Baseball history unpacked, September 22

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:

• 1911 - Cy Young, at age 44, beats the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-0, for his 511th and final major league victory. (1,2)
• 1912 - At Sportsman’s Park against the Browns, Eddie Collins becomes the only player in major league history to steal six bases in one game for a second time. The Philadelphia Athletics’ second baseman’s feat of thievery has yet to be surpassed. It will be 79 years until another major leaguer, Otis Nixon, even ties Collins’ mark. (2)
• 1920 - A Chicago grand jury convenes to investigate charges that eight White Sox players conspired to fix the 1919 World Series. (1)
• 1977 - Bert Blyleven no-hits the Angels, 6-0.
• 1987 - Chicago sends Dickie Noles to the Tigers for a player to be named later. Next month, the right-handed pitcher is returned to the Cubs as that player to be named later.
• 1990 - Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs steals his 300th base in an 11-5 loss to the New York Mets, becoming only the second player in major league history with 300 home runs, 300 steals and 2,000 hits. Willie Mays was the other. (1,2)
• 2002 - Chicago first baseman Fred McGriff becomes the first player to hit 30 home runs in a season for five different teams (Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays, and Cubs). The ‘Crime Dog’s’ first inning PNC poke also sets a record for being the 42nd major league park in which he’s gone yard, one more than Ellis Burks of the Indians. (2,3)
• 2008 - The Mets fall to one game up in the wild card race, losing 9-5 to the Cubs. Chicago clinches home field advantage for the playoffs. Pitcher Jason Marquis hits a grand slam and drives in 5 in the win. It is the second grand slam by a pitcher off New York hurlers this year, the first team since the 1977 Cubs to allow two such slams. Jon Niese takes his first major league loss. (2)
• 2015 - Jake Arrieta of the Cubs becomes the first 20-game winner in the major leagues this year when he defeats the Brewers, 4-0, becoming the first Cubs pitcher tor each the mark since Jon Lieber in 2001. 3B Kris Bryant sets a club record for a rookie by belting his 26th homer. (2)
• 2015 - Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra, winner of three MVP Awards who also holds the all-time record by playing in 14 World Series, passes away at age 90. He is just as famous for his aphorisms, and one of them is appropriate for the occasion: “You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours.” (2)

Cubs birthdays: Doc Marshall, Harry Walker, Harry Bright, Ken Aspromonte, Lou Johnson, Mark Guthrie. Also notable: Bob Lemon HOF, Tommy Lasorda 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.