Baseball history unpacked, October 4

... 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 - The Cubs post their 116th victory of the season when they beat Pittsburgh at Exposition Park, 4-0. Chicago, who sets a major league mark for wins, completes the season with an astounding .763 winning percentage. (1)
• 1925 - For the first time in the 50-year history of the franchise, the Cubs end the season in last place. The team, managed by Bill Killefer (33-42), Rabbit Maranville (23-30), and George Gibson (12-14), compiles a 68-86 record and finishes 27½ games behind the first-place Pirates. (1) Interestingly, Charlie Grimm was on that team. Perhaps he learned what NOT to do.

Box score.

• 1935 - Game 3 WS At Wrigley Field, the Cubs get a two-run inning in the ninth to tie the game 5-5, but the Tigers win it in the 11th inning. Tigers lead the 1935 World Series 2 games to 1. (6)

Box score.

• 1972 - Billy Williams goes 1-3 to win batting title, .333. Unfortunately Barry Lersch outduels Bill Bonham and the Cubs succumb to the Phillies by a score of 2-1. (6)

Box score.

• 1989 - Will Clark goes 4 for 4 with six RBI and two home runs on four hits, including the first National League Championship Series grand slam since 1977, to lead the Giants to an 11-3 win over the Cubs in Game 1 of the NLCS. (2,3)

Box score.

• 2003 - The Cubs win their first postseason series victory since 1908 when the franchise won the World Series. In front of a standing-room crowd of 54,357 at Turner Field, Chicago beat the Braves in the deciding Game 5 of the NLDS, 5-1. (1)

Box score.

• 2007 - Game 2 NLDS: The Cubs had a promising start in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field when Geovany Soto hit a two-run home run in the second inning. But the lead didn’t last long as Ted Lilly struggled in the bottom of the second, giving up a three-run home run to Chris Young (remember when he threw his glove on the mound after this pitch?). Overall, Lilly gave up four runs in the inning and the Diamondbacks take a 2-0 series lead with an 8-4 victory. The series will move to Chicago and Wrigley Field for Game 3. (6)

Box score.

• 2008 - NLDS Game 3: In Game 3 of the NLDS, Hiroki Kuroda pitched a great game against the Cubs to win the NLDS clincher, 3-1 at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeat the Cubs 3 games to 0 to advance to the NLCS. (6)

Box score.

• Cubs birthdays: Ossie France, Jim Gardner, Bob Rhoads, Bob Kelly, Tony La Russa (HoF), Lary Sorensen, Billy Hatcher, Mike Walker, Bobby Scales.

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.