Baseball history unpacked, July 27

... 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-threaded seams from the rich tapestry of Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball history*.

Today in baseball history:

• 1918 - Robins rookie righthander Harry Heitmann, stationed in Brooklyn by the Navy after a 17-6 record at Rochester (International League), surrenders four runs on four straight Cardinal hits and is removed, having retired his initial batter. The 21-year-old Brooklyn rookie right-hander will never hurl again in the big leagues, ending his career with an ERA of infinity. (1,3)
• 1930 - Cincinnati hurler Ken Ash throws one pitch in relief against the Chicago Cubs and then is lifted for a pinch hitter. Ash’s pitch to Charlie Grimm results in a triple play, and Ash receives credit for the 6-5 victory, his last in the major leagues. (1,3)
• 1931 - Riggs Stephenson, Cubs outfielder, breaks an ankle in a game with the Phillies, as Chicago loses, 6-5, at Wrigley Field. (3)
• 1945 - The Cubs purchase P Hank Borowy from the New York Yankees in an unexpected waiver deal. Borowy, 10-5 with the Yankees, was put on waivers, apparently to solve a roster problem, and was passed over by 15 teams. The Cubs snatch him for $97,500, and he will help the Cubs win the pennant with an 11-2 record, including three wins over the Cardinals down the stretch. (2,3)
• 1947 - Jake Jones hits a 60-foot triple in Boston’s 4-3 victory over the Browns at Fenway Park. Umpire Cal Hubbard awards the Red Sox first baseman three bases when St. Louis hurler Fred Sanford, fearing the grounder might roll fair, throws his glove at the ball in an effort to keep it foul. In 1954 the rule is changed so that it only applies to fair balls. (1)
• 1972 - Marking the debut of manager Whitey Lockman, Fergie Jenkins allows one hit in the Cubs’ 4-0 win over the Phillies. Willie Montanez’s fourth-inning double is the only hit. Reliever Jack Aker falters in the nitecap, and the Phils win, 4-1. (1,3)
• 1977 - The Cubs’ Rick Reuschel tosses his second shutout in a row, beating the Reds, 3-0, on a five-hitter. (3)
• 1992 - Sammy Sosa, disabled since June 13th after being hit on the right hand by Dennis Martinez and breaking a bone, bats leadoff and has three hits. He homers on the first pitch from Doug Drabek. In his first start at Wrigley Field since his announcement that he’s leaving Chicago, Greg Maddux beats the Pirates, 3-2. In the 8th inning, the Wrigley faithful give the ace pitcher a standing ovation. (3)
• 1998 - Sammy Sosa hits his 248th career homer — and his first grand slam — as the Cubs beat the Diamondbacks, 6-2. Sosa went to bat 4,428 times before drilling the sacks-full homer. His 247 homers without a slam is a major league record: the previous mark was 210 by Bob Horner. Sosa also tops the 100 RBI mark with his four ribbies, to back Steve Trachsel’s pitching. Tomorrow, ‘Slamming Sammy’ will hit another, becoming the 18th major-leaguer to hit a grand slam on consecutive days. (1,3)
• 1998 - With a three-run blast in the sixth inning, minor leaguer Tyrone Horne completes the first and only home run cycle in a professional baseball game. The Arkansas Travelers’ outfielder also slugged a two-run homer in the first inning, a grand slam in the second, as well as a solo shot in the fifth during the 13-4 victory over San Antonio. (1)
• 2001 - The Cubs get 1B Fred McGriff from the Devil Rays in exchange for P Manny Aybar and a player to be named later. The Cubs’ first try for McGriff on the 16th had been nixed by the slugger who said he did not want to uproot his family. His first game will be a night contest at Wrigley Field on the 29th, a 7-5 Cubs win. (3)
• 2012 - The Cardinals hit a homer in each of their first five innings in beating the Cubs, 9-6. Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, Lance Berkman, Matt Carpenter and Allen Craig all go deep off Travis Wood at Wrigley Field as Wood ties a team record with five gopher balls. The last team to have such a performance previously was the Astros on October 2, 2004. (3)

Cubs birthdays: Joe Tinker HOF, Jack Doscher, George Yantz, Zack Taylor, Jack Hiatt, Larry Biittner, Bump Wills, Tom Goodwin, Enrique Wilson, Yoervis Medina.

SimCubs news:

Ryan Yarbrough was excellent and went to eleven, throwing a million pitches but none of them resulting in runs, and Jesus Luzardo took over for him and turned in a 1970s-style save, maintaining the shutout, while Kyle Schwarber celebrated his return to the lineup with a monster game, clubbing a three-run homer, a clutch two-out knock, and a two-run coffin nail. Willson Contreras drove in the other Cubs run with a base hit, and Jason Heyward was thrown out at the plate trying to score another one. Good times as the good guys took three of four from the stinkin’ simCards. The game is of course available at the BCB Media Center, though it is a two-parter as the signal was dropped once again.

Candygram: Alec Mills (4-1. 5.44) will face former Cub Jeff Samardzija (6-7, 4.19) in the first of four in San Francisco. The simGiants are in fourth place at 46-59 and our simCubs are now 74-31. Son of a beach!

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.