Baseball history unpacked, July 15

Well, the AL defeated the NL in the 2020 simAll Star Game, and we’re continuing the All-Star break today. The Junior Circuit launched four solo homers and added a duck snort to defeat the Senior Circuit 5-1.

No game today — the next game scheduled is Friday, July 17, but you can catch all of the games at the BCB Media Center and also catch game-related 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:

• 1901 - Christy Mathewson, 22 years old, of the New York Giants pitches a no-hitter, blanking the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-0, at League Park. Matty saves his own no-hitter in the 6th when an Otto Krueger hit caroms off 1B John Ganzel’s glove to Mathewson, who throws back to first base for a 3-1-3 putout. (1,3)
• 1908 - In Chicago, the New York Giants pound Three-Finger Brown and two relievers to win, 11-0, and move into second place. The Chicago Cubs drop two places to third. (3)
• 1942 - “There is no rule, formal or informal, against the hiring of Negro players,” says Judge Landis in response to an editorial in the New York Daily Worker newspaper. (3)
• 1948 - The Boston Braves stop the host Chicago Cubs, 2-1, behind Johnny Sain, then battle to a 1-1 tie in 13 innings in the nitecap. Alvin Dark’s hitting streak of 23 games is stopped in the opener, but he has two hits and scores the run in the second game. Bob Rush pitches all 13 innings for the Bruins. (3)
• 1969 - The New York Mets rough up Fergie Jenkins for three home runs, including Al Weis’s second in two days, to beat the Chicago Cubs, 9-5. The Cubs now lead New York by 3½ games. At the end of the game Tom Seaver jumps out of the dugout and clicks his heels several times, mocking Ron Santo’s gesture of the day before. The Mets will win tomorrow as well. (3)
• 1975 - The National League rallies for three runs in the ninth inning to win the All-Star Game at Milwaukee, 6-3. The Chicago Cubs’ Bill Madlock and the New York Mets’ Jon Matlack share the game’s MVP award. (3)
• 1979 - The Geneva Cubs score 15 runs in the ninth inning to cap a 29-4 romp over the Utica Blue Jays in a New York-Pennsylvania League game. Scott Fletcher paces the attack with two singles, four doubles, a home run, and eight RBI. (3)
• 2001 - Umpires file a grievance against Major League Baseball, saying the commissioner’s office is pressuring them to call more strikes by keeping track of total pitch counts. As part of these efforts, cameras were installed over the weekend, July 13th and 14th, at Shea Stadium to track each pitch. Fenway Park and Shea are the only parks with the tracking system, which is similar to that used on FOX’s broadcasts, but major league officials hope to have four more by September. (3)
• Cubs birthdays: Bubbles Hargrave, Bruce Edwards, Bob Will, Chris Denorfia,

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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