Here’s another photo sent to me by BCB reader Joe Coney. I sleuthed one of his scoreboard photos last weekend and this is another one.
So, what do we know about this photo? The Cubs are playing the Giants.
Again, as in the last photo, it has to be between 1978 and 1981, because the Chicago Sting soccer clock is below the board. (The Sting played at Wrigley from 1978-84, but after 1981 Tribune Co. put a message board beneath the scoreboard.)
No. 34 is the starting pitcher for the Cubs. Ray Burris wore that number in 1978 and 1979 and Randy Martz had it in 1980 and 1981. The No. 35 relief pitcher is no help, as the Cubs had pitchers with that number in 1978 (Woodie Fryman) and 1979-81 (Doug Capilla).
So I methodically looked at Burris’ and Martz’ game logs for the years in question. Burris wasn’t a match.
Martz was, and therein lies a tale. This game was played Thursday, June 11, 1981. That’s a significant date, because the 1981 players’ strike began the next day.
The Cubs had been an absolutely terrible team to begin 1981. They started 1-13, then were 4-19, 5-26 and 10-36 before winning five of their last six before the strike. Just getting hot, right?
The Cubs scored four in the first inning of this game, with RBI hits from Steve Dillard, Mike Lum and Ken Reitz (read those names and you’ll understand why the Cubs were so bad that year). Later, Jody Davis and Hector Cruz homered. Martz allowed five hits and one run in seven innings and the Cubs won the game 6-1.
Specifically, what we are seeing here: There are two out in the top of the eighth and No. 31 is batting for the Giants. That’s Enos Cabell, who was in his only year with the Giants after several good seasons in Baltimore and Houston. He’s down 0-1 in the count and eventually grounded to short.
Here is the full photo:
The third-base umpire visible is Steve Fields and off in the distance, the Cubs center fielder is Jerry Morales. And as you can see, there wasn’t much of a crowd — just 5,017 paid to see that game.
Just another little slice of Cubs history.
