Baseball history unpacked, August 26

... 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 select scenes from the rich tapestry of Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball history*.

Today in baseball history:

• 1914 - Frank Wickware of the Chicago American Giants pitches a no-hitter against the Indianapolis ABCs, winning 1-0. The ABCs’ leadoff batter walks in the first, but is caught stealing. Wickware retires the remaining 26 men in order. (3)
• 1929 - In the 8th inning of a 5-5 game at Wrigley Field, Cubs 3B Norm McMillan hits a line drive down the LF line with the bases loaded. Reds LF Evar Swanson, shaded toward center, can’t find the ball, which he sees bounce off a gutter in foul territory. McMillan circles the bases and four runs score. Later, Cubs relief P Ken Penner picks up his jacket in the bullpen and discovers the ball in his right sleeve. It is Chicago’s eighth grand slam of the year. (3)
• 1930 - Hack Wilson has four RBIs to lead the Cubs over the Pirates, 7-5. Wilson cracks a two-run single in the 5th, but then allows a Lloyd Waner liner to skip by him for an inside-the-park home run, and vows to atone. He hits his 44th home run, off young Larry French, breaking Chuck Klein’s one-year-old National League record. (2,3)
• 1930 - In San Francisco, Dolph Camilli’s brother, Frankie, dies after a boxing match yesterday with heavyweight Max Baer. Fighting under the name Frankie Campbell, he has his neck broken in the fifth round by a Baer punch and never recovers. Camilli, a star for Sacramento (Pacific Coast League), will win the NL MVP in 1941. (3)
• 1939 - A major league baseball game is telecast from Ebbets Field for the first time as the Reds play the Dodgers in a doubleheader. Red Barber broadcasts the game over W2XBS. The Dodgers take the first game, 6-2, and the Reds take the second, 5-1. Between the two games, a ceremony is held to honor Alexander Cartwright with a Hawaiian-themed celebration to mark the centennial anniversary of baseball. (1,3)
• 1947 - Dan Bankhead becomes the major leagues’ first black pitcher. He doesn’t do well in a relief stint, giving up ten hits and six runs in three and third innings in a 16-3 loss to the Pirates, but the Dodger rookie hits a home run in his first major league at-bat. (1,3)
• 1948 - The Cubs sweep two from the Braves, 5-1 and 5-2, despite a near-riot that holds up play for 20 minutes in the nitecap. The reaction by the fans comes when Jocko Conlan rules that a drive by Phil Cavarretta in the third inning is a ground-rule double, not an inside-the-park homer. Conlan makes his call after Braves LF Jeff Heath ”loses” the ball in the Wrigley Field vines, though it is really by his feet. The fans shower the field in protest and Conlan bawls out some of Chicago’s finest for not taking any action. When play is resumed, Andy Pafko walks and Peanuts Lowrey hits a bases-loaded triple. (3)
• 1951 - At the Polo Grounds, Chuck Connors clubs his second and last major league homer, a three-run shot off Sal Maglie in the ninth to give the visiting Cubs a temporary 4-4 tie. Wes Westrum then answers with his 2nd homer of the game, off reliever Walt Dubiel, and New York wins, 5-4. New York takes the nitecap, 5-1, to run their victory streak to 14 games. Jim Hearn tops Cal McLish. Willie Mays electrifies the crowd in the 6th by singling, advancing on a balk and a short fly, and stealing home. The Giants trail by six games. (3)
• 1962 - At Chicago, Dick Ellsworth stops the Braves, 4-1, and stops Hank Aaron’s hitting streak of 25 games. The Cubs tie a major-league record with three straight sacrifice bunts in the sixth inning following a bunt single by Ellsworth. (3)
• 1966 - After seeing a caricature of himself on the scoreboard, an angry Leo Durocher calls the Astrodome’s press box to have it removed. When nothing is done, the enraged Cubs manager rips the phone out of the dugout wall and tosses it onto the infield. (1,3)
• 1972 - At Wrigley Field, Ron Santo records his 2,000th career hit, a three-run home run off Ron Bryant. Santo’s hit, driving in his 1,200th run, is the margin of victory as the Cubs top the Giants, 10-9. (1,3)
• 1972 - Leo Durocher, formerly of the Cubs, replaces Harry Walker as manager of the Astros. It is only the second time someone has managed two National League teams in the same season. The first was in 1948, when Durocher piloted the Dodgers and the Giants. (2,3)
• 2001 - The Cubs defeat the Cardinals, 6-1, as Sammy Sosa hits two more home runs, his 50th and 51st of the season. In doing so, he joins Mark McGwire and Babe Ruth as the only players with four 50-homer seasons. (1,3)
• 2002 - The first video streaming coverage of a major league baseball game takes place on the internet. Approximately 30,000 fans visit MLB.com to see the Yankees defeat the Rangers, 10-3. Alfonso Soriano sets a team record for home runs by a second baseman. The previous mark of 30 was established in 1940 by Joe Gordon. (1,3)
• Cubs birthdays: Chick Fraser, Sparky Adams, Heinz Becker, Tom Poholsky, Brendan Harris, Xavier Cedeno,

SimNews:

The SimCubs are 91-41. Ryan Yarbrough (15-4), Dan Winkler, and Craig Kimbrel combined for a three-hit shutout and Anthony Rizzo (34) and Kris Bryant (32,33,34) provided the offense. KB homered three times for the second time in three games and has thrust himself into the league-leader conversation and has to be viewed as a serious contender for another MVP, though in truth Christian Yelich is gonna be hard to catch. But 28 games remain and a lot can be done in that time.

Relievers Tyler Olson and Brandon Morrow have been recalled from Iowa. Jeremy Jeffress and Tanner Scott got back on the bus. Jon Lester was renewed for one season at 4.3m.

In today’s game, the Professor, Russell Johnson Kyle Hendricks (15-4, 2.82) will attempt to tutor lefty Caleb Smith (5-7, 4.37) with a lineup that looks toward next year, with Greg Jones taking a turn at leadoff, and Nico Hoerner occupying center field and hitting in the 2 hole where his contact game can be most effective. Rizzo will hit 3rd and left-fielder KB cleanup to take advantage of their power, with Willie C. and RF Happ following them, and Javy dropped down to the seventh spot to find his stroke. David Bote will fill the eight hole and occupy the hot corner.

The game will ‘air’ at 3 p.m. CT. All game video and related material is available commercial-free, 24/7, at the BCB Media Center. The season is winding down toward an exciting playoff round, with the players mostly decided. The Braves (83-49) lead the NL East by 10.5 games, with the Nationals (73-60) looking at a wild-card berth. The Cubs lead the Central by 15.5 games, with the Brewers (75-56) looking at the other wild-card spot. The Dodgers (81-53) have a stranglehold on the NL West, where only the Padres (65-67) are within shouting distance of .500.

The Rays (77-55) still have a puncher’s chance against the Yankees (81-51). The Indians are likely to win the AL Central crown but the White Sox (71-60) and the Twins (69-64) are still in the mix. The Astros (79-53) and the Angels (79-54) are in a dogfight for the top spot. Right now, the Twins are on the outside looking in.

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!