Baseball history unpacked, May 25

Jon Lester pitched a three-hit shutout and Willson Contreras hit two jacks. David Bote had a big fly also, and several other Cubs contributed run-scoring hits as the Cubs took the meatloaf back to Chicago and prepare for tomorrow’s epic tilt against the Florida Marlins.

Al will have more about that in the game post Tuesday (at 2:30 p.m. CT, for our 3 p.m. start), as Monday is an off day. 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:

• 1935 - At Forbes Field, Boston Braves outfielder Babe Ruth hits three homers and a single in an 11-7 loss to the Pirates in Pittsburgh. The ‘Sultan of Swat’s’ seventh-inning solo shot off Guy Bush, a blast which clears the ballpark’s roof, will be the Bambino’s 714th and final home run. (1)
• 1951 - At Shibe Park, the much-heralded Giant rookie Willie Mays makes his major league debut against the Phillies. The 20-year-old outfielder, who hit .477 in 35 games with the Minneapolis Millers before being called up, goes hitless in five trips to the plate but makes two outstanding defensive plays to contribute to New York’s 8-5 victory. (1)
• 1982 - Future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins reaches the 3,000 strikeout plateau when he whiffs Garry Templeton in the third frame of the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium. Next season, the 39-year-old Canadian-born right-hander will finish his 19-year major league career with a total of 3,192 K’s in 4,500.2 innings. (1)

• 1984 - The Boston Red Sox trade Dennis Eckersley and Mike Brumley to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Bill Buckner, who had been benched in Chicago in favor of Leon Durham but will immediately become Boston’s starting first baseman. (2)
• 2001 - Kerry Wood gives up only one hit, a seventh-inning leadoff single to Mark Loretta, in the Cubs’ 1-0 victory over Milwaukee. The 24-year-old right-hander strikes out 14 batters in the Wrigley Field gem. (1)
• 2008 - Former major league pitcher Geremi Gonzalez is killed by lightning standing on a dock in western Venezuela. The 33-year-old pitcher, who was signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1991, also hurled for the Devil Rays, Red Sox, Mets, and Brewers before being released by Milwaukee in 2006. (1)
• Cubs birthdays: Bob Wicker, Jim Marshall, Angel Echevarria, Todd Walker, Randall Simon, Scott Hairston, Brad Snyder, Neil Ramirez.

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, and please drive home safely.