Baseball history unpacked, July 5

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue brings a you a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along. Don’t be afraid to click the links for some inside baseball on the entries.

Today in baseball history:

• 1898 - Lizzie (Stroud) Arlington becomes the first woman to play in organized baseball as she pitches for Reading in the Eastern League. Some claim she also pitched in Atlantic League exhibition games after being hired by Ed Barrow, the league’s president. (1,3)
• 1930 - Twenty-thousand fans attend a twin bill at Yankee Stadium between the New York Lincoln Giants and the Baltimore Black Sox, marking the first time Negro Leagues clubs played in the Bronx ballpark. Bill Yancy becomes the first black player to appear at the venue, sprinting onto the field early, pretending to shag balls hit by Babe Ruth, who is at home plate pantomiming hitting drives to the very enthusiastic flycatcher imitating him in right field. (1,3,4)
• 1937 - In the first game of a doubleheader, Frank Demaree goes 6 for 7 (three doubles and three singles), helping the Cubs edge the Cardinals, 13-12, in 14 innings. The Californian adds two more singles in the second game - a 9-7 Chicago victory. The Californian adds two more singles in Chicago’s 9-7 victory in the Wrigley Field nightcap. (1)
• 1947 - Striking out as a pinch hitter in an Indian 6-5 loss to the White Sox, 22-year old Larry Doby becomes the first Black to appear in the American League. The former Newark Eagles standout will play in the major leagues for 13 years, amassing 1,515 hits, just three less than Jackie Robinson. (1,3)
• 1966 - Three seasons after trading future Hall of Famer Lou Brock to the Cardinals for Ernie Broglio, the Cubs send the beleaguered right-hander to their PCL farm team in Tacoma (WA), where he will never be called to the major leagues again. During his dismal tenure with Chicago, the former 20-game winner compiled a woeful 7-19 record and an ERA of 5.40. (1,3,4)
• 1985 - At Wrigley Field, the first three hitters in the Cubs’ announced batting order are Billy Hatcher, Davey Lopes and Ryne Sandberg. After Hatcher walks, Lopes takes a strike before someone in the Cubs’ dugout sees that the lineup card submitted to the umpire has Sandberg listed second and Lopes third. Sandberg then finishes the at-bat (during which Hatcher is picked off) and singles. Lopes, hitting in his proper turn, doubles Sandberg home. All for naught as the Giants beat them, 12-6. (3)
• 2002 - Baseball legend Ted Williams, considered by many the greatest hitter in the history of the game, dies of cardiac arrest at the age of 83. The first-ballot Hall of Famer, who was a lifetime .344 hitter, won the Most Valuable Player Award and the Triple Crown twice, led the American League in batting six times, and hit .406 in 1941 during his 19-year career with the Boston Red Sox. (1,3)
• Cubs birthdays: Pat Wright, Ward Miller, Buck Freeman, Dave Lemonds, Gary Matthews, Rich Gossage HOF, Tim Worrell, Bo Porter, Dave Lemonds.

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.