Baseball history unpacked, July 13

The simCubs and the simBraves got after it Sunday afternoon at Turner Field, and as a result, the simCubs are now 67-29 heading into the break. Yu Darvish lasted six innings and ended up with a W for his effort, and Craig Kimbrel got his league-leading 31st save.

There were plenty of highlights. Anthony Rizzo (27) whacked two long balls, and Javier Baez hit for the wash cycle but didn’t get the Gatorade rinse. Ian Happ continued to terrorize opposing pitchers.

And now it’s time for the All-Star break, except for those who will be on the ASG roster. Happ and Baez will be starting. Everybody else’s fates are still in the air. You can tell as well as I can:

We’ll be streaming the simAll-Star Game at the usual time Tuesday. The Home Run Derby will be uploaded but we’ll not run a formal game thread. It’s already in the archive. Rizzo was a participant.

Al will have more about the All-Star Game in the game post at 2:30 p.m. CT Tuesday. 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:

• 1896 - Ed Delahanty hits four home runs, but it’s not enough as the Phillies lose to the Chicago Colts, 9-8. “Big Ed” is the second man to hit four homers in one game in the National League, after Bobby Lowe two years earlier. It will be another 90 years until another man hits four long balls in defeat, when Bob Horner does it for the Atlanta Braves on July 6, 1986. All of the future Hall-of-Famer’s quartet of round-trippers at the West Side Grounds are of the inside-the-park variety. (1,3)
• 1954 - At Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, Senators hurler Dean Stone does not retire a batter, but gets the win in the American League’s 11'9 All-Star Game victory as he throws out Red Schoendienst trying to steal home in the eighth inning for the third out before retiring a batter. The AL breaks the National League’s four-game winning streak. Larry Doby’s pinch home run in the bottom of the eighth, followed by Nellie Fox’s two-run single, ends the highest-scoring All-Star Game in history. The two teams combine for 31 hits, with the AL amassing 17. The Indians’ Al Rosen has two homers and five RBI. (1,3)
• 1956 - At Wrigley Field, Ernie Banks plays in his 394th consecutive contest to tie Al Simmons’ mark for straight games played after breaking in as a rookie. Mr. Cub’s single drives in the decisive run in the Cubs’ 7-6 victory over Pittsburgh. (1)
• 1962 - Cubs rookie Cal Koonce (8-2) stops the Reds on one hit, a single by Don Blasingame, to win, 1-0. It is the first of four times that the Dixie Blazer will collect the only hit in a game. The Cubs’ only run is unearned off Bob Purkey (14-3). (1)
• 1977 - With New York third baseman Lenny Randle at the plate in the sixth inning, Shea Stadium goes dark when the Big Apple suddenly experiences a blackout. Before the game against the Cubs is suspended due to the power shortage, the Mets’ players drive their cars onto the field and amuse the crowd by performing a variety of antics in front of the headlights. (1)

• 2008 - The Cubs tie the National League record with eight All-Star selections, tying the 1943 Cardinals, 1956 Redlegs and 1960 Pirates. Carlos Marmol is picked to replace injured teammate Kerry Wood, joining Cubbies Ryan Dempster, Kosuke Fukudome, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto and Carlos Zambrano. (3)
• 2017 - As play is about to resume following the All-Star break, the two Chicago teams pull off a rare trade, with the White Sox sending P José Quintana to the Cubs in return for four prospects: P Dylan Cease, OF Eloy Jimenez and IFs Matt Rose and Bryant Flete. (1)
• Cubs birthdays: George Bradley, John O’Brien, Gene Packard, Footsie Blair, Frank Hiller, Jack Aker, Don Bryant, Bill Caudill, DJ LeMahieu. Also notable: Stan Coveleski 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. A note: The history of baseball necessarily reflects certain political realities. My official view is centrist, regardless of my personal feelings or failings.

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Thanks for reading!