Baseball history unpacked, May 16

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 and change 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.

Today in baseball history:

• 1892 - A Supreme Court decision permitting the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to give reduced rates to groups of 10 or more is a boon to Major League baseball teams, who can expect to save 25 percent on transportation costs. (2)
• 1909 - National League President John Heydler calls a meeting with the league’s umpires to discuss ways that the new two-umpire system can prevent fighting by the players. A serious incident occurred several days earlier in Boston when Reds catcher Frank Roth attacked umpire Steve Cusack after a play at home. Several other Reds players threatened the umpire with baseball bats. (2)
• 1939 - With half the expected crowd on hand due to cold weather, only 15,109 fans at Shibe Park see the Indians defeat the A’s, 8-3, in 10 innings, in the first night game ever played in the American League. Johnny Humphries is the winner over Roy Parmelee. (1,2)
• 1947 - New York’s Johnny Mize scores a run in his 16th straight game, helping his team beat the Cubs, 5-3. Mize, who will lead the National League in runs, eclipses the NL mark of Max Carey and Freddie Lindstrom. Ted Kluszewski will better the league mark in seven years. (2)
• 1948 - At Wrigley Field, the Cubs spot the Reds an 8-1 lead in the 2nd inning, then roar back to win, 13-11. Box score. (2)
• 1968 - In Los Angeles, the Cubs’ Rich Nye tops Don Sutton, 1-0, in a “Year of the Pitcher” special. (2)
• 1972 - With a Ruthian blast off Burt Hooton at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium, left fielder Greg Luzinski ”rings” the Liberty Bell hanging in dead center field on fourth level. The 500-foot clanger will account for the Phillies’ only run as they lose to the Cubs, 8-1. Rick Monday hits a single and three consecutive home runs, driving in five runs for Chicago. (2)
• 1996 - Sammy Sosa becomes the first Cub ever to hit two homers in one inning, hitting them in the eight-run 7th inning at Wrigley Field. The slugger accomplishes the feat leading off the 7th with a solo shot off Jeff Tabaka and then hits a two-run round tripper off Jim Dougherty. The Cubs roll over the Astros, 13-1, as rookie Amaury Telemaco, recalled two days ago from the Iowa Cubs, allows just one hit in seven shutout innings. (2)
• 1997 - In Chicago, the Cubs erupt for 21 hits in clubbing the Padres, 16-7. Sammy Sosa goes 4 for 4 with a career-high six RBIs. Brian McRae also has four hits for the Cubs. (2)
• 2001 - Connecting off Astros P Shane Reynolds, Cub outfielder Sammy Sosa hits his 14th home run of the year to become the 33rd major leaguer to reach 400 career homers. Sosa has hit 371 homers as a Cub, putting him third on the all-time Cub list behind Ernie Banks (512) and Billy Williams (392). (2)
• 2017 - Manager Joe Maddon earns his 1,000th career win as the Cubs defeat Cincinnati, 9-5, thanks to homers by Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Ian Happ. The win brings the Cubs back to .500 on the season. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Howard Fitzgerald, Rube Walker, Ben Johnson, Rick Reuschel, Mitch Webster, Bob Patterson, Jake Jewell. Also notable: Jack Morris HOF.

Today in world history:

• 1532 - Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England.
• 1817 - Mississippi River steamboat service begins.
• 1860 - Chicago: Republican convention selects Abraham Lincoln as candidate.
• 1875 - Earthquake in Venezuela & Colombia kills 16,000.
• 1911 - Remains of a neanderthal man found on Jersey, Channel Islands.
• 1960 - Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser, at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.

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.

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!