Baseball history unpacked, October 7

... on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue brings a you a lighthearted 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*.

Today in baseball history:

• 1925 - Before Game 1 of the World Series at Forbes Field, Commissioner Landis orders the Pirates and the Senators to wear black armbands in memory of former Giants legend Christy Matthewson, who died this morning at Saranac Lake, NY, of tuberculosis. Although the practice will become a common occurrence, this is believed to be the first time in major league history that teams have altered their uniform to acknowledged the passing of a fellow ballplayer. (1)
• 1933 - Flags are at half staff for Game 5 to honor William L. Veeck, Chicago Cubs president, who died suddenly. (2,3)
• 1935 - In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 6, the Tigers win their first World Series in franchise history when Goose Goslin singles home Mickey Cochrane to give the team a dramatic 4-3 walk-off victory over the Cubs. Tommy Bridges goes the distance, giving up 12 hits, to get the Navin Field victory. (1)
• 1984 - In a game that will be best remembered for Cubs first baseman Leon Durham’s seventh-inning error on an easy ground ball, the Padres win the NLCS when Tony Gwynn’s seventh-inning two-run double breaks a 3-3 tie en route to a 6-3 victory at Jack Murphy Stadium. Chicago had a 2-0 game advantage as well as a 3-0 lead in the decisive Game 5 but was unable to end their thirty-nine year World Series appearance drought. (1)
• 2015 - The Cubs defeat the Pirates, 4-0, in the Wild Card Game thanks to a four-hit shutout by Jake Arrieta and homers by Kyle Schwarber and Dexter Fowler off Gerrit Cole. The Bucs are out of the postseason after a 98-win season.(3)
• 2017 - In Game 2 of the NLDS, Chicago has a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, thanks to a solo homer by Willson Contreras and a two-run shot by Anthony Rizzo, both off Gio Gonzalez, but Washington explodes for five runs against Carl Edwards and Mike Montgomery to take a 6-3 win and even the series at one apiece. In the fateful inning, Bryce Harper hits a two-run shot and Ryan Zimmerman another good for three runs as all the scoring comes on long balls (Anthony Rendon had homered in the 1st for Washington’s other run). (3)
• Cub birthdays: Frank Donnelly, Ernie Ovitz, Fred Fussell, Chuck Klein HOF, Frank Baumholtz, Red Adams, Grady Hatton, Sammy Drake, Morrie Steevens, Jose Cardenal.

Sources:

• (1) — The National Pastime.
• (2) — Today in Baseball History.
• (3) — Baseball Reference.
• (4) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (5) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (6) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.

*We vet each item as much as time allows. Please let us know if an item is in error, especially if you have a source. Thanks for reading!