Baseball history unpacked, July 30

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 - Dizzy Dean sets a modern major league record, striking out 17 Cubs. Cardinal teammate Jimmie Wilson, the club’s catcher, also sets a new mark by recording 18 putouts. (1)

Box score. Dean beat Cubs hurler Guy Bush. He was also 3 for 4 at the plate, with two doubles, driving in two runs.

• 1943 - Phil Cavarretta of the Chicago Cubs homers off the RF foul pole against Johnny Allen of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The ball is retrieved and Bill Nicholson hits the next pitch out of Wrigley Field. The result: one ball, one pitcher, two pitches, two home runs. The Cubs go on to beat the Dodgers, 13 - 2. (3)

Box score. Swish drove in 5 that day. Hiram Bithorn got the win, his 13th, over Allen, throwing a complete game. Cavarretta and Nicholson also hit a double each.

• 1966 - In the fifth season of the franchise’s existence, the Mets experience their first winning month when they beat Chicago at Shea Stadium, 6-3. (1)

Box score. Dick Ellsworth took the loss, his 17th, with Dennis Ribant earning the complete-game victory. Billy Williams doubled, Ernie Banks homered, and Ron Santo drove in a run with a base hit. Two of the Mets’ runs were unearned, due to fielding errors by Glenn Beckert and Don Kessinger.

• 1980 - During a workout at the Astrodome, Houston hurler J.R. Richard, who had complained on several occasions about a dead feeling in his arm, suffers a stroke attempting to throw for the first time since being hospitalized for tests. Emergency surgery is performed to remove a blood clot behind his right collarbone, but the Astros’ fireballer will never pitch in the major leagues again. (1)
• 1989 - Mark Grace belts a two-out three-run homer off Rick Aguilera to give the Cubs a 6-4 win over the Mets. Les Lancaster is the winner as the Cubs sweep three from the Mets. (3)

Box score. Lancaster got the victory over reliever Rick Aguilera after Mitch Williams blew the save by allowing pinch-hitter Keith Hernandez to drive in two runs with a single and then wild-pitched pinch-runner Ron Darling to second. Jerome Walton was on base when Grace hit his game-winning drive.

• 2001 - The Cubs get P David Weathers and P Roberto Miniel from the Brewers for P Ruben Quevedo and OF Peter Zoccolillo. (3)
• 2003 - The Cubs obtain center fielder Doug Glanville from the Rangers in exchange for cash and outfielder/first baseman prospect Jason Fransz, who will not appear in a major league game. (1)
• Cubs birthdays: Tod Brynan, Bill Merritt, Bill Moisan, Steve Trout, Scott Fletcher, Todd Haney, Calvin Murray, Oswaldo Mareina, . Also notable: Casey Stengel (HoF). (3)

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 spelling and/or grammarical errata. Thanks for playing along.