Brooklyn Boro

September 28: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

September 28, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1920, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “CHICAGO — The National Commission today reversed its decision of yesterday and decided to open the World Series at Brooklyn on Oct. 5, playing three games there. The change was made at the request of Jim Dunn, president of the Cleveland club, who asked more time to prepare the Cleveland grounds in the event his team should win the American League pennant. The teams will travel on Oct. 8 and open in the American League city winning the pennant, either Cleveland or Chicago, on Oct. 9 for a four-game series. The eighth game will be played in Brooklyn on Oct. 14, as will the ninth game, if one is necessary, as the National League yesterday won the toss for the final game. If a ninth game is played, however, it will be on Oct. 15, instead of Oct. 16, as the day’s intermission for traveling has been eliminated.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1920, the Eagle reported, “President Charles Ebbets of the Brooklyn Baseball Club, when he heard of the indictment of the White Sox players charged with throwing the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in 1919, said: ‘The indictments have come as such a shock that I do not know what to say. On the whole I am inclined to think that if the Chicago White Sox win the American League pennant the Brooklyn club will not care to play them for the world’s championship. Still, an indictment is merely a charge, and is not a conviction. I will have to think it over first before deciding.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1940, the Eagle reported, “BERLIN (U.P.) — Authorized German quarters today described the Tokio-Berlin-Rome pact as ‘a red light on the horizon’ against any material aid by the United States or Russia that would affect the outcome of the war in Europe or Asia. The transfer of 50 over-age United States destroyers to Britain was cited as a parallel in response to a question as to whether Russian supplies of war material to China would bring the three Axis partners into collision with Russia. ‘The decisive point is what effect material aid might have on the course of the war,’ authorized German quarters said. ‘We are not of the opinion that the sale of 50 old destroyers, which probably will be used for convoying, will affect the outcome of the war.’ It was indicated in this connection that Russia could continue to supply China without invoking the three-power alliance as long as the signatories did not regard Russian aid to China as affecting the outcome of hostilities in the Far East.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “Right alongside of Walter O’Malley, Chuck Dressen and the 25 or so on the roster of the Brooklyn Dodgers, City Court Justice George Eilperin today rates as one of the greatest men in town with Dick Gifford, a newspaper mailer. The stern, respected, scholarly judge excused Dick from jury duty so that he might watch ‘his’ team ‘win’ the World Series. With heavy heart Dick appeared at 120 Schermerhorn St. this morning and handed in his jury notice with a clipping from the Brooklyn Eagle attached. It was explained how the 63-year-old one-time champ walker had planned six months in advance for this momentous affair. Dick had set his vacation for World Series time, and with sublime faith in the Dodgers, bought a season ticket to be assured of seats for the fall classic. Shortly after the pennant was clinched came the sad notice that civic duty was calling instead. All this he told the judge, who had a room full of prospective jurors quavering after his stern lecture about the responsibility of performing their duty. ‘I knew it wasn’t even a good excuse,’ Dick explained. ‘But I reminded the judge I wasn’t trying to skip out. I just wanted a delay. I assured him the series wouldn’t go seven games and would he put it over to Oct. 5.’ To the pleader’s great ‘amazement,’ the judge looked down and replied: ‘I hope you’re right. Be here next Monday.’”

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Hilary Duff
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Janeane Garofalo
Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “And God Created Woman” star Brigitte Bardot, who was born in 1934; “Eight Men Out” director John Sayles, who was born in 1950; “Supreme Courtship” author Christopher Buckley, who was born in 1952; Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Largent, who was born in 1954; Dokken guitarist George Lynch, who was born in 1954; “Reality Bites” star Janeane Garofalo, who was born in 1964; Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino, who was born in 1967; “The Ring” star Naomi Watts, who was born in 1968; former N.Y. Knicks point guard Jose Calderon, who was born in 1981; basketball player Emeka Okafor, who was born in 1982; and “Lizzie McGuire” star Hilary Duff, who was born in 1987.

Mira Sorvino
Rob Latour/Invision/AP

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QUEEN OF THE COURT: Alice Marble was born on this day in 1913. The California native won 18 Grand Slam tennis titles from 1936 to 1940 and was the Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 1939 and 1940. During World War II, she was a spy for U.S. intelligence and was shot in the back. In 1950, she contributed to the desegregation of tennis when she voiced support for Althea Gibson. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1964 and died in 1990.

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KING OF THE DIAMOND: On this day in 1941, Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox had a batting average of .400. Rather than sit out a doubleheader to protect the milestone on the season’s last day, he played both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics. He went 4-for-5 in the first game and 2-for-3 in the second game to finish with a .406 average. He is the last player to hit .400 or higher in a season.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

 

Quotable:

“I know very few Americans, though I like the way they think. They think big.”

— actress Brigitte Bardot, who was born on this day in 1934

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