Baseball history unpacked, September 15

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:

• 1889 - Sioux City (Western Association) sweeps a quadruple-header from visiting St. Joseph winning 6-1, 12-7, 12-5, and 5-4. The first three games are five innings apiece and the fourth game is seven innings. (2)
• 1902 - Chicago’s infield combo of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance pull off their first double play to back up Carl Lundgren’s 6 - 3 win over the Reds. (2)
• 1938 - Brothers Lloyd and Paul Waner hit back-to-back homers for the Pittsburgh Pirates [Box Score] off Cliff Melton of the New York Giants. This was the first time brothers hit successive home runs in a Major League game; the next time will come on April 23, 2013, courtesy of B.J. and Justin Upton of the Atlanta Braves. ! It was Lloyd Waner’s last homer. (1,2)
• 1946 - The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in five innings when the game was called because of gnats. The insects became such a problem for the players, umpires and fans that the game had to be stopped. (1,2)
• 1952 - The Braves play their last game in Boston’s Braves Field before moving to Milwaukee, WI, losing to Brooklyn’s Joe Black 8-2. The Dodgers clinch a tie for the pennant. The crowd of 8,822 is the Braves’ second largest of the season.
• 1963 - All three Alou brothers - Felipe, Matty and Jesus - played in the outfield at the same time for the San Francisco Giants in a 13-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. (1)
• 1977 - The Orioles forfeit to the Blue Jays when manager Earl Weaver pulls his team off the field in the fifth inning citing a hazardous condition - a small tarpaulin held down by bricks on the bullpen mound. The Jays are ahead 4-0 when the forfeit is called. The O’s will end the season tied with the Red Sox at 97-64. (1,2)
• 1985 - The Yankees trade pitcher Jim Deshaies and two other minor leaguers to be named later to the Astros for 40-year-old Joe Niekro, reuniting the Niekro brothers as teammates for the first time since 1974 with the Braves. (2)
• 1993 - The National League announces realignment of its teams into three divisions, with Pittsburgh agreeing to move into the Central Division. (2)
• 1999 - Baseball owners vote to merge the administrative operations of the American and National Leagues. National League President Leonard Coleman, concluding his job has become irrelevant, announces his resignation effective after the World Series. He will become a senior adviser to Commissioner Bud Selig. (2)
• 2002 - The Cubs shut out the Reds, 6-0, as OF Sammy Sosa drives in his 100th run of the season on a three-run home run in the eighth inning. In doing so, he joins Mel Ott and Willie Mays as the only National League players to post eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Speed Martin, Vance Page, Jim Davis, Tom Simpson, Bob Lennon, Freddie Burdette, Jason Hardtke. Also notable: Gaylord Perry HOF.

Common sources:

• (1) — Today in Baseball History.
• (2) — Baseball Reference.
• (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (3) — 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.