Baseball history unpacked, June 19

The first-place simCubs swept the simMets out of town and are welcoming the simBoston Red Sox today at beautiful simWrigley Field.

Tyler Chatwood pitched well enough to stick around to get the win as the Cubs rode timely hitting by Ian Happ and company to an 8-1 victory. Happ jacked a triple and drove in four and Steven Matz didn’t do so well against the others either.

Plenty of highlights! Jason Heyward tripled, Willson Contreras doubled, and Javier Baez showed signs of coming out of his deepish slump. No homers by the Cubs!

Eduardo Rodriguez will face Yu Darvish in today’s series-opening game. Al will have more about the game in the game post at 2:30 p.m. CT, and then I’ll post the actual URL to the stream at 3 p.m. CT. Or you can catch the game at the BCB Media Center and also catch past games and game videos, 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:

• 1846 - At the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, NJ, the New York Ball Club defeats the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, 23-1 (some sources say 21-1). Alexander Cartwright serves as the umpire, which is curious, as Cartwright is one of the Knickerbockers’ best players. (1)
• 1900 - In a great pitching duel, Clark Griffith of the Chicago Orphans and Rube Waddell of the Pittsburgh Pirates match shutouts during 13 innings, before Griffith’s double in the bottom of the 14th drives in the only run. Waddell strikes out 12. (3)
• 1913 - Wilbur Good hits the first pinch-hit home run in Chicago Cubs history, off Grover Alexander in the eighth inning, in a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
• 1952 - Carl Erskine of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitches a 5-0 no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs at Ebbets Field.. A third-inning walk to the opposing pitcher, which accounts for the only runner to reach base, may have been a result of skipper Chuck Dressen telling the 25 year-old right-hander to speed up his pitches due to an impending storm. (1,3)
• 1972 - The United States Supreme Court rules against former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood, who had sued Major League Baseball over the reserve clause after being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. The ruling upholds baseball’s antitrust exemption, which was originally granted in 1922. (3)
• 2003 - Reds hurler Paul Wilson, who is trying to lay down a sacrifice bunt, takes exception to a pitch that moves inside and glances off the catcher’s glove. As the ball is retrieved, he starts jawing with Kyle Farnsworth and then charges the mound, where he is pummeled by the Cubs reliever, igniting a bench-clearing brawl. (1)

• Cubs birthdays: Blake Parker. Also notable: Lou Gehrig 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!