Baseball history unpacked, June 9

... on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue brings a you a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s long and colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along as we review select clips from the big motion picture of Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball history.

Today in baseball history:

• 1886 - At an American Association league meeting in Columbus‚ Browns owner Chris Von der Ahe pays Charles Comiskey’s many fines after Comiskey has steadfastly refused to pay them. The AA threatened to bar Comiskey from all games. (3)
• 1900 - A forerunner of today’s players’ union is organized in New York. Three delegates from each National League team launch the Players Protective Association and elect Chief Zimmer president. Former player Harry Taylor‚ of Buffalo‚ is the attorney. Their goal is to negotiate contracts and rules changes. (3)
• 1914 - At the Baker Bowl, Honus Wagner becomes the second player in the history of the game to collect 3000 hits when he doubles off Philadelphia’s Erskine Mayer. Cap Anson is the only other major-leaguer to amass as many hits. (1,3,4)
• 1920 - Former Chicago OF Lee Magee loses his suit against the Cubs. He had charged that he was released without just cause last February. While on the witness stand‚ Magee admits to having bet on the first game of a doubleheader with Cincinnati on July 25‚ 1918‚ while a member of the Reds. He said he bet $500 along with Hal Chase. He said he found out after the game that the money had been bet on Boston and stopped payment on the check to the bookmaker. Chase’s check went through. The Reds won the game in the 13th on Edd Roush’s home run. Christy Mathewson testifies that, as the Reds manager, he was suspicious that all was not right in the game. (3)
• 1932 - Hack Wilson avenges an April humiliation as he clouts a first-inning grand slam off Chicago’s Pat Malone to lead the Dodgers to a 5-2 win. Hack also drives home the 5th run. Weeks ago in Chicago‚ the Cubs had walked a man to load the bases for Wilson‚ who then grounded into a double play. The fans heaped scorn on Hack and showered lemons onto the field. Wilson’s five RBIs is a birthday present for the 21-year-old Van Lingle Mungo‚ who finishes the win in an hour and 37 minutes. His only mistake is a two-run homer to Gabby Hartnett in the 2nd. (3)
• 1945 - Following an 8-7 win over the Phils‚ Brooklyn manager Leo Durocher is arrested on a complaint by a fan that Durocher, allegedly using brass knuckles‚ slugged him after an Ebbets Field cop hit him and broke his jaw‚ then pinned back his arms. The fan‚ John Christian‚ had been loudly berating the Dodgers and‚ after the sixth inning‚ the policeman was escorting the fan beneath the stands when the incident occurred. The case will come to trial next April and the all-male jury will take just 38 minutes to find the policeman and Durocher not guilty. In a separate settlement of a civil suit before the trial‚ Durocher paid Christian $6‚750. (3)
• 1946 - At Forbes Field, umpires Tom Dunn and George Magerkurth, respectively, eject Giants manager Mel Ott from each end of a doubleheader. Ott becomes the first major league manager to be ejected in both ends of a doubleheader. The Pittsburgh Pirates win both games, 2 - 1 and 5 - 1. (1,3,4)
• 1950 - Commissioner Happy Chandler orders the Cardinals to cancel their Sunday night game with the Dodgers. On the advice of National League President Ford Frick‚ the Cards comply and reschedule it as part of a July 17th day/night doubleheader. (3)
• 1961 - Ryne Duren sets an American League record with seven straight strikeouts against the Red Sox. He fans 11 batters in a 5-1 win for the Angels. (3)
• 1963 - Ernie Banks bangs solo homers off Sandy Koufax‚ in the second and the fifth at Wrigley Field‚ and the Cubs kayo the ace with 6 earned runs in 5⅔ innings. But Sandy gets no decision as the Dodgers outslug the Cubs‚ 11-8. Larry Sherry is the winner over Cubs ace Dick Ellsworth‚ who has his worst outing of the year. (3)
• 1963 - In the first major league game ever played on a Sunday night, the Colt .45’s extend the Giants’ losing streak to seven games, blanking the visiting team, 3-0. Due to the extreme heat during the days of the Texas summer months, baseball grants permission to play games in the evening at Colt Stadium. (1)
• 2000 - The Cubs‚ Rangers and Marlins complete a three-way trade‚ with OF Brant Brown going from Florida to Texas in exchange for P Chuck Smith. The Rangers then send him to the Cubs for veteran Dave Martinez. (3)
• 2010 - The Cubs clout five homers, including Derek Lee’s 300th, in beating Milwaukee, 9-4. Marlon Byrd and Geovany Soto hit two long balls each, in support of Carlos Zambrano’s return to the starting rotation, to complete the barrage; all of the homers are hit against Brewers starter Randy Wolf. The news is not all good for the Cubs, though: before the game, they place 3B Aramis Ramirez on the disabled list with a thumb injury. (3)
• 2011 - If at first you don’t succeed... The Cubs’ Tyler Colvin hits an apparent game-winning home run off Ryan Madson in the ninth inning, immediately following a shot by Geovany Soto that ties the game at 3-all, but has it overturned by a video review, when the umpires rule that a fan interfered with the ball. Colvin has to settle for a double and the game goes into extra innings. The Phillies load the bases against Sean Marshall in the 10th, but fail to score, and in the 11th, Colvin gets his revenge. He reaches first base on an infield hit, advances to second on a passed ball, and then scores the winning run when 3B Placido Polanco bounces a throw to first base on Darwin Barney’s two-out grounder. The ball bounces up in front of 1B Ryan Howard, and by the time he can corral it, Colvin has raced all the way home for a 4-3 Cubs win. (3)

Cubs birthdays: Marty Callaghan, Sal Madrid, Roy Smalley*, Doug Clemens, Tom Edens, Mike Fontenot, Buck Coats, Zac Rosscup, Tony Wolters.

*The story of Roy Smalley, the guy Ernie Banks replaced. (4)

Common 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.

There is a very active baseball history community and there are many facets to their views. We strive for clarity. Please let us know (nicely) if you feel that an item is in error and we will address that issue to the originator(s), if at all possible.