December 8: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

December 8, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “CHICAGO (AP) — A few major league pilots and club owners still hoped to swing a few last-minute deals in the final hours of the deadest trading bee in years, though none of them was willing to bet a pair of shoestrings on it. Prosperity ruined the present ivory market. Everybody had money to spend for players, but the supply of good ballplayers was far under the demand. Moreover, not many owners want to sell until the end of the year for tax reasons. The Boston Red Sox, who did quite a bit of business here and at Milwaukee, landed a promising recruit last night by buying Ted Williams, 19-year-old outfielder, from the San Diego Padres. Ted, a husky six-footer, who has had but two years of pro baseball experience, hit only .292 last season for the Padres but slammed out 25 homers. Pacific Coast managers, here for the shopping tour, say he’s one of the greatest prospects in years. Both New York clubs, Detroit and Cleveland bid for him, but the Red Sox got him for cash, outfielder Dominic Dallesandro and infielder Al Niemiec.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “Showing today and tomorrow at the Dyker is ‘West of Shanghai’ and ‘Love Is on the Air.’ … ‘Love Is on the Air’ combines mystery, comedy and thrilling drama and uses a radio commentator as its leading character. It brings to the screen a brand-new leading man — a big, good-looking athletic lad named Ronald Reagan. In ‘Love Is on the Air’ Reagan takes a crack, over the air waves, at the crooked politicians of the town. One of them is sponsor for a profitable program and threatens to take it away. But by some high-class amateur detective work the commentator is able to round up the gang of crooks, including the politician mentioned, and so keeps his job and wins his girl. The romantic interest is carried by June Travis.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1941, the Eagle reported, “While war flared 6,000 miles away in the Pacific, Brooklyn and Long Island prepared defenses at vital port facilities, army and navy stations, utility and defense production plants and airports. Mayor LaGuardia placed New York City on a war footing. Japanese nationals were warned to stay off the streets or were rounded up by police. Sailors and soldiers returned to their posts as rapidly as they could be located. Coast Guard officials announced that mines or a submarine net will block all but a 2,000 foot channel through the lower bay. Protective devices will be installed in the bay between Norton’s Point, Coney Island, and Hoffman Island. The army followed with an announcement that several mine tenders have been turned over for duty with bases at Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook. Mayor LaGuardia coupled his duties as head of the city’s defense preparation with direction of national civilian defense moves. Following his order to all city air raid wardens to stand by to take their posts, he issued instructions to regional directors of the Office of Civilian Defense to get in touch with the Governors of their States with a view to drawing up intensified civil training programs.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — Gen. George C. Marshall faced detailed cross-examination today on his belief that Hawaiian defenses should have broken up the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Congress’ Pearl Harbor investigating committee scheduled a daylong Saturday session to speed up examination of the former army chief of staff. He plans to leave for China on a special diplomatic mission as soon as his testimony is completed. Marshall already has told the committee he believes the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941, could have been broken up if not completely stopped had the Hawaiian defenders been properly alerted. He said the forces on hand were adequate to do the job. He considered a Nov. 27 message he sent to Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short in command of the Hawaiian defenses ‘an adequate warning’ to be on the alert against surprise Japanese action. He didn’t recall whether he even saw Short’s reply that the post had been alerted only against sabotage, but added: ‘At any rate, that was my opportunity to intervene, which I did not do.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “It’s just a sign of progress in this topsy-turvy old world that daylight baseball is doomed. The National and American Leagues made what is virtually their final surrender yesterday at their Winter gatherings. Each league voted to give up the fight and permit the unlimited scheduling of night ball. A number of the citizens don’t like the capitulation to the forces of darkness, including the ballplayers themselves, declaring that it’s the invention of the devil. But night ball is a necessary evil, with costs steadily rising and the life blood of the farms being steadily drained away. The Detroit Tigers made one last desperate attempt to hold the after-dark games down to 14 for each of the 15 clubs — the Cubs have no lights — but were quickly voted down.”

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AnnaSophia Robb
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Butler (The Impressions), who was born in 1939; Oscar-winning actress Kim Basinger, who was born in 1953; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Phil Collen (Def Leppard), who was born in 1957; political commentator Ann Coulter, who was born in 1961; “Desperate Housewives” star Teri Hatcher, who was born in 1964; former N.Y. Yankees pitcher and Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Mussina, who was born in 1968; “Lost” star Dominic Monaghan, who was born in 1976; “Lost” star Ian Somerhalder, who was born in 1978; singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, who was born in 1979; former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers, who was born in 1981; rapper and actress Nicki Minaj, who was born in 1982; eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard, who was born in 1985; and “Soul Surfer” star AnnaSophia Robb, who was born in 1993.