A wildly popular Cubs-centric look at baseball’s past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along as we review select scenes from the rich tapestry of Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball history.
Today in baseball history:
- 1918 - Cubs southpaw Lefty Tyler tosses a gem, beating the Reds at Wrigley Field, 1-0. The victory clinches the National League pennant for Chicago, which will end the season 10.5 games ahead of the second-place Giants. (1)
Box score. Hod Eller took the loss. Catcher Bill Killefer drove in the only run of the game.
- 1931 - In his second major league plate appearance, Chicago’s Billy Herman fouls a ball off his head and has to be carried off the field. The Cubs beat the Reds, 14-5.
Box score. Charlie Root got the win, going the distance for his 15th. Right fielder Vince Barton homered and drove in four runs. Hack Wilson, Charlie Grimm, and pinch-hitter Footsie Blair also went deep for the Cubs. Blair’s was an inside-the-park homer.
- 1966 - On a typically cool night, the Beatles play their final concert at Candlestick Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants. The ‘Fab Four’s performance on five-foot stage, which is located just behind second base surrounded by a six-foot high wire fence, is less than stellar due the ballpark’s inadequate lighting, poor acoustics, and the group’s growing disdain of doing live shows. (1)
- 1966 - Robin Roberts, getting the Cubs’ 4-2 win in relief, becomes the first and only pitcher to beat the Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta Braves. (1)
Box score. Pinch-hitter George Altman drove in the winning runs with a single in the 14th inning. Clay Carroll took the loss.
- 1989 - Trailing 9 - 0 after five innings, the Cubs rally to beat Houston, 10-9, in 10 innings at Wrigley Field. Rafael Ramirez drives in seven runs for the Astros, but the winning margin is provided by defensive replacement Dwight Smith. Smith comes in to play RF for Chicago and singles home a run in the 7th, throws out a runner at the plate in the 8th, ties the game with a sacrifice fly in the 8th, and singles in the game-winner in the 10th.
Box score. Paul Assenmacher finished up for the victory. Mike Bielecki gave up five earned runs in 4 innings, Dean Wilkins gave up three more. Calvin Schiraldi, Scott Sanderson, and Les Lancaster held the Astros down until the cavalry could arrive. Dave Smith gave up the winning run in one of the ost exciting games I’ve ever seen. The Cubs didn’t even score until the sixth. I had lost interest by then, and didn’t really start watching until Lloyd McClendon went deep in the bottom of the 7th. The Cubs tied the game in the 8th on a ground ball error, two passed balls, and some well-timed base hits.
- 2002 - Mark Bellhorn becomes the first National Leaguer and joins Carlos Baerga as the only other switch-hitter to homer from both sides of the plate in the same inning. The Cub infielder connects off southpaw Andrew Lorraine to start Chicago’s 10-run fourth-frame and then goes deep again with a three-run homer with two outs off Jose Cabrera in the team’s eventual 13-10 victory over the Brewers at Milwaukee’s Miller Park. (1)
Box score. Matt Clement was the beneficiary of the offensive fireworks. Francis Beltran and Kyle Farnsworth tried to blow the lead, but couldn’t, even though Richie Sexson hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 9th.
- 2012 - Thanks to official scorer Bob Rosenberg changing his ruling, Darwin Barney establishes a National League single-season record when he plays in his 114th straight errorless game at second base in the Cubs’ 3-1 loss to Milwaukee at Wrigley Field to break the mark set by David Eckstein, who had accomplished the feat playing for the Padres in 2010. After Barney originally received an error for his toss to Luis Valbuena, the retired sportswriter changed his mind, giving the error to the third baseman for mishandling the throw. (1)
Box score. Barney also drove in Bryan LaHair with the Cubs’ only run. Jeff Samardzija took the loss for the Cubs, his 12th against 8 victories, giving up two earned runs in seven full innings. Mike Fiers won his 8the for the Brew Crew.
- Cubs birthdays: Ensign Cottrell, Dave Cole, Henry Blanco, Anthony Recker, Logan Watkins,
Sources:
- (1) — The National Pastime.
- (2) — Today in Baseball History.
- (3) — Baseball Reference.
- (4) — Society for American Baseball Research.
Please note that lines may have been corrected for spelling and/or grammarical errata. Thanks for playing along.