A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday, Rodney Scott! 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, 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:
- 1912 – Fred Snodgrass drops a fly ball in the 10th inning that helps the Boston Red Sox score two runs and take the World Series from the New York Giants in eight games, including one tie. (1,2)
- 1921 – In defiance of a Kenesaw Mountain Landis ban on World Series participants playing post-season exhibitions, Babe Ruth, Bob Meusel and Bill Piercy launch a barnstorming tour in Buffalo. Five days later, they cut it short in Scranton. In the meantime Ruth openly challenges Judge Landis to act. The judge does, fining the players their World Series shares ($3,362.26), and suspending them until May 20th of the following season. Judge Landis also outlaws gentleman’s agreements and cover-ups of players optioned to the minors without proper paperwork. He declares six players free agents, including Heinie Manush, who will ride a 17-year career .330 batting average into the Hall of Fame in 1964. (2)
- 1960 – In its first structural change since 1900, the National League votes to admit Houston and New York into the Senior Circuit. The two expansion teams will begin play in 1962. (1,2)
- 1974 – Pitcher Ken Holtzman, who hasn’t batted in the regular season because of the designated hitter rule, belts a third-inning home run off Andy Messersmith in Game 4 and gets the 5-2 victory. Rollie Fingers holds the Dodgers in relief and Oakland takes a 3-1 Series lead. Holtzman will remain the last pitcher in American League history to hit a home run at home until two-way player Shohei Ohtani rewrites the record book in the 2020s. (1,2)
- 2016 – The Dodgers even the NLCS at one win apiece with a 1-0 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Adrian Gonzalez accounts for all the offense with a solo homer off Kyle Hendricks in the second inning, while Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen combine on a two-hitter. (2)
- 2019 – The Angels hire Joe Maddon, who spent 31 years in their organization before managing the Rays and Cubs, as their new manager, replacing Brad Ausmus. (2)
Cubs Birthdays: Milo Allison, Rodney Scott, Kurt Seibert. Also notable: Goose Goslin HOF.
Today in History:
- 1579 – Francis Drake sights land in the Philippines after crossing the Pacific Ocean aboard the ‘Golden Hind.’
- 1600 – Olivier van Noort’s Dutch ships reach the Philippines during their circumnavigation of the world.
- 1813 – Battle of Leipzig, the largest battle in Europe prior to World War I, sees Napoleon’s forces defeated by Prussia, Austria, and Russia.
- 1882 – The Nickel Plate Railroad opens for business.
- 1943 – Chicago Mayor Ed Kelly opens the city’s new subway system.
- 1968 – Americans Tommie Smith (gold) and John Carlos (bronze) famously give the Black Power salute on the 200m medal podium during the Mexico City Olympics to protest racism and injustice against African Americans.
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.
- For world history.
*pictured.
Some of these items spread from site to site without being verified. That is exactly why we ask for reputable sources if you have differences with a posted factoid. We are trying to set the record as straight as possible. But it isn’t brain surgery.
Also, the ‘history’ segment is highly edited for space and interest. Of course a great many other things happened on those days. We try to follow up on the interesting or unfamiliar ones.
Thanks for reading.