Baseball history unpacked, September 30

... 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:

• 1933 - At Sportsman’s Park in a 12-2 Cubs rout of the Cardinals, Babe Herman hits for the cycle, becoming the first player in baseball history to do it three times. The Chicago outfielder, playing for the Dodgers, also accomplished the feat on two other occasions in 1931. (1)
• 1945 - Hank Greenberg hits a pennant-winning grand slam on the final day of the season. The Tiger left fielder’s ninth-inning bases-full homer beats the Browns, 6-3, clinching the American League flag for Detroit over the second-place Senators. (3)
• 1984 - The ML umpires announce that they will go on strike at the two LCS scheduled to begin October 2 in an effort to improve their pay and job security and to change the method by which post-season assignments are determined. MLB officials say the games will go on as scheduled using amateur umpires if necessary. (3)
• 1988 - Ronald Reagan, nearing the end of his presidency, throws out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field. The former Cub announcer then spends an inning and a half doing play-by-play with Harry Caray in the WGN television booth. (3)
• 1992 - Greg Maddux blanks the Pirates, 6-0, to become the Cubs’ first 20-game winner in 15 years. He will tie Tom Glavine for the National League lead in wins. (3)
• 2013 - The Cubs fire manager Dale Sveum one day after the end of a second straight disappointing season in which they lost 96 games after losing 101 in 2012. (3)
• Cub birthdays: Hal O’Hagan, Alex Hardy, Robin Roberts HOF, Carlos Lezcano, Dave Magadan, Doug Jennings, Yorkis Perez, Curtis Goodwin.

SimNews:

The Washington Nationals defeated the Brewers and will be the Cubs’ first-round opponent, Saturday, October 3. Stephen Strasburg will be on the hill against Kyle Hendricks in the initial game of a potential five-game series. We don’t know yet what time the game will ‘air’.

All game video and related material is available commercial-free, 24/7, at the BCB Media Center.

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 vet each item as much as time allows. Please let us know if an item is in error, especially if you have a source. Thanks for reading!