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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 - Players on both sides threaten to strike the World Series unless they are guaranteed $2,500 to the winners and $1,000 each for the losers. They back off, however, when told they will appear greedy while their countrymen are fighting World War I. On the field, Hippo Vaughn comes back with two days of rest for the Cubs and blanks the Red Sox 3-0 in Game Five. (2)
Box score. Sad Sam Jones took the loss. All three of the Cubs’ runs scored on doubles. Left fielder Les Mann hit one in the top of the 4th, driving in shortstop Charlie Hollocher, and center fielder Dode Paskert hit one in the top of the 8th to drive in the other two runs.
- 1935 - Chicago beat the Braves, 4-0, behind Charlie Root, for their 7th straight win. Freddie Lindstrom is the batting star with a double and single to drive home a pair as Chicago stays a game behind the Cardinals and 1½ ahead of the Giants. (3)
Box score. Ben Cantwell went the distance for the loss. Root only allowed six hits.
- 1941 - Johnny Schmitz makes his major league debut and notches a victory by throwing only one pitch in the 9th inning of the Cubs’ 5-4 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Box score. Phil Cavarretta doubled and tripled, Lou Stringer doubled, and the Cubs improved to 62-75.
- 1963 - In the first inning of an 8-0 rout of the Cubs at Sportsman’s Park, Cardinals left fielder Stan Musial becomes the first grandfather in big league history to hit a home run. The 42 year-old new grandpa accomplishes the feat in his first at-bat since the birth of his grandson earlier in the day. (1)
Box score. Bob Gibson won his 17th over Glen Hobbie. Gibson also went deep in this contest.
- 1967 - At Candlestick Park, San Francisco hurler Gaylord Perry’s 40-inning team record consecutive scoreless streak comes to an end as the Cubs score an unearned run in the seventh inning of a 2-1 victory over Fergie Jenkins and the Cubs. (1)
- 1969 - At Shea Stadium, the Mets move into first place for the first time in their history. The Amazins, with their doubleheader sweep of Montreal, a 3-2 win in 12 innings in the opener and a 7-1 victory in the nightcap, take a one-game lead over the second-place Cubs, who dropped a 6-2 decision to the Phillies. (1)
- 1989 - Cubs rookie Steve Wilson strikes out 10 batters in five innings, and relievers add eight more to help beat the Cards 4-1. Fellow rookie Dwight Smith contributes a 2-run home run. Chicago leads St. Louis by 2½ games and Montreal by 4.
Box score. Scott Sanderson got the win in relief and Mitch Williams logged his 32nd save.
- Cubs birthdays: Mike Lynch, Kid Durbin, Marty Krug, High Pockets Kelly (HoF), Joe Kraemer, Chad Hermanson, Kameron Loe. Also notable: Randy Johnson (HOF).
Sources:
- (1) — The National Pastime.
- (2) — Today in Baseball History.
- (3) — Baseball Reference.
- (4) — Society for American Baseball Research.
Please note that individual lines may have been corrected for spelling and/or grammarical errata. Thanks for playing along.