, and that’s where he died of pituitary cancer in 1939 at the way-too-young
age of 44.
Historical
note: On the day the Treaty of Versailles was signed (1919), officially ending
World War I, Bailey was on the mound for the Cubs (in relief of Lefty Tyler).
He beat the Cardinals 6-5 despite giving up a homer to Hall of Famer Rogers
Hornsby.
