Baseball history unpacked, August 12

... 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:

• 1876 - Chicago’s versatile Cal McVey has the unusual distinction of both pitching and catching in a 5 - 0 win over Cincinnati. The win goes to starter Al Spalding‚ his 10th straight win over the Reds.
• 1912 - Chicago Cubs owner Charles Murphy hints that the Cards and other clubs go easy against John McGraw’s Giants. Later Phils owner Horace Fogel‚ a former Giants manager whose ownership of the Phils is seen as a front for Murphy and financial backer Charles Raft of Cincinnati, OH, echoes the accusation and charges National League umpires with favoring the Giants. It will lead to Fogel’s being expelled from the NL.
• 1930 - With 40‚000 fans on hand at Wrigley Field‚ Dazzy Vance gives up 14 hits and walks 4 but strands 16 Cubs runners. With the game tied‚ 2 - 2‚ in the 11th Riggs Stephenson bounces a single to drive in the winning run. Brooklyn loads the bases in both the 9th and 10th but comes up dry; in the 8th Brooklyn adds up a triple by Babe Herman‚ a walk to Del Bissonette‚ and an Al Lopez single for zero runs.

Box score.

• 1970 - Judge Irving Ben Cooper rules against Curt Flood in his antitrust suit. Cooper says “Decisions of the Supreme Court are not lightly overruled... We find no general or widespread disregard of the extremely important position the player occupies... Clearly the preponderance of credible proof does not favor elimination of the reserve clause.” However the judge says changes in the reserve clause should be made through negotiation, but denies Flood damages. Flood will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, but in vain. (2,3)
• 1987 - At Veterans Stadium, Juan Samuel hits a lead-off triple to right field off Rick Sutcliffe in the Phillies’ 13-7 victory over Chicago. The Philadelphia second baseman’s three-bagger makes him the first player to reach double digits in doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases during his first four seasons in the major leagues. (1)

Box score.

• 1994 - Baseball suffers its eighth, and worst, work stoppage in 22 years. The 232-day player strike will lead to the cancellation of the World Series and the delayed opening of the 1995 season. Al will have more on this at 9:30 a.m. CT. (1)
• 2017 - The Cubs/Diamondbacks game ends on a bad call.

• 2018 - David Bote has a grand day.

• Cubs birthdays: Don Hurst, Charlie Gassaway, Bob Buhl, Ellis Burton, Dave Pavlas, Matt Clement, Ian Happ. Also notable: Christy Mathewson (HoF), Ray Schalk (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.