Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and baseball history

Baseball history unpacked, September 18

Big Daddy wins his 20th, Sammy hits 60 again, Ryno’s natal anniversary, and other stories

By Duane Pesice@moderan13 Sep 18, 2019, 6:00am CDT

... 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:

1909 - Ty Cobb wins the Triple Crown with a .377 batting average, nine home runs and 107 RBI. He also leads the American League with 216 hits, 116 runs and 296 total bases. (2)
1928 - The Chicago Cubs and the Boston Braves combine for eight double plays (five for the Cubs, three for the Braves). A National League record at the time. The Cubs defeat the Braves 8-3 at Braves Field. (6)

Box score.

1929 - Cubs lose to the Giants 7-3 at Wrigley Field, but when the Pirates lose to the Braves, the Cubs clinch the NL pennant and a trip to the World Series. (6)

Box score.

1935 - With 30,000 fans watching at Wrigley Field, first-place Chicago tallies 20 hits in thrashing the Giants, 15 - 3. Charlie Root picks up the win, Chicago’s 15th straight.

Box score.

1970 - The Cubs sweep a doubleheader from the Montreal Expos in Jerry Parc. In game one, Fergie Jenkins gets the win for his 20th victory of the season and Billy Williams hits his 40th home run of the season. (6)

Box scores. Game one. Game two.

1975 - Mets slugger Dave Kingman, in a 7-5 victory over Chicago at Shea Stadium, hits his 35th homer to set a new franchise record for round-trippers in a season. The previous mark was set by Frank Thomas in 1962, the team’s first year in existence. Not to be outdone, Rusty Staub becomes the first Mets player in the 14-year history of the franchise to drive in one hundred runs in a season, with a two-run blast in the fifth inning. (1,3)

Box score.

1977 - After losing five of his last six decisions, Chicago’s Rick Reuschel notches his 20th victory, beating the Mets, 6 - 5. Reuschel leaves after six innings because of a blister, but racks up two hits and three ribbies at the plate. (3)

Box score. The Cubs lost the second game of the doubleheader.

1982 - Cubs overcome a 7-0 deficit scoring three runs in the sixth inning and seven runs in the eighth inning. Bump Wills pinch-hit three-run home run gives the Cubs a 10-7 lead.

Box score.

1999 - Slammin’ Sammy Sosa becomes the first player in major league history to hit 60 homers in a season twice when hits a sixth-inning solo shot off right-hander Jason Bere in the Cubs’ 7-4 loss to the Brewers at Wrigley Field. The 30-year-old Dominican outfielder hit 66 home runs in last season’s historic home run race with Mark McGwire. (1,3)

Box score.

2006 - At Citizens Bank Park, Aramis Ramirez hits two three-run home runs and drives in seven runs as the Cubs defeat the Phillies, 11-6. (6)

Box score.

2008 - Trailing 6-2 into the bottom of the ninth inning, Cubs score four runs to tie the game and win the game in the 12th inning on a walkoff single by Derrek Lee. Mark DeRosa singles with two outs and scores as Geovany Soto’s three-run home run ties the game in the ninth. (6)

Box score.