Baseball history unpacked, May 31

... 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:

• 1869 - The first rainout involving a professional baseball team occurs when heavy rain postpones the Red Stockings’ tune up game against the Antioch Nine, a Yellow Springs, Ohio college team. Aaron B. Champion, Cincinnati’s owner, had been a student at the school in the 1850s. (1,3)
• 1927 - There is an unassisted triple play for the second consecutive day in the major leagues. During the 9th inning of a game at Tiger Stadium, Detroit first baseman Johnny Neun completes the rare play by catching a Homer Summa line drive, tagging Charlie Jamieson between first and second, and then touching second before Glenn Myatt can return. Detroit beats the Indians, 1 - 0. (1,3)
• 1948 - Tommy Lasorda, best known as the Dodgers’ Hall of Fame skipper, strikes out 25 batters and collects the game-winning hit when the Schenectady Blue Jays defeat the Amsterdam Rugmakers, 6-5, in 15 innings. The promising southpaw, who goes the distance in the CanAm minor-league contest played in McNearney Stadium, believes he probably threw more than 300 pitches during the game. (1)
• 1966 - Ron Santo establishes a National League record when he appears in his 364th consecutive game at third base. The Cubs infielder’s streak, which started on April 19, 1964, will end at 390 contests after he is struck in the face by a Jack Fisher pitch that fractures his cheek. (1)
• 1984 - Mario Soto is suspended for five days by N.L. president Chub Feeney for his role in a 32-minute melee that marred the Reds-Cubs game on May 27. After shoving third base umpire Steve Rippley, who had signaled that Ron Cey’s long fly ball was a three-run home run (it was later ruled foul), a bat-wielding Soto then tried to attack a park vendor who had thrown a bag of ice at him. Soto will be suspended again for five more days later in the season for his June 16 fight with Claudell Washington. (2)
• 1997 - Ila Borders becomes the first woman to play in a minor league game. The St. Paul Saints reliever gives up three runs to the Sioux Falls Canaries without recording an out, but will redeem herself the next day by striking out the side. (3)
• 1999 - After consulting a dugout TV monitor, Frank Pulli becomes the first umpire to use instant replay to make a call, changing Cliff Floyd’s fifth inning home run to a ground-rule double in the Marlins’ 5-2 loss to the Cardinals. After the Pro Player Stadium contest, the National League officials make it clear the use of technology should not have been used to reverse the call. (1)
• 2012 - At Coors Field, Carlos Gonzalez sets a franchise record and becomes the 22nd major league to hit a home run in his fourth straight at-bat. The Rockies outfielder’s first frame three-home run off Houston pitcher Bud Norris comes on the heels of CarGo’s three round-trippers in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings of yesterday’s contest. (1)
• Cubs birthdays: Bill Foxen, Kenny Lofton.

Sources:

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

Thanks for reading.