Happy birthday to Henry Blanco* and other former Cubs.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, with plenty of the lore and various narratives to follow as they unfold over the course of time. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along.
“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly .
Today in baseball history:
- 1908 – In Chicago, the Cubs beat the Giants again, 3-2, to record their eighth straight win. It is Three Finger Brown besting Christy Mathewson again, allowing five Giants hits and giving up six walks. (2)
- 1914 – In Chicago, the Giants split with the Cubs, Rube Marquard losing the opener, 1-0, and Christy Mathewson, topping Bert Humphries in the second game, 7-5. The Giants waive Hooks Wiltse, ending his 11 years with the team. Hooks will pitch for the Brookfeds next season. (2)
- 1918 – The Chicago Cubs won the National League pennant with a 1-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. (1)
- 1930 – In the Cubs’ second successive extra-inning game, Pat Malone beats Burleigh Grimes, 9-8, in 13 innings, to halt the Cardinals’ nine-game win streak. With captain Charlie Grimm out of the lineup with a spike wound, the Cubs sign George Kelly, released a month earlier by Reds. (2)
- 1931 – In his second major league plate appearance, Chicago’s Billy Herman fouls a ball off his head and has to be carried off the field. The Cubs beat the Reds, 14-5. (1, 2) Also on this list.
- 1965 – Giants centerfielder Willie Mays breaks former Pirate Ralph Kiner‘s record for home runs in the month of August when the “Say Hey Kid” connects for his 17th round tripper in an 8-3 victory over the Mets. (1,2)
- 1966 – Getting the Cubs’ 4-2 win in relief, Robin Roberts becomes the first and only pitcher to beat the Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves. The future Hall of Famer gained his third career big league victory against the Boston Braves on Independence Day in 1948. (2)
- 1969 – Bill Hands pitches the Cubs to a 2-1 win over Atlanta and is helped by two spectacular catches by Oscar Gamble in the 9th. The Cubs’ lead stands at 3.5 games. (2)
- 1977 – The Cardinals’ Lou Brock steals two bases in a 4-3 loss to the Padres. It is career steal 893 for Brock, breaking Ty Cobb‘s modern record. (1,2)
- 1989 – Trailing 9-0 after five innings, the Cubs rally to beat Houston, 10-9, in 10 innings at Wrigley Field. Rafael Ramirez drives in seven runs for the Astros, but the winning margin is provided by defensive replacement Dwight Smith. Smith comes in to play RF for Chicago and singles home a run in the 7th, throws out a runner at the plate in the 8th, ties the game with a sacrifice fly in the 8th, and singles in the game-winner in the 10th. (2)
- 2002 – At Milwaukee’s Miller Park, Mark Bellhorn becomes the first National Leaguer and joins Carlos Baerga as the only other switch-hitter to homer from both sides of the plate in the same inning. The Cub infielder connects off southpaw Andrew Lorraine to start Chicago’s 10-run fourth inning and then goes deep again with a three-run homer with two outs off Jose Cabrera. (2)
Cubs Birthdays: Ensign Cottrell, Dave Cole, Henry Blanco*, Anthony
Recker, Logan Watkins. RIP: 2001 – Dick Selma, pitcher (b. 1943).
Today in History:
- 1526 – Battle of Mohács: In a decisive battle, the Kingdom of Hungary is conquered by the Ottoman Empire led by Suleiman the Magnificent.
- 1569 – Gilbert Kennedy, Scottish Earl of Cassilis, roasts the administrator of Crossraguel Abbey, Alan Stewart, over an open fire at Castle Dunure to obtain Abbey lands; it works after two turns of the spit.
- 1831 – Michael Faraday demonstrates the first electric transformer.
- 1898 – The Goodyear tire company founded.
Common sources:
- (1) — Today in Baseball History.
- (2) — Baseball Reference.
- (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
- (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
- (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
- (6) — Wikipedia.
- (7) — The British Museum.
- For world history.
*pictured.
Things are as near to the truth as we can get them. Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, so that we can correct the record, if need be, and have some record of why we did so.
