A M-W-F digest, replete with #Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB content, gathered from reputable sources. Happy birthday, Lenny Harris, the first World Series game at Wrigley Field in 71 years, 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:
- 1953 – Red Barber resigns from the Brooklyn Dodgers broadcast booth and takes a job with the rival New York Yankees. (1,2)
- 1954 – Major League Baseball owners vote down the sale of the Philadelphia Athletics to a hometown syndicate. A week later, Arnold Johnson will buy a controlling interest in the Athletics from the Mack family for $3.5 million and move the team to Kansas City. (1,2)
- 1958 – In San Francisco, construction begins on the new ballpark for the Giants. The rocks in the area resemble candlesticks. (1,2)
- 1968 – Future Hall of Famer Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals wins his first Cy Young Award. Gibson is a unanimous choice after dominating hitters with a 22-9 record and an ERA of 1.12 during the “Year of the Pitcher.” (2)
- 1981 – Behind the solid pitching of Burt Hooton, the Los Angeles Dodgers complete a World Series comeback, defeating the New York Yankees, 9-2, in Game 6. The Dodgers had trailed the Series two games to none before bouncing back to win four straight games. Pedro Guerrero drives in five runs for Los Angeles, who avenge two six-game World Series defeats to the Yankees in 1977 and 1978. It is the third time this postseason Los Angeles comes from behind to win a series: they were 0-2 behind Houston in the NLDS and 1-2 behind the Expos in the NLCS. Guerrero, Ron Cey and Steve Yeager share the Series MVP Award. (2)
- 2013 – The Red Sox take a three-games-to-two lead in the World Series with a 3-1 win over the Cardinals. David Ortiz continues to be unstoppable at the plate, getting three more hits to increase his average for the Series to .733, while back-up C David Ross has the big blow, a tie-breaking ground rule double in the 7th. Jon Lester prevails over Adam Wainwright for the second time. (2)
- 2016 – In the first World Series game played at Wrigley Field in 71 years, the Indians eke out a 1-0 victory over the Cubs in Game 3 of the 2016 World Series. Pinch-runner Michael Martinez scores the only run in the seventh when he is driven in from third base by pinch-hitter Coco Crisp’s single. Cody Allen ends the game by striking out Ben Zobrist with two runners in scoring position. (2)
Cubs Birthdays: Ed McDonald, Bill McCabe, Percy Jones, George Hennessey, Luis Márquez, Lenny Harris*, Larry Casian, Esmailin Caridad, Justin Hancock.
Today in History:
- 1216 – Henry III aged nine is crowned King of England at Gloucester Cathedral after the death of his father King John (2nd coronation in 1220).
- 1420 – Beijing is declared the capital of the Ming dynasty under the Yongle Emperor.
- 1538 – The first university in the New World, the Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino, is established on Hispaniola.
- 1831 – Michael Faraday demonstrates his dynamo invention, an electrical generator.
- 1886 – Statue of Liberty is dedicated by President Grover Cleveland, celebrated by the first confetti (ticker tape) parade in New York City.
- 1919 – Volstead Act is passed by Congress, establishing prohibition despite President Woodrow Wilson’s veto.
- 1962 – Radio Moscow reports nuclear missiles in Cuba deactivated.
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.