Baseball history unpacked, June 8

Number nine, number nine ...

First in your hearts and first in the NL Central, best record in baseball:

‘nuff said!

Kyle Hendricks (8-2) pitched well but got no decision as Ryan Tepera (5-0) walked away with the W and Craig Kimbrel continued his rise to the tops of the ‘saves’ category with a clean 11th inning. Jason Kipnis ended the game with a long drive. Nico Hoerner continued to deliver in the pinch. The Reds tried but they couldn’t do it and now the Cubs move on to Philadelphia.

Phillie rookie JoJo Romero will face Ryan Yarbrough. 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:

• 1909 - Clarence “Cack” Henley of the San Francisco Seals (Pacific Coast League) throws the longest complete game shutout in professional baseball history. Henley throws 24 scoreless innings against the Oakland Oaks before finally winning, 1-0. The future Pacific Coast League Hall of Famer’s two-dozen scoreless frames ties three other hurlers for the most thrown by a PCL pitcher in one game. (1,3)
• 1920 - Edd Roush of the Cincinnati Reds falls asleep in center field during a long argument in the infield. Heinie Groh goes out to wake him, but the chief umpire ejects Roush for delaying the game. (2,3)
• 1934 - The Reds become the first team to travel in an airplane when Cincinnati GM Larry MacPhail flies 19 of his players to Chicago for a series against the Cubs. In 1946, New York will be the first team to fly on a regular basis, using a chartered a Douglas DC-4 that will become known as the ‘Yankee Mainliner.’ (1)
• 2001 - In front of a record-setting crowd of 45,936 at the new Comiskey Park, the White Sox beat their North Side rivals in ten innings as Carlos Lee hits a two-out walk-off grand slam to give the Sox a dramatic victory over the Cubs, 7 - 3. (1,3)
• Cubs birthdays: Tom Lee, Tim Donahue, Terrance Gore.
• (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.