Baseball history unpacked, August 7

... 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:

• 1906 - On John McGraw’s orders, umpire James Johnstone is refused admittance to the Polo Grounds, and the ump, standing outside the ballpark, forfeits the match to the Cubs. McGraw insists the game go on with a player from each team umpiring. McGraw picks reserve Sammy Strang, but Cubs manager Frank Chancerefuses to go along, pointing out the game has already been forfeited. (3)
• 1907 - Senators’ hurler Walter Johnson wins his first major league game, beating the Indians, 7-2. The 19 year-old right-hander will compile a 417-279 (.599) record, along with an ERA of 2.17, during his 21-year career. (1,3)
• 1911 - The match-up between Three Finger Brown and Christy Mathewson is something less than a pitching duel as Chicago bangs out 10 hits, including two singles, a double and a triple by Joe Tinker. Tinker also adds a steal of home. The Giants collect 13 hits, but Chicago wins the game, 8 - 6. (3)

Box score.

• 1982 - Jim Rice climbs into the Fenway Park stands from the dugout to assist a young boy who had just been hit in the head by a savage line drive foul off the bat of Dave Stapleton. The Red Sox slugger’s quick response of picking up the four year-old boy and running through the dugout to a waiting ambulance is credited with possibly saving the child’s life. (1)

• 1984 - The Cubs sweep a pair from the visiting Mets, winning 8 - 6 and 8 - 4. Rick Sutcliffe (9-1) beats Ron Darling (10-5) in the opener, benefiting from a six-run 5th inning. Keith Moreland hits a three-run home run and Ron Cey a two-run shot in the 5th. A five-run 4th in the second game propels Chicago to the win for reliever Tim Stoddard. Lee Smith notches his 25th save.

Box scores. Game one. Game two.

• 2001 - Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez ejects Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael from Wrigley Field when the former Chicago Bear football player is about to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch. McMichael, presently a pro wrestler, tells the crowd over the P.A. system “he’ll have a talk with the ump” concerning a close call made by Hernandez earlier in the game, and then bows and blows a kiss toward the ump. (1)

Angel Hernandez sets the record straight.

• 2004 - In less than a masterful performance, Greg Maddux pitches five innings to register his 300th victory when the Cubs beat the Giants, 8-4. The 38 year-old is the 22nd pitcher to reach the plateau and many believe may be the last to reach this coveted milestone. (1)

Box score.

• 2005 - In the battle of the Zambranos, the Mets’ Victor is victorious when he defeats Carlos and the Cubs at Shea Stadium, 6-1. In addition to sharing the same last name, the two Venezuelan pitchers, who are not related, also wear the same number (38), enter the game with the same number of career wins (41), play for teams which started the series with the same record (54-54), as well as being both switch hitters and throwing right-handed. (1)

Box score.

• Cubs birthdays: Adonis Terry, Don Larsen, Marc Pisciotta. Also notable: Bill McKechnie (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.