The time Jake Arrieta* was from another planet, and other stories.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.
“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.
Today in baseball history:
- 1911 – Cy Young, at age 44, beats the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-0, for his 511th and final major league victory. (1,2)
- 1961 – Jim Gentile hits his fifth grand slam of the year to tie the major league record established in 1955 by Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks. Each of the Orioles first baseman’s four-run homers has come with Chuck Estrada pitching for Baltimore. (2)
- 1968 – Cesar Tovar plays one inning at each position for the Minnesota Twins, becoming only the second major leaguer in history to do it. Bert Campaneris of the Oakland Athletics was the first, earlier in the season. (1,2)
- 1969 – Willie Mays joins Babe Ruth in the 600-homer club with a blast off Mike Corkins while batting for rookie George Foster. Bobby Bonds sets a Major League record with his 176th strikeout as San Francisco beats San Diego 4-2. (1,2)
- 1987 – Chicago sends P Dickie Noles to the Tigers for a player to be named later. Next month, the right-handed pitcher will be returned to the Cubs as that player to be named later. (2)
- 1990 – Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs steals his 300th base in an 11-5 loss to the New York Mets, becoming only the second player in major league history with 300 home runs, 300 steals and 2,000 hits. Willie Mays is the other. (1,2)
- 2002 – Chicago first baseman Fred McGriff becomes the first player to hit 30 home runs in a season for five different teams (Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays and Cubs). The “Crime Dog’s” first-inning PNC Park poke also sets a record for being the 42nd major league park in which he’s gone yard, one more than Ellis Burks. (2)
- 2008 – The Mets fall to one game up in the wild card race, losing 9-5 to the Cubs. Chicago clinches home field advantage for the postseason. Pitcher Jason Marquis hits a grand slam and drives in five in the win. It is the second grand slam by a pitcher off New York hurlers this year, the first team since the 1977 Cubs to allow two such slams. Jon Niese takes his first major league loss. (2)
- 2015 – Jake Arrieta* of the Cubs becomes the first 20-game winner in the major leagues this year when he defeats the Brewers, 4-0, becoming the first Cubs pitcher to reach the mark since Jon Lieber in 2001. 3B Kris Bryant sets a club record for a rookie by belting his 26th homer. (2)
Cubs Birthdays: Doc Marshall, Harry Walker, Harry Bright, Lou Johnson, Mark Guthrie. Also notable: Bob Lemon HOF, Tommy
Lasorda HOF.
Today in History:
- 66 – Roman Emperor Nero creates the Legio I Italica, a legion of soldiers all over six feet tall.
- 1499 – Switzerland becomes an independent state.
- 1692 – The last eight people – Martha Corey, Margaret Scott, Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Wilmott Redd, Samuel Wardwell, and Mary Parker – are hanged for allegedly practicing witchcraft as a result of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts Bay Colony; 19 are hanged overall, with six other deaths caused by the hysteria.
- 1920 – Chicago grand jury convenes to investigate charges that eight White Sox players conspired to fix the 1919 World Series.
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 help update the records and have documentation of why.
