Kiki Cuyler Chicago Cubs

Illustration of a man in a baseball uniform and cap on a green and white background with a yellow banner across teh bottom with black text on it

Born Hazen Shirley Cuyler on August 30th, 1898, Kiki Cuyler was an American Major League Baseball right fielder active between 1921 and 1938. Starting in 1921 Cuyler played for the Pittsburg Pirates, leading them to a World Series victory in 1925. In 1928 he was traded to the Chicago Cubs because of disputes with the Pirate's manager. Playing with Chicago for 7 seasons, in 1936 he signed with the Cincinnati Reds and played there for 2 seasons before spending his final season, 1938, with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Coaching in the minor leagues after his retirement, during the 1940s he coached for the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox until his tragic death at the age of 51 from a heart attack on Februrary 11, 1950. In 1968, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 1981 he was included in the book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time by Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig.

This button is part of the Orbit Gum baseball series, a 54-player set issued by Orbit Gum Company of Chicago starting in 1932. Orbit had a brand of gum known as “Tattoo” which issued the baseball series buttons.

Read more about the History of Cubs Buttons on the Busy Beaver blog.