Baseball history unpacked, October 23

... 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 - Jack Coombs wins his third game of the World Series when he goes the distance to beat the Cubs at Chicago’s West Side Grounds, 7-2. The A’s right-hander, in addition to winning Game 5 to give Philadelphia the world championship, also had complete-game victories in Games 2 and 3 of the Fall Classic. Eddie Collins had three hits, including two doubles, for the A’s. (1,2,3)

Box score.

• 1920 - The Chicago grand jury indictment adds the names of former featherweight boxing champ Abe Attell and baseball players Hal Chase and Bill Burns as go-betweens in the 1919 World Series scandal. Ed Cicotte, Joe Jackson, Lefty Williams and Happy Felsch sign confessions, which they will later recant. (2)
• 1974 - The Cubs trade sweet-swinging Billy Williams, a fixture at Wrigley Field for 16 years, to the Oakland Athletics for second baseman Manny Trillo and pitchers Darold Knowles and Bob Locker. (2,3)

The NY Times reported on this and preserved the file. It’s one of the 10 worst trades in Cubs history.

• 1984 - Rick Sutcliffe, who was 16-1 for the Cubs after arriving from Cleveland two days before the June 15 trading deadline, is a unanimous choice as National League Cy Young Award winner. (2,3)
• 2014 - After aggressively trying to sign their manager to a third contract extension, the Rays announce Joe Maddon has exercised an opt-out in his contract. During his nine-year tenure with Tampa Bay, a franchise perceived as perennial losers before his arrival, the popular skipper compiled a 754-705 record, leading the team to the playoffs four times, that included winning two AL East titles and one appearance in the World Series. (1)
• Cubs birthdays: Mike Sullivan, Solly Drake, John Lackey, Felix Doubront. Also notable: Jim Bunning (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.