Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and baseball history

Baseball history unpacked, May 27

Lenny Randle’s shining moment, Jon Lester puts up zeroes, and other stories.

By Duane Pesice@moderan13 May 27, 2019, 6:00am CDT

... 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:

1880 - Fred Goldsmith of the Chicago White Stockings shuts out the Buffalo Bisons, 11-0, on two hits. Chicago extends its winning streak to 13 games, to set a new National League record. (3)
1904 - Dan McGann of the New York Giants collects five stolen bases in one game against the Brooklyn Superbas to set a major league record, a feat not duplicated until August 24, 1974, by Davey Lopes. Otis Nixon eventually will set a new mark with six stolen bases on June 16, 1991. (1,3)
1968 - Major League Baseball expands outside the confines of the United States as the National League announces expansion for the first time in seven years, awarding franchises to Montreal as well as San Diego, to begin play next season. (1,3)
1981 - After Lenny Randle drops to his hands and knees in an attempt to ‘encourage’ Amos Otis’ slow roller to go foul, umpire Larry McCoy accuses the Mariner third baseman of blowing the ball foul. Randle’s explanation that he was merely yelling at the ball not to stay fair is initially convincing until Royals’ manager Jim Frey complains. (1)

Box score.

1984 - Mario Soto, Cincinnati’s starting pitcher, is ejected from the game when he shoves Steve Rippley, the third base umpire who called Ron Cey’s foul ball down the left field line a home run. Although the decision will be reversed, the Reds’ right-hander will also attack Cubs coach Don Zimmer, prompting National League president Chub Feeney to suspended the fiery fireballer for five games, the first of the two suspensions he will be given this season. (1)

Box score.

1984 - “How do you fine a bat boy?” - William Cutler, president of the Pacific League.

Portland Beavers bat boy Sam Morris is thrown out of a game by umpire Pam Postema for refusing to retrieve a folding chair that his ejected manager Lee Elia had hurled into right field during an animated tirade. The 14 year-old junior high school student, who declined to follow the arbitrator’s directive out of loyalty to his skipper, will not have to pay the $25 fine, which is usually automatic for being tossed from a PCL game. (1)

2015 - Cubs pitcher Jon Lester sets a new record for most hitless at bats from the start of a career by going 0 for 2 in a game against the Nationals. Coming into the game, he had been tied with Joey Hamilton with 57 fruitless at-bats. (3)

Box score.

2017 - “We are honored to pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of Homer at the Bat.The Simpsons has left an impressive imprint on our culture as the longest-running American sitcom, and ‘Homer at the Bat’ remains as popular today as when the episode aired in 1992. “ - Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson, commenting about the Cooperstown celebration of the animated series.

The Baseball Hall of Fame inducts fictional cartoon character Homer Simpson as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Simpsons episode ‘Homer at the Bat.’ As part of the ceremony, a roundtable discussion of the much-beloved episode includes comments by real Hall-of-Famers Wade Boggs and Ozzie Smith, who played themselves on the animated show, as well as executive producers Al Jean and Mike Reiss, director Jim Reardon, executive story editor Jeff Martin and casting director Bonnie Pietila. (1)