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On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue brings a you a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, with plenty of the lore and deep dives into various narratives that expand over the course of time. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along. Don’t be afraid to click the links for ‘inside baseball’ on the entries, which change from year to year as we re-examine the subjects.
Today in baseball history:
- 1965 - Leo Durocher becomes manager of the Chicago Cubs, replacing Lou Klein. (2)
More about Leo the Lip from SABR. He was the first manager I remember, and he was held in high esteem by my forebears, who opined that he was a first-division manager saddled with a second-division club.
That’s hard to dispute, except for a brief spell at the end of his tenure.
- 1973 - The Chicago Cubs trade six-time 20-game winner Ferguson Jenkins to the Texas Rangers for third baseman Bill Madlock and utility man Vic Harris. (1,2) In the end, it turns out that the Cubs wound up with Paul Semall, a career minor-leaguer, who they got from the Yankees for Bobby Murcer, who the Cubs got from the Giants in the Madlock trade.
- 1978 - Gaylord Perry of the San Diego Padres becomes the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues. Perry cops the National League honor with a 21-6 record and a 2.72 ERA. (1,2)
- 2003 - As the World Series heads back to Yankee Stadium, pitcher Josh Beckett, on three days’ rest, throws a complete game shutout, allowing just five hits, to give the Florida Marlins their second World Championship in 11 seasons with a 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees. Beckett is named Series MVP. This is the 100th and last World Series game ever played at Yankee Stadium, as the Marlins become the first opposing team to win a Series championship on the field at the famed ballpark since 1981, when the Los Angeles Dodgers did it. When the Yankees return to the Fall Classic in 2009, they will have moved into New Yankee Stadium. (2)
- 2016 - The Indians win Game 1 of the World Series, 6-0 over the Cubs, who are making their first appearance in the Fall Classic since 1945. Corey Kluber pitches six scoreless innings during which he strikes out nine, while the Indians score twice off Jon Lester in the bottom of the first, on a dribbler by Jose Ramirez that travels barely 20 feet, and when Brandon Guyer is hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Roberto Perez later homers twice to put the game away. (2)
Cubs birthdays: Jack Doyle, Tom Stanton, Vic Aldridge, Russ Meyer, Bobby Thomson, Pete Mikkelsen, Mike Harkey, Terrell Lowery, Alberto Cabrera, Tyler Payne. Also notable: Pedro Martinez HOF.
Common sources:
- (1) — Today in Baseball History.
- (2) — Baseball Reference.
- (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
- (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
- (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
There is a very active baseball history community and there are many facets to their views. We strive for clarity. Please be aware that we are trying to make the historical record as represented by our main sources coherent and as accurate as is possible. No item is posted here without corroboration. Some of these items spread from site to site without being verified. That is exactly why we ask for reputable sources, so that we can address them to the originators. BBRef is very cooperative in this regard, as are SABR and the Baseball Almanac. We have removed thenationalpastime from our sourcing list, as there have been multiple complaints about their content and they do not respond to attempts to communicate.
Thank you for your cooperation.