Baseball history unpacked, June 24

... 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:

• 1868 - The Forest Citys, an amateur team organized by the Forest City Baseball Club in 1865, endure a devastating defeat when they are pummelled by the Philadelphia Athletics, 85-11. A professional Forest City team will take the field next season, losing the first pro baseball game ever played in Cleveland when they drop a 25-6 decision to the Cincinnati Red Stockings at Case Commons. (1)
• 1894 - The Chicago Colts score five runs in the top of the 9th to take the lead over Baltimore, but the National League leaders respond with three runs in the bottom of the inning to claim an 11 - 10 win. (3)
• 1905 - Chicago Cubs rookie right-hander Ed Reulbach wins an 18-inning marathon duel with the Cards’ Jack Taylor, 2 - 1, in St. Louis. First baseman Frank Chancehas 27 putouts and two assists for Chicago. (3)
• 1948 - Salisbury Cardinals manager Gene Corbett, who was tossed from the game, instructs bat boy Paul Murrell to tell the umpire to “get in the game and keep your eyes open.” After relaying the message, the 13-year-old also gets ejected from the Class D Eastern Shore League contest. (1)
• 1977 - Bob Watson becomes the first player to complete a cycle in both leagues when he hits an eighth-inning RBI single, leading Houston to a 6-5 victory over San Francisco at the Astrodome. The 31-year-old first baseman, whose feat will be duplicated by John Olerud (Mets, 1997, and Mariners, 2001) and Michael Cuddyer (Twins, 2009, and Rockies, 2014), also collected a single, double, triple, and home run while wearing a Red Sox uniform in 1979. (1)
• 2011 - In their 5-1 interleague loss to the Rays at Minute Maid Park, the Astros become the first team to use three pitchers with the same last name in a single game. Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez is followed to the mound by Fernando Rodriguez in the seventh and eighth, with Aneury Rodriguez tossing a scoreless ninth frame. (1)
• Cubs birthdays: Jake Stenzel, Jack Katoll, Bill Hanlon, Rollie Hemsley, Ken Reitz, Doug Jones.

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.