Baseball history unpacked, April 29

“We were lucky to come away with a victory,” said Brandon Palmer in the postgame interview. “Craig Kimbrel is getting his just desserts right now.”

Kimbrel got his first victory of the year by giving up a long ball to pinch-hitting Luke Maile and being scheduled to pitch when Ian Happ doubled to the right-field wall to plate Kyle Schwarber, who had singled. There were plenty of other highlights, viewable above.

Today’s rubber game features Jameson Taillon (0-3, 7.81) against the one and only Yu Darvish (2-2, 4.91) who didn’t do so well his last time out. Let’s hope he can right the ship against the woeful Pirates.

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 hand-picked scenes from the rich tapestry of Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball history*.

Today in baseball history:

• 1913 - Wearing the uniforms of the Chicago White Sox, the Cincinnati Reds lose to the Chicago Cubs, 7-2, at West Side Grounds. Cincinnati forgot to pack uniforms and has to don those of their opponents’ crosstown rivals. (1,3)
• 1931 - Wes Ferrell of the Cleveland Indians pitches a 7-0 no-hitter over the St. Louis Browns, whose roster includes his brother, Rick. Wes helps his own cause with a home run, a double, and four RBI. (1,3)
• 1983 - After a 7-2 loss to L.A. at Wrigley Field, Cubs manager Lee Elia launches into an obscenity-laced tirade, that will become a much-reported media story on the airwaves and in print for days to come.

• 1987 - Andre Dawson collects five hits and hits for the cycle to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 8-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants. The ‘Hawk,’ who enjoys a five-hit day, completes the feat with a sixth-inning triple, one of only two he will collect for the entire season. (1,3)
• 1995 - Unlike yesterday’s Opening Day crowd which was supportive, some of the 28,244 fans at today’s Wrigley Field game show their displeasure with the recent baseball strike by littering the field with souvenir magnetic schedules. The incident, which took place in the eighth inning of the Cubs’ 5-4 victory over Montreal, delayed the contest five minutes. (1)
• 2002 - Brian Sprout, a Division III All-American, becomes the first and only player in the recorded history of the national pastime to hit for the home run cycle in order. The St. Olaf College Ole hits a solo shot, a two-run and a three-run homer, and a grand slam in four consecutive at-bats during a 39-4 rout of Augsburg. (1)

Sprout stayed on as a coach after his playing days, and his number was retired, He also named his son after Ryne Sandberg.

• 2005 - In the first matchup between 300-game winners in almost 18 years, Greg Maddux outduels Roger Clemens in the Chicago Cubs’ 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The last such showdown occurred in 1987 when Don Sutton of the California Angels defeated Steve Carlton of the Minnesota Twins. Maddux earns his first win of season and 306th of his career, allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings. (1,3)
• Cubs birthdays: Frank Hankinson, Freddy Rodriguez, Billy Petrick. Also notable: Luis Aparicio 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.
• (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!