Baseball history unpacked, August 2

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:

• 1881 - With his team already ahead in the eighth inning, 5-0, White Stockings (Cubs) outfielder Abner Dalrymple becomes the first player to be intentionally walked with the bases loaded. Buffalo Bisons’ right-hander Jack Lynch gives up the run-producing free pass in an eventual 11-2 Chicago victory. (1,3)
• 1900 - Following a disputed call in a 7-6 loss to Chicago, New York manager George Davis leads the crowd in an assault on umpire Adonis Terry. Clark Griffith emerges with the win for Chicago. (3)
• 1907 - The Senators’ 19-year-old rookie right-hander Walter Johnson makes his major league debut, losing to the Tigers, 3-2. With a bunt single, Ty Cobb gets the first hit off of the future Hall of Famer, who will finish with a 417-279 (.599) record while compiling an ERA of 2.17 during his 21-year big-league tenure, all with Washington. (1,3)
• 1910 - At the Polo Grounds, the Giants score four runs in the first off Orval Overall, but Overall tightens his belt and allows no more scoring. The Cubs come back with five runs off Christy Mathewson to win, 5-4. (3)
• 1921 - A Chicago jury brings in a verdict of not guilty against the Black Sox. That night, jurors and defendants celebrate with a party in an Italian restaurant. Ignoring the verdict, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis bans all eight defendants from baseball for life. (2,3,4)
• 1932 - Cubs GM Bill Veeck, Sr. announces Charlie Grimm will take over for Rogers Hornsby, who was fired today as the skipper of the second-place club. The popular ‘Jolly Cholly,’ who inherits the job in part due to his predecessor’s indebtedness to his players to cover gambling debts, starts by winning 20 of 25 games as the team’s player-manager and will lead the team to the National League pennant this season. (1,3)
• 1938 - Bright yellow baseballs designed by Frederick Rah, who believes the visibility of the dandelion-hue sphere will help players avoid getting hit by a pitch, are used in the first game of a doubleheader. The one-game experiment draws mixed reactions, and the Dodgers complete their sweep of the twin bill from the Cardinals, 6-2 and 9-3, using the traditional white ball in the nightcap. (1)
• 1955 - “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks hits his fourth grand slam of the season, tying the major league record, as Bob Rush bests the Pirates, 12-4. (3)
• 1993 - The Cubs defeat the Pirates, 12-10, in a game marked by seven home runs.

Box score.

• 2011 - The Cubs hit six homers, including two by Alfonso Soriano, as they beat the Pirates, 11-6, in Pittsburgh. Briefly in first place in the NL Central in late July, Pittsburgh has now lost five straight and 10 of 13 and risks falling out of the playoff race entirely. Also homering for the Cubbies are Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, Marlon Byrd and Tyler Colvin; Garrett Jones goes deep twice for the Pirates, and Brandon Wood once. (3)

Cubs birthdays: Lloyd Merriman, Derek Botelho, Matt Guerrier, Brett Jackson.

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.

Thanks for reading!