Cubs historical sleuthing: Glenallen Hill edition

Getty Images says:

Cin. Reds Barry Larkin #11 in action vs Chicago Cubs Glenallen Hill #4.; Hill slides safely into 2B

Checks out. That’s definitely Larkin and Hill.

Hill wore 10 different numbers in his career with seven different MLB teams. He had two stints with the Cubs, in 1993-94 and again from 1998-2000. He wore No. 4 for the Cubs in the first stint and No. 6 in the second one.

Hill didn’t play for the Cubs against the Reds after he was acquired in trade in 1993 (for Candy Maldonado in August), so this photo has to be from 1994.

Hill played in five day games (the photo’s obviously from a day game) against the Reds at Wrigley Field in 1994. You can see full ivy on the outfield walls so that eliminates two early May games. Hill went 0-for-4 on July 22 vs. the Reds and 0-for-3 with a walk on July 24, and only went to second base in the latter game advancing while a 5-2-3 double play was being made.

So this play has to be from the game of Saturday, July 23, 1994.

The Cubs had taken a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth, but Kevin Foster, who had thrown eight innings and allowed just three hits, was permitted to start the ninth. Bad idea, Tom Trebelhorn: Foster gave up back-to-back doubles leading off the inning and the game was tied.

In the bottom of the 10th, Hill singled with Sammy Sosa on base, with Sosa taking third. Hill then stole second, which is what we’re looking at here. But the runners were stranded.

Eventually, the Reds scored two runs off Chuck Crim in the 13th and won 3-1. I had to think a bit before I remembered Chuck Crim as a Cub; he had pitched five years in Milwaukee and two in Anaheim before joining the Cubs as a free agent before the ‘94 season. He posted a 4.49 ERA in 49 games and left after the year as a free agent, never to play in the majors again. He did return to MLB for three years recently, as bullpen coach for the Dodgers from 2013-15.