Today in 1908 - Cubs rained out, women are defeated by pants, and Happy Birthday MSG!

The Cubs were set to play Brooklyn today, but two separate rain storms forced a postponement. In other news, women are kept down by pants and MSG is invented.

The Cubs got rained out, and it was the groundskeepers that got hosed the most.

As fans were starting to arrive at the ballpark, a pretty significant rain storm blew through New York City. There had also been rain overnight, so that meant the ground was pretty well saturated. However, the largely immigrant labor force of the groundskeepers was asked to hustle out and try to get the field ready for the game.

After delaying the start an hour, the groundskeepers got to work, busted their butts, and miraculously got the field ready for the game to begin. Which it never did because right before the rescheduled start, a second rain storm blew in and ruined everything. Hey thanks for all that hard work ... it didn't mean squat!

The Cubs are off tomorrow, but will play a doubleheader the following day to make up today's rainout.

Thanks for nothing!

In other news, it was announced on this day by the Postmaster General that women were to be forbidden from being mail carriers. It was decided by acting Postmaster General Charles Grandfield that women simply could not become mail carriers. Why? Because they would have to ... gasp ... wear PANTS. The horror!!!!!

Grandfield said that "it would be decidedly embarrassing for [women] causing her to lose her womanly modesty."

Yes that's right ladies ... we strong strong men of 1908 simply could not let you face the shame and torture that comes with a pair of slacks. You little lady legs would surely whither away to nothing it we forced them to wear such a dastardly piece of clothing. We're doing this for your own good ... trust us!

Crying shame we had to wait a few more years before we could have awesome female mail carriers like Miz Emma Tisdale from Dukes of Hazzard ...

Nedra Volz was awesome

And one final note on this day in history in 1908 ... MSG was born. Happy Birthday MSG!

As any good fan of bastardized American "Chinese" takeout knows, what makes it so yummy is the copious amount of MSG that is sprinkled into your General Tso's chicken. Well you have Kikunae Ikeda to thank for that!

On this day in 1908, Ikeda discovered that the key ingredient of konbu, which is an edible kelp that is the foundation of many great Japanese dishes, was monosodium glutamate. Ikeda patented a process for manufacturing it, and MSG was born.

I can feel my feet swelling already

Say what you want about MSG, but Ikeda was a really smart dude and he essentially invented the umami taste bud on this day. I don't know about you, but I'm kinda jonesing for a little beef and broccoli just thinking about all this.

I'm hungry now

Anyway ... Pittsburgh beat New York today so the Cubs are now two games out, but take over second place because of the Giants loss. The Cubs are off tomorrow ... It's Sunday in 1908, a common day off in MLB. Doubleheader against Brooklyn the following day.

#cubsrain #msg #noequalrights