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Happy birthday to Lance Johnson, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1970 – At Wrigley Field, it’s all Ron Santo today. Ron’s two-run homer in the opener gives the Cubs a 3-2 win over the Expos. In the nightcap, Santo drives in another eight runs on two homers and a bases-loaded walk as the Cubs win, 14-2, and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history
:- 1917 – Ty Cobb‘s hitting streak ends at 35 games as White Sox pitchers Red Faber and Jim Scott hold him hitless. His streak began May 31st. Cobb holds the American League mark of 40 straight games, set in 1912, but George Sisler will ring up 41 games in 1922.
- 1933 – At Chicago’s Comiskey Park, the first ever All-Star Game is played. Babe Ruth‘s two-run home run helps the American League defeat the Senior Circuit, 4-2. John McGraw comes out of retirement to manage the NL squad.
- 1980 – Steve Carlton (14-4) becomes the major leagues’ left-handed strikeout king, fanning seven Cardinals in a 8-3 Phillies win to bring his career total to 2,836. Mickey Lolich had held the record with 2,832.
- 2001 – The Indians defeat the Cardinals, 14-2. 1B Jim Thome hits three home runs and drives home six runs for Cleveland.
- 2010 – Alex Rodriguez hits the 21st grand slam of his career and adds a solo homer to bring his career total to 597 long balls. CC Sabathia wins his seventh consecutive start to improve to 11-3 on the year. A-Rod’s slam ties him with Manny Ramirez for second on the all-time list, two behind Yankee legend Lou Gehrig.
Today in Cubs history:
- 1932 – Cubs SS Billy Jurges is shot twice in his Chicago, IL hotel room by a spurned girlfriend, Violet Popovich Valli. In a scuffle for the gun, Jurges is hit in the shoulder and hand. Jurges fails to prosecute, and Valli will be signed to a 22-week contract to sing in local nightclubs and theaters. She is billed as “Violet (What I Did for Love) Valli – the Most Talked About Girl in Chicago.”
- 1958 – Cubs pitchers Dick Drott and Don Elston combine on a one-hit, 6-2 win over the Dodgers. Jim Gilliam‘s single in the 7th is the only Los Angeles safety.
- 1973 – Chicago Cub P Fergie Jenkins beats the Padres, 8-5, for his 13th straight win over San Diego. The streak began on May 12, 1969.
- 1980 – Cub relief pitchers hold the Pirates hitless for 12.2 innings but it goes for naught in a 5-4, 20-inning loss. Cliff Johnson‘s two-out homer in the ninth off Bert Blyleven ties it for Chicago. Jim Bibby (11-1) takes the win.
- 2001 – Playing in the 101st different park since 1876, the Cubs beat the Tigers in Comerica Park, 15-8. The Cubs win for the first time in Detroit in 56 years, dating back to Game 3 of the 1945 World Series when Claude Passeau threw a 3-0 shutout in Briggs Stadium.
Cubs Birthdays: Lance Johnson*, Frank Kellert.
Today in
history:
- 1776 – American Declaration of Independence announced on front page of “PA Evening Gazette”.
- 1853 – William Wells Brown publishes “Clotel,” the first novel by an African American.
- 1885 – Louis Pasteur successfully gives an anti-rabies vaccine to 9-year-old Joseph Meister, saving his life.
- 1928 – First all-talking motion picture shown in NY (Lights of New York).
- 1957 – John Lennon (16) and Paul McCartney (15) meet for the first time as Lennon’s rock group, the Quarrymen, perform at St. Peter’s Woolton Parish Church in Liverpool; mutual friend Ivan Vaughn introduces them.
- 1971 – White House Plumbers unit formed to plug news leaks.
- 2003 – Martina Navratilova claims her 20th all-time Wimbledon title as she and Leander Paes beat Andy Ram & Anastassia Rodionova 6-3, 6-3 in the mixed doubles final.
- 2022 – Dramatic day in British politics as more than 40 government ministers and aides withdraw their support from PM Boris Johnson and resign, a 24 hour record.
*pictured.
