What is the story about?
The First ‘Wave’ and other stories. Happy birthday to Juan Cruz*!
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:
- 1892 – On the last day the season, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bumpus Jones, in his first major league appearance, throws a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This will turn out to be the latest date in the season that a no-hitter is ever pitched in the major leagues. After that, Jones will pitch only one more season, in 1893, leading to a 2-4 career record with 10 strikeouts and a 7.99 ERA in 41.2 innings of labor. (2)
- 1910 – It’s the last day of the regular season in the National League, with the Cubs defeating the Cardinals, 4-1, a result of the league deciding to stretch out its calendar over two extra weeks. There has not been a regular season game played this late in the year since then. (2)
- 1917 – The Chicago White Sox capture the World Series when the New York Giants leave home plate uncovered, allowing Eddie Collins to score the winning run in a play that will become known as the “Zimmerman Chase”, after hapless Giants 3B Heinie Zimmerman who is unable to tag Collins before he touches the plate. (1,2)
- 1946 – In Game 7 of the World Series, Enos Slaughter scores all the way from first base on Harry Walker‘s double in the 8th inning, to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-3 victory and the World Championship over the Boston Red Sox. The play surprises everyone, including cut-off man shortstop Johnny Pesky who, as legend has it, hesitates throwing the ball home. (1,2)
- 1970 – For the third time, the Baltimore Orioles overcome a 3-0 deficit to bury the Cincinnati Reds, 9-3, and win the World Series in five games. Brooks Robinson easily wins the World Series MVP Award for his hitting and unbelievable fielding. (2)
- 1975 – Boston Red Sox Luis Tiant throws 163 pitches in winning his second game of the World Series against Cincinnati, 5-4, to even the Series after four games. (2)
- 2016 – The Cubs take the opening game of the NLCS, 8-4, over the Dodgers. The score is only 3-1 for the Cubs in the eighth, when a two-run, two-out single by Adrian Gonzalez off Aroldis Chapman ties it, but Chicago comes right back when pinch-hitter Miguel Montero hits a two-out grand slam off Joe Blanton, followed by a solo homer by Dexter Fowler. (2)
- 2017 – Justin Turner hits a three-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning to lead Los Angeles to a 4-1 win and a two-games-to-none lead over the Cubs in Game 2 of the NLCS. Turner also drives in his team’s first run in the 5th, negating a homer by Addison Russell. (2)
Cubs Birthdays: Don Carlsen, Bill Henry, Don Robertson, Juan Cruz*. Also notable: Jim Palmer HOF.
Today in History:
- 533 – Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Vandals.
- 1520 – King Henry VIII of England orders the installation of bowling lanes in his palace at Whitehall.
- 1522 – King of Spain Charles V names Hernán Cortés governor of Mexico.
- 1641 – Paul de Chomedy de Maisonneuve claims Montréal.
- 1705 – The English fleet under Lord Peterborough occupies Barcelona.
- 1860 – 11-year-old Grace Bedell writes to Abraham Lincoln telling him to grow a beard.
- 1981 Professional cheerleader Krazy George Henderson leads what is believed to be the first audience wave in Oakland, California.
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
- (8) 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.
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