Baseball history unpacked, June 10

Well, everything must come to an end. The simCubs lost in the bottom of the ninth to the Phillies, whose second-string catcher blasted a home run to let off of Ryan Tepera, who absorbed his first loss of the season after five victories, and they will return to Citizens’ Bank Park for one more chance at meatloaf before moving on.

There were some highlights — Anthony Rizzo hammered his league-leading 21st homer, and Ian Happ struck a two-run job of his own. It was just the last run that was bad.

Zack Wheeler will oppose Tyler Chatwood, who is hoping again to last more than four innings and emerge with a lead. Al will have more about that in the game post (at 2:30 p.m. CT, 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:

• 1904 - In the opener of the battle for first place at the Polo Grounds‚ Christy Mathewson pitches a brilliant one-hitter to beat Chicago‚ 5-0. The lone hit is Johnny Kling’s 4th-inning single. The other action is provided by umpire Charlie Zimmer‚ who ejects Sam Mertes on a strike call. He also thumbs John McGraw‚ coaching at third base‚ to the bench‚ and sends Dummy Taylor‚ the first base coach‚ to the clubhouse. One wag said later that Taylor was making too much noise. (3)
• 1911 - The Cubs trade C Johnny Kling‚ P Orlie Weaver‚ P Hank Griffin‚ and OF Al Kaiser to the Boston Rustlers for C Peaches Graham‚ P Cliff Curtis‚ Wilbur “Lefty” Good‚ and OF Bill Collins. Curtis (1-8)‚ who began the year with five straight losses after ending last season with 18 straight defeats‚ will be swapped to the Phillies in August. (3)
• 1944 - Six weeks shy of his 16th birthday, Joe Nuxhall becomes the youngest person to play in a major league contest in this century, beginning a 60-year tenure with the Reds organization that includes becoming best known as the voice for the team’s radio broadcasts. After being called in the ninth inning into a 13-0 rout by the Cardinals at Crosley Field, the 15-year-old high school southpaw retires the first batter he faces, but is unable to get out of the inning, yielding five walks, two hits, one wild pitch, and five runs. (1)
• 1978 - The Yankees send former ace Ken Holtzman back to the Cubs‚ his first team‚ in exchange for minor leaguer Ron Davis. Holtzman proved a disappointment in New York‚ and he will not recapture his form in Chicago. Davis will blossom in 1979 when his 14-2 mark sets a record for most wins by a rookie reliever. (3)
• 1984 - The Cubs add a ninth-inning insurance run on a triple steal to beat the Cardinals’ Joaquin Andujar, 2-0. Leon Durham steals home‚ while Jody Davis takes third base and Larry Bowa goes to second. (3)
• 1986 - The National League announces that Yale University president A. Bartlett Giamatti will be its next president‚ after Chub Feeney’s retirement in December. (2,)
• 2003 - In a game against the Orioles at Camden Yards, Sammy Sosa becomes the target of a man who runs onto the field throwing corks. The Cubs’ slugger was caught using a corked bat last week in a game against the Devil Rays. (1)
• 2004 - The Cubs down the Cardinals‚ 12-3‚ scoring 10 runs in the fourth inning. Chicago ties a team record with 11 hits in the frame‚ nine of them consecutive. (3)
• 2005 - For the first time in nearly 90 years, the Red Sox play the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The two teams which have had the fates influenced by curses last met in the 1918 World Series, won by Boston behind the solid pitching of Babe Ruth. (1)
• 2013 - Javier Baez of the Daytona Cubs (Florida State League) hits four home runs in a 9-6 win over the Fort Myers Miracle. He is the second player in the circuit’s history to accomplish the feat, after Ryan Harvey, also of Daytona, on July 28, 2006. (3)
• Cubs birthdays: Mike Kreevich.

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.