Baseball history unpacked, July 10

... 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:

• 1911 - Sherry Magee, star OF for the Phillies, knocks out umpire Bill Finneran with one punch after being ejected for disputing a called third strike. He is suspended for the season, but upon appeal he will be reinstated after five weeks and 36 games. The Phils win, 4-2, behind Grover Cleveland Alexander, who strikes out 9. (1,3)

Box score. The Cubs beat the Giants in 10 that day, 3-2.

• 1911 - When umpire Bill Klem stops the Phillies-Cardinals contest to have an unruly fan banned from the Baker Bowl, the removal marks the first expulsion of a patron from a game. The standard practice at the time was to use bodyguards after the contest to protect the arbitrators, rather than risk the crowd’s ire by ousting one of their own. (1)
• 1934 - The second annual All-Star Game produces Carl Hubbell’s amazing feat of striking out five future Hall of Famers in a row. Off to a shaky start with two on base in the 1st inning, Hubbell uses his screwball to fan Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx. He adds Al Simmons and Joe Cronin to start the 2nd. After three scoreless innings he leaves with the National League ahead, 4 - 0. The American League rallies, scoring nine runs off Lon Warneke, Van Mungo and Dizzy Dean, while Mel Harder pitches five shutout innings in relief of Red Ruffing to hold the lead. Frankie Frisch and Joe Medwick hit homers. Earl Averill’s three RBI are decisive for the AL’s 9 - 7 victory.(1,3)

Box score.

• 1969 - The Cubs score five runs in the 5th inning to beat the Mets, 6 - 2, behind Bill Hands. The win halts the Mets’ seven-game win streak and leaves the New Yorkers in second place by four games. (3)

Box score.

• 1984 - At San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, Dodger southpaw Fernando Valenzuela and Mets rookie Dwight Gooden combine to strike out six consecutive American League All-Stars on the 50th anniversary of Carl Hubbell’s memorable 1934 Midsummer Classic performance of setting down five future Hall of Famers on strikes. Gooden, at the age of 19, becomes the youngest player ever to participate in an All-Star Game. (1)

Box score.

• Cubs birthdays: Bobby Lowe, Dutch Rudolph, Andre Dawson (HoF).

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.