September 8: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1907, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The spread of infantile spinal paralysis, one of the most serious diseases of children, which has been causing much anxiety to the physicians of the New York Society for the Ruptured and Crippled in Manhattan, and likewise throughout the state and in Pennsylvania, has extended to Brooklyn and surrounding districts and several cases have been reported by physicians in the various boroughs during the past few days. The disease, which baffles physicians in its treatment and of which very little is known, has extended even as far as Jamaica, and Brooklyn physicians are giving the matter considerable attention. Of such moment and of so vital importance is the question considered, that at the next meeting of the Pediatric Society, made up of very prominent physicians who specialize in diseases of children, it is very probable that infantile spinal paralysis will be thoroughly discussed and efforts projected which may lead to its scientific consideration from a bacteriological standpoint.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1918, the Eagle reported, “Something absolutely new under the baseball sun is to have a pitcher lead his team in batting in runs. This is what happened on the Boston American League club this year, George Herman Ruth knocking in more tallies than any of his associates on the combination that is now clashing with the Cubs. The Babe hammered home 64, wrecking many a ball game and causing anguish to at least seven managers and possibly seventy pitchers. How many tallies Ruth would have driven in had he been allowed to hit the ball when he wanted to, no one knows — he must have been passed at least fifty times on purpose. Of the 64 runs driven in by Ruth during 1918, 57 came over the pan on solid blows, five on infield outs and two on sacrifice flies. One of the runs resulting from an aerial sacrifice by the man who practically batted the Red Sox to the championship was tallied by an athlete who was on second when the fly ball was caught. Frank Gilhooley of the Yankees made the catch and Everett Scott made the run.”
Brooklyn Boro
View MoreNew York City’s most populous borough, Brooklyn, is home to nearly 2.6 million residents. If Brooklyn were an independent city it would be the fourth largest city in the United States. While Brooklyn has become the epitome of ‘cool and hip’ in recent years, for those that were born here, raised families here and improved communities over the years, Brooklyn has never been ‘uncool’.