Extreme Trivia: The Chicago Professional Sports Trivia They Do Not Want You To Know

Forward

When Brad asked me to write the forward for his book posthumously (posthumously for me, not for him, I have been dead since 1948) I did not hesitate, because I owe him a great deal.

As many of you know, I was called “Three Fingers Brown” because I lost three of my fingers in a farming accident. I really paved the way for Jim Abbott, a one handed pitcher that had a distinguished career pitching for the Chicago White Sox, among other teams, long after my death.

What many of you do not know, is that my Hall of Fame career, that included a stint with the Chicago Cubs from 1904-1912 and the Chicago Whales of the now defunct Federal league in 1915 (now the Miami Marlins, managed by my friend Ozzie Guillen) would not have been possible if not for Brad.

Brad was a finger donor, donating three of his fingers to me after the 1910 baseball season. Dr. Job, who later pioneered the “Tommy John” surgery, surgically attached Brad’s fingers to my pitching hand, allowing me to have a longer and more productive career. Such is Brad’s love of baseball.

Brads act of generosity started a long-term tradition among Cub fans, who ever since have been happy to give the finger to Cubs players.

Thanks Brad, and go Cubs!!