Baseball history unpacked, July 20

A Cubs-centric look at baseball’s past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along as we view selected moments gleaned from the rich pageant of Major League Baseball history. No graphs or advanced metrics were harmed during the commission of these articles.

Today in baseball history:

• 1933 - Babe Herman hit three home runs, including a grand slam, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 10-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field. (2)

Box score. Bud Tinning was the beneficiary of Herman’s largesse, but also threw a complete game with two BBs and 5 SO against a good Phillie team that included Chuck Klein. That Cubs team was fully loaded, though, on the way to an 86-victory season, good for third place. Charlie Grimm managed and played first base.

• 1969 - At Connie Mack Stadium during the top of the third inning of the nightcap against the Cubs, play is halted with the two teams moving silently to their respective baselines to look skyward as the Phillies’ crowd is informed that word has been sent from Neil Armstrong to Mission Control in Houston that the Eagle had landed on the moon. The game will resume after a recording of Kate Smith’s rendition of “God Bless America” is played and a prayer is said for the astronauts over the loudspeaker. (1)

Box score. That was also a terrific pitchers’ duel between Fergie Jenkins and Grant Jackson, which the Cubs won 1-0, with Ron Santo driving Don Young in for the game’s only run.

• 2004 - At Wrigley Field, Albert Pujols goes 5-for-5, including three home runs and five RBIs, as the Cardinals beat their Central Division rivals Cubs, 11-8. The Redbird first baseman’s first career three-homer game helps St. Louis to erase a six run deficit. (1)

Box score. LaTroy Hawkins gave up long balls to Pujols and Reggie Sanders after Kyle Farnsworth blew the lead, thereby negating the heroics of Derrek Lee, Michael Barrett, and Aramis Ramirez, who all went deep.

• Cubs birthdays: Gary Woods, Jake Fox, Matt Szczur, Duane Underwood, Jr. Also notable: Heinie Manush (HoF).

Sources:

• (1) — The National Pastime.
• (2) — Today in Baseball History.
• (3) — Baseball Reference.
• (4) — Society for American Baseball Research.

Please note that quotes may have been corrected for grammarical errata. Thanks for playing along.