Baseball history unpacked, October 18

... 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:

• 1910 - At Shibe Park in Philadelphia, the Athletics pound the Chicago Cubs, 9-3, for a 2-0 lead in the World Series. Eddie Collins collects three hits, including two doubles and two stolen bases. Jack Coombs tossed the complete-game victory against Mordecai ‘Three -Finger’ Brown. (2,3)

Box score.

• 1932 - The Baseball Writers Association of America MVP awards are announced, with Jimmie Foxx winning in the American League and Chuck Klein in the National League. (3)
• 1967 - Avoiding a protracted legal battle, the American League owners grant Charlie Finley permission to move the Kansas City Athletics to Oakland, California, in time for the start of the 1968 season, Also, the AL announces a new team, which become known as the Pilots, will play in Seattle, an ill-advised decision given the fact that new owners will prove to be under-financed. (1,3)

Read Jim Bouton’s Ball Four or Carson van Lindt’s The Seattle Pilots Story for the full story. Here’s a nice writeup.

• 2005 - The Montreal Canadiens pay tribute to the departed Expos team by raising a commemorative banner to the rafters of Montreal’s Bell Centre. Displaced mascot Youppi, working in his first game for the NHL team, and former players Gary Carter and Andre Dawson are on hand to assist in the hoisting of the blue and orange banner that features their retired numbers, 8 and 10, respectively, as well as the numbers for Tim Raines (30) and Rusty Staub (10). (1)

• 2015 - In Game 2 of the NLCS, the Mets get to Jake Arrieta with three first-inning runs, one on a double by David Wright, and two on a homer by Daniel Murphy, to win, 4-1, over the Cubs. Rookie Noah Syndergaard is the winner. (3)

Box score. You didn’t really want video, did you?

• 2017 - The Cubs avoid elimination by winning Game 4 of the NLCS, 3-2, over the Dodgers. All five runs are the result of solo homers: for Chicago, a monster blast that travels almost 500 feet by Willson Contreras, and two by Javier Baez, all against Alex Wood, and replies by Clay Bellinger and Justin Turner for Los Angeles. Jake Arrieta is the winner and Wade Davis gets credit for the save. (3)

Box score.

• Cubs birthdays: Cliff Carroll, Walt Wilmot, Hans Lobert, Sumpter Clarke, Don Young, Allen Ripley. Also notable: Candy Cummings (HoF).

Sources:

• (1) — The National Pastime.
• (2) — Today in Baseball History.
• (3) — Baseball Reference.
• (4) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (5) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (6) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.

Thanks for reading.