Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and baseball history

Baseball history unpacked, October 11

The Chalmers Awards, baseball and football, and other stories

By Duane Pesice@moderan13 Oct 11, 2019, 6:00am CDT

Photo of George CARLIN — Not Toledo window box anymore

... on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue brings a you 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. The embedded links often point to articles that pertain to the scenes, such as reproductions of period newspapers, images, and/or other such material as is often found in the wild.

Today in baseball history:

1906 - Ed Walsh of the Chicago White Sox pitches a two-hitter over the Chicago Cubs for a 3-0 victory and a 2-1 lead in the World Series. (3)
1911 - Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers and Wildfire Schulte of the Chicago Cubs win the newly established Chalmers Awards, which go to the league’s most valuable players. Cobb batted .420 with an American League-leading 127 RBI, while Schulte led the National League with 21 home runs and 107 RBI. Using a point system - 8 for a first-place vote, seven for second, and so on - the eight voting writers give Cobb the maximum 64 points. Winners receive Chalmers automobiles. (3)
1929 - The Cubs become the first National League team to win a Fall Classic contest since 1926 (when the Cardinals beat New York in Game 7). Chicago breaks the Senior Circuit’s ten-game World Series skid in Game 3 with a 3-1 victory over Philadelphia at Shibe Park. (1)

Box score.

1975 - As the first host of Saturday Night Live, George Carlin compares baseball to football in the opening monologue of the ground-breaking show. The comedian jokes the national pastime a gentler game, portraying the sport as one which is pastoral and played in a park as opposed to football, in which the objective is to march downfield and penetrate enemy territory in a stadium. (1)

2003 - In Game 4, the Cubs defeat the Marlins 8-3 to take a 3-1 lead in the NLCS. Dontrelle Willis walks three Cubs in the first inning in front of Aramis Ramirez, who clouts a grand slam to give the Cubs an early lead. Matt Clement pitches a strong 7⅔ innings to get the victory. (6)

Box score.

2016 - The Cubs clinch the NLDS thanks to a tremendous 9th-inning comeback in San Francisco. Trailing 5-2 and looking completely anemic against Matt Moore, they victimize a parade of five different relievers to score four runs in the fateful inning and take the lead; Aroldis Chapman then saves his third game of the series with a perfect ninth to send the Giants packing, ending their string of three consecutive World Series wins in even-numbered years. (3)

Box score.

2017 - The Nationals force a Game 5 in the NLDS by shutting out the Cubs, 5-0 at Wrigley Field. Stephen Strasburg pitches seven scoreless innings and leaves with a 1-0 lead, thanks to an unearned run against Jake Arrieta, then Michael Taylor deals the crushing blow with a grand slam off of Wade Davis with two outs in the top of the eighth. (3)

Box score.