Baseball historian to present program on book Sunday in History Museum on the Square

QUINCY — Prominent baseball historian and author Jack Bales will present a program on his book, “The Chicago Cub Shot for Love,” at 2 p.m. Sunday in the History Museum on the Square, 332 Maine. The Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County is the host of the program, which is free and open to the public.

The book follows the story of a showgirl’s crime of passion during the summer of 1932 when the Cubs and the Yankees were in the pennant race for the World Series. Principal players in the book are Violet Popovich, a showgirl, and Billy Jurges, a shortstop for the Cubs.

The book also highlights another interesting occurrence that summer: Babe Ruth’s “Called Shot” home run.

Bales, whose mother was from Quincy, has written several articles on the Chicago Cubs. He is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. He was awarded the McFarland SABR Baseball Research Award in 2017 for his research on the Cubs’ player’s shooting. He is also the author of “Before They Were the Cubs: The Early Years of Chicago’s First Professional Baseball Team,” a comprehensive history of the team.

Bales will be available following the program to meet attendees and sign copies of his book, which will be available in the History Shop in the Museum. The History Museum also will feature a temporary baseball exhibit with local, Cubs and Yankee artifacts.

Program sponsors include Dr. Tim Jacobs and Hansen-Spear Funeral Home. For questions, contact the HSQAC Office at 217-222-1835.