Today is a numerologist's wet dream...9/9/09. Seems like a good day to take a look at some of the Cubs that have worn the number 9. As it turns out, there have been quite a few big names...
For the first few months of 1932, future Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby wore the #9.
He was fired amidst a player revolt and an investigation into his gambling. After Hornsby left the team that year, Mark Koenig took the #9.
The way his Cubs teammates treated Koenig may have provided the bad karma that lost the 1932 World Series.
In 1933 another Hall of Famer,
Gabby Hartnett,took over the #9. He wore that number for the next four seasons, including the 1935 World Series.
In the early 50s (1950-1955) Hank Sauer wore #9. All he did with that number was win the MVP award in 1952.
He also once hit 3 home runs in one game.
In the late 50s (58-59), the number 9 was worn by the man who hit the most famous home run in history (the shot heard round the world) a few years earlier for the New York Giants. His nickname was
"The Flying Scot."
In the late 1960s the heart and soul of the Hey Hey Holy Mackeral Cubs, Randy Hundley, wore #9. In 1968, Hundley caught a ridiculous 160 games. (His son Todd later wore the same number in 2001-2002, but we don't talk about that.)
Those guys are obviously the best players to wear number 9, but there have been many others, including Frank Demaree (1937-38), Hank Leiber (1939-41), Chico Hernandez (1942), Clyde McCullough (1945-48), Mickey Owen (1949), Rube Novotney (1949), Bob Lennon (1957), Gordon Massa (1957), Del Rice (1960), Jim Hegan (1960), Cuno Barragan (1961-63), Steve Swisher (1974-77), Joe Wallis (1978), Tim Blackwell (1978-81), Butch Benton (1982), Larry Cox (1982), Fred Koenig (1983), Johnny Oates (1984-87), Damon Berryhill (1988-91), Matt Walbeck (1993), Scott Servais (1995-98), Benito Santiago (1999), Damon Buford (2000-01), Paul Bako (2003-04), Henry Blanco (2005), Jody Gerut (2005), Scott McClain (2005), Juan Pierre (2006), Jake Fox (2007), Reed Johnson (2008-09)
In 1999, Sammy Sosa hit his 60th home run of the season, becoming the first player in MLB history to accomplish that feat two years in a row.
My former Half-Empty and Bald Handbook co-writer Dave Stern has this as his status update today on Facebook....jpg)
1929
1969
1984
1989
His name was Thomas Leo Simpson and he was born on this date in 1927.
On this date in 1993, MLB announced that the National League was going to be split into three separate divisions. 
I just posted my latest Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. It's called "Immigration Integration," and it's about the memories of my own childhood that were sparked by Johnny's best friend moving to Poland.
Let's give credit to NBC Chicago for getting the joke. They've got it up on their website now.
Suki and Justa Crappi Yeare of Chicago's North Side are proud to announce the birth of their daughter Waitle Nex, born August 20th in Los Angeles. The entire Yeare family eagerly awaits her arrival back in Chicago. The first Waitle Nex Yeare was born in Chicago in 1909. It's too bad great-great grandma isn't around to see the birth of her namesake. Baby Waitle was born several weeks premature but is somehow perfectly healthy. Doctors tell us the chip on Waitle's shoulder will wear down over the winter and she will be 100% healthy next spring. You should see how cute she looks with the albatross necklace around her neck. Pictures available at www.justonebadcentury.com.
For the first few months of 1932, future Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby wore the #9. He was fired amidst a player revolt and an investigation into his gambling. 
I just posted my latest Father Knows Nothing column at NWI Parent. This week it's a very handy "English/Teenage Boy Dictionary."
He hit exactly one home run in his Major League career, but he had some wheels on him. So much so, that he was once nicknamed "The Antelope."
I know this is a once in a century sort of thing, but on this date in 1935, the Cubs won the first game of what became a 21 game winning streak. The winning pitcher for the Cubs was Larry French (photo).
The man the Cubs called Gonzo was born on this date in 1967. He had the game winning hit in the World Series, but of course, not for the Cubs.
