Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and baseball history

Baseball history unpacked, October 9

White Stockings, the first intracity World Series, The Black Sox, and other stories

By Duane Pesice@moderan13 Oct 9, 2019, 6:00am CDT

Divisional Round - Washington Nationals v Chicago Cubs - Game Three

... 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:

1894 - At Chicago’s Lake Front Park, Quaker (Phillies) outfielder and future manager Jack Manning hits three home runs in an 11-7 loss to the White Stockings. The Philadelphia outfielder is the first player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. (1)

1906 - Snow flies at Chicago’s West Side Park as the first one-city World Series opens with the 116-win Cubs heavy favorites. However, White Sox starter Nick Altrock outduels Three Finger Brown for a 2-1 victory as the visitors prevail in the first game. The 116-win Cubs had been heavy favorites going into the Series. (1,2,3)

Box score.

1907 - In Game 2 of the World Series, played at Chicago’s West Side Grounds, Tigers third baseman Bill Coughlin tags out Jimmy Slagle, who is leading off the base, using the hidden ball trick. The Cubs center-fielder is the first victim ever to be deceived about the location of the ball during the Fall Classic. Jack Pfiester pitches a complete game, though, as Cubs defeat Tigers 3-1 to take a 1-0 lead in the 1907 World Series. (1,6)

Box score.

1919 - With rumors spreading about a fix, the White Sox, after an ineffective start by Lefty Williams, are defeated 10-5 at Comiskey Park and drop the World Series to the underdog Reds, five games to three. Before the next season begins, eight Chicago players, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, will be barred from baseball for taking part in throwing the Series. (1,3)

Box score.

1938 - In the World Series, the Yankees become the first baseball team to threepeat when they sweep the Cubs (for the second time in Six years), beating them in Yankee Stadium 8-3 as Red Ruffing goes nine and posts his second victory of the Series. Tommy Henrich went deep for the home club. Bill Lee took the loss and Chicago catcher Ken O’Dea homered for the road team. (1,2,3)

Box score.

1989 - The Giants win their first National League pennant since 1962 by defeating the Cubs, 3-2, in Game 5 of the NLCS. Will Clark bats .650 in the series with eight RBI to win MVP honors over Mark Grace, who made an heroic effort in a losing cause as Andre Dawson’s knees sapped his power and he batted a dismal .105. Grace turned in a .647 batting average, with a homer and eight driven in, slugging 1.118. Ryne Sandberg also had a decent aeries, batting .400. Big Daddy Rick Reuschel got the win for the Giants. NBC broadcasts its final edition of the Game of the Week. (1,3)

Box score.

2015 - In the NLDS, John Lackey pitches 7⅓ innings of no-run, two-hit ball, making a 1-0 lead that he was staked to in the first inning hold. Unfortunately, the Cardinals add three runs in the bottom of the eighth, one on a pinch-hit homer by Tommy Pham and the rest on a two-run shot by Stephen Piscotty, and win 4-0 over the Cubs and Jon Lester. (3)

Box score.

2017 - Max Scherzer pitches no-hit ball until the seventh, when Ben Zobrist hits a one-out double for Chicago and then scores the tying run on a single by pinch-hitter Albert Almora. In the eighth, Anthony Rizzo bloops a hit between a trio of players in the outfield, allowing Leonys Martin to score from second, and the Cubs take Game 3 of the NLDS from the Nationals, 2-1. (3)

Box score.