Baseball history unpacked, September 24

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:

• 1904 - Cubs P Bob Wicker, who pitched a 12-inning one-hitter in June, allows just one hit in regulation in beating Brooklyn, 4-0. Chicago also takes the nitecap, 7-4, in seven innings. (2)
• 1906 - The Cubs pound the Giants twice to complete a three-game sweep in New York. Chicago wins the opener, 6-2, then jumps on Christy Mathewson for 16 hits and 10 runs to win, 10-5, in eight innings. Jimmy Sheckard has four hits off Matty.
• 1908 - Harry Pulliam upholds Hank O’Day’s delayed decision and declares the previous day’s controversial game between the Giants and Cubs a tie, a decision nobody likes. The Cubs demand the game be forfeited to them as the crowd prevented play from continuing, although darkness would have soon ended it. Both teams appeal. Pulliam sees no inconsistency with the September 4th incident that was similar to Merkle’s Boner and claims he has merely upheld his umpire on a question of fact in each case. Meanwhile, the Giants beat the Cubs, 5-4, after almost blowing a 5-0 lead. Hooks Wiltse is relieved by Christy Mathewson, and the official scorer awards the win to Matty. The loss goes to Three Finger Brown, his first loss to Mathewson since June 13, 1905. (2)
• 1916 - Marty Kavanagh, Indians utility man, hits the American League’s first pinch-hit grand slam for Cleveland in a 5-3 win over the Red Sox. The ball rolls through a hole in the fence and cannot be retrieved in time for a play at the plate. (1)
• 1975 - Tom Seaver’s bid for a no-hitter is again spoiled in the ninth by a little-known Cub batter. This time it is Joe Wallis who lines a two-out single for Chicago’s first hit. Seaver retires the next hitter, but there is no score through nine innings. The Cubs tally two more hits in the 10th, but fail to score. When Skip Lockwood relieves Seaver in the 11th, Chicago finally scores to win, 1-0. (2)
• 1976 - Chicago Cub Bill Madlock suffers bruises and a slight concussion when he is mugged in New York City. Chicago then gets mugged by the Mets, 4-3. (2)

Great Madlock article from SI.

• 1979 - With a week to go, Herman Franks resigns as Cubs manager, and is replaced by Joe Amalfitano. After resigning, Franks criticizes a number of Cubs players, including Barry Foote, Mike Vail, Bill Buckner and Ted Sizemore. (2)
• 1984 - Rick Sutcliffe pitches a two-hitter in a 4-1 win over Pittsburgh to clinch the National League East title for the Cubs, who will be making their first post-season appearance since 1945. The win is Sutcliffe’s 14th in a row. Sutcliffe strikes out nine Bucs, including Joe Orsulak for the final out. (1,2)
• 2017 - The Cubs’ principal mid-season acquisition, P José Quintana, shuts out the Brewers on three hits in a 5-0 win in the final game of a four-game series at Miller Park. By winning three of four against their closest rivals, the Cubs have increased their lead in the NL Central to 5½ games and lowered their magic number to two.

Cubs birthdays: John Kane, Mike González, Dick Nen, Rafael Palmeiro, Mario Encarnacion, Jake Buchanan.

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.