Baseball history unpacked, April 29

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, with plenty of the lore and deep dives into various narratives that we can observe as they expand over the course of time. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along. We also include Cubs’ player birthdays and a bit of world history, for context. Perfectly useful information, largely unread. Enjoy!

Today in baseball history:

• 1902 - Baltimore Orioles infielder John McGraw is hit by pitches five times, but home plate umpire Jack Sheridan refuses to allow him to take first base. In the 9th inning, McGraw is hit for the last time and sits down in the batter’s box in protest. American League president Ban Johnson will suspend McGraw for five games. (2)
• 1913 - Wearing the uniforms of the Chicago White Sox, the Cincinnati Reds lose to the Chicago Cubs, 7-2, at West Side Grounds. Cincinnati forgot to pack uniforms and has to don those of their opponents’ crosstown rivals. (2)
• 1931 - Wes Ferrell of the Cleveland Indians pitches a 7-0 no-hitter over the St. Louis Browns, whose roster includes his brother, Rick. Wes helps his own cause with a home run, a double, and four RBI. (1,2)
• 1986 - Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox sets a major league record by striking out 20 batters in a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. The 23-year-old Clemens surpasses the record of 19 strikeouts shared by Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, and Tom Seaver. (1,2)
• 1987 - Andre Dawson collects five hits and hits for the cycle to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 8-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants. (2)
• 2005 - In the first matchup between 300-game winners in almost 18 years, Greg Maddux outduels Roger Clemens in the Chicago Cubs’ 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The last such showdown occurred in 1987 when Don Sutton of the California Angels defeated Steve Carlton of the Minnesota Twins. Maddux earns his first win of season and 306th of his career, allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings.

Cubs birthdays: Frank Hankinson, Freddy Rodriguez, Billy Petrick**. Also notable: Luis Aparicio HOF.

Today in world history:

• 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives at the siege of Orleans.
• 1553 - Flemish woman introduces practice of starching linen into England.
• 1813 - Ist US Rubber patent granted to Jacob F. Hummel.
• 1953 - The first U.S. experimental 3D-TV broadcast showed an episode of Space Patrol on Los Angeles ABC affiliate KECA-TV.
• 1968 - ”Hair” opens at Biltmore Theater NYC for 1750 performances.
• 1990 - Wrecking cranes began tearing down the Berlin Wall at the Brandenburg Gate.

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.
• For world history.

And thanks to JohnW53 and our other reader for additional wisdom.

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.

Also please remember that this is supposed to be fun.

Thank you for your cooperation. And thanks for reading!

**pictured.