clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Baseball history unpacked, July 3

Offensive explosions galore, one day early, Jenny’s got your number(s), and other stories

Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Devil Rays - August 1, 2006

... 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:

  • 1929 - The Cubs and the Reds become the first teams to turn nine double plays in a major league contest collectively. Chicago, responsible for five of the twin killings, beats Cincinnati at Wrigley Field, 7-5. (1)

Box score.

  • 1939 - Cardinal first baseman Johnny Mize accumulates 13 total bases, hitting two home runs, a triple, and a double. The ‘Big Cat’s’ offensive output contributes to the Redbirds’ 5-3 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. (1)

Box score.

  • 1945 - At Braves Field in Boston, the Cubs tally the most runs in their post-1900 history when they blast the Braves, 24-2. Phil Cavarretta, Don Johnson, and Stan Hack each score five times, tying a major league mark. (1)

Box score.

The five round-trippers tie a major league record for home runs hit by two teams in the same inning, but the barrage marks the first time the feat occurs in the opening frame. (1)

Box score.

  • 1970 - At Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Gene Alley and Roberto Clemente each hit two homers to help the visiting Bucs outlast their hosts, 16 - 14. This slugfest also numbers a game-tying, 2nd-inning grand slam by Chicago’s Billy Williams among its 8 homers and 70 total bases. Mother Nature, however, has to get a good deal of credit for the day’s offensive production; clearly, the “Windy City” has earned its sobriquet today. “It blew fourteen miles per hour toward center,” reports The Chicago Tribune, “prompting Clemente to all but apologize for his first homer.” “I just tapped the ball,” Clemente tells The Post-Gazette. “There was no way that ball should have gone out of here. The wind was blowing to left, to center, to right. Everywhere it was blowing, it was for the hitter.” (3)

Box score.

Sources:

Thanks for reading.