Baseball history unpacked, April 20

Well the simCubs return from DC on an off day and it’s not puffery to say that they performed admirably on the recent six-game swing, winning four of the six games they played against the simOrioles and simNationals. Here are some of the highlights from Sunday’s afternight contest:

Those of you who follow know that our simCubs are a very good unit, with a lot of balance up and down the order as far as handedness, but not especially effective from a contact point-of-view. SimIan Happ is especially guilty (sometimes these things are entirely too well-programmed) but the team as a whole has a good deal of swing and miss. We don’t want to monkey with the lineup too much, or over-react, but simWillson Contreras woke up after his move to the 7 spot and has rediscovered his power stroke. SimJavier Baez and simAnthony Rizzo have been driving in runs in bunches all year, and simKyle Schwarber isn’t far behind. SimJason Kipnis has been a good find also, with his good power from the LH side a fine thing to have in the lineup against right-handers.

The starting pitching was very effective during the road trip, except for sim Jose Quintana, who still acts like the mound is made of cheese and throws meatballs. His ERA actually went DOWN from 10-something to 9-something after that last disastrous outing. That’s how bad hes been, and he’s going Tuesday against the Padres. Let’s hope he posts a better effort. The Padres aren’t pushovers.

Al will have more information about that game in the game post at 2:30 pm CT, Tuesday, for our 3 p.m. start. I’ll drop the specific URL to the contest in the game thread, but you can lurk at the BCB Media Center and catch it there as well. All past games and highlights reels are available there too, if you want the full #simCubs experience.

... 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*. Beware of rabbit holes.

Today in baseball history:

• 1910 - Addie Joss of the Cleveland Naps pitches his second career no-hitter. A busy Joss helps himself by recording 10 fielding assists during the 1 - 0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Two seasons ago, opposing future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Ed Walsh, the right-hander tossed a perfect game, also against the Pale Hose. (1)
• 1916 - In Chicago, the Cubs play their first game at Weeghman Park, beating the Reds in 11 innings, 7-6. The stadium, minus the upper deck added later, seats 14,000, but 20,000 fans are on hand. Greeting fans on the Addison Street side is JOA, a bear cub owned by Cubs (partial) owner J. Ogden Armour. Everyone goes home happy as Vic Saier’s 11th-inning sacrifice fly gives the Cubs a victory over the Cincinnati Reds. In 1926, the ballpark will become known as Wrigley Field, in honor of William Wrigley, the chewing gum mogul who bought the team in 1919. (1,3)
• 1938 - Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians pitches the first of 12 career one-hitters, beating the St. Louis Browns, 9-0. The only St. Louis hit in the League Park contest is a sixth-inning bunt laid down by backstop Bill Sullivan, who is called safe by rookie ump Ed Rommell on a very close play at first base. (1,3)
• 1941 - The Brooklyn Dodgers become the first major league team to wear protective headgear. Each player’s cap features a special plastic lining designed to fend off the effects of beanballs. It is a cautious response to the numerous beanball wars of 1940 that hospitalized Joe Medwick and Billy Jurges, among others. The liners in the caps are thin enough to be hardly noticeable, but most major league players disdain the protection. (3)
• 1946 - The Cubs are shut out by Cardinal southpaw Harry Brecheen in their home opener at Wrigley Field, 2-0. The game is the first in the club’s history to be televised, with ‘Whispering’ Joe Wilson doing the play-by-play on Chicago’s WBKB. (1)
• 1967 - Tom Seaver of the New York Mets records his first major league victory with a 6-1 triumph over the Chicago Cubs. The 22-year-old rookie, who will become known as the ‘Franchise,’ goes 7⅔ innings, giving up eight hits and one run in the Shea Stadium contest. (1,3)
• 1973 - Four months after his death, Roberto Clemente, in a special election, is inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Pirates outfielder dies when a cargo plane crashes, bringing supplies to victims of the Nicaraguan earthquake. (1,3)
• 1988 - The Baltimore Orioles set a major league record by losing their 14th consecutive game to start the season. An 8-6 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers pushes the Orioles past the 1904 Washington Senators and the 1920 Detroit Tigers for the worst start in major league history. They will lose 21 times before recording their first win of the year. (2,3)
• 1997 - The Chicago Cubs stop their season-opening losing streak at 14 games, rallying in the 6th inning to beat the New York Mets, 4-3, in the second game of a doubleheader. The Mets won the opener 8-2. Chicago’s 0-14 start sets a National League record and is the second worst behind the 1988 Baltimore Orioles, who began 0-21. (1,3)
• 2011 - A University of Pennsylvania-designed robot throws out the first pitch at a Phillies game. The robot fails miserably, bouncing its throw to the plate. It is promptly booed by the crowd. (3)
• Cubs birthdays: Charlie Smith, Milt Wilcox, Willie Prall, Mike O’Berry, Todd Hollandsworth. Also notable: Steamer Flanagan, Dave Bancroft HOF, Preston Gomez, Jason Roach.

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 try to vet each item. Please let us know if an item is in error, especially if you have a source.

Thanks for reading!