Baseball history unpacked, May 20

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:

• 1919 - Babe Ruth wins a game pitching and batting as he hits his first career grand slam in the Boston Red Sox’s 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman’s Park. Box score. (2)
• 1946 - Claude Passeau of the Chicago Cubs makes his first error since September 21, 1941, ending his streak with an all-time pitcher’s fielding record of 273 consecutive errorless chances. Box score. (1,3)
• 1962 - In a doubleheader, Chicago Cubs rookie Ken Hubbs* hits eight singles in eight at bats as the Cubs sweep the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-4 and 11-2. Box score 1. Box score 2. (2)
• 2011 - The Chicago Cubs make their first visit to Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series, but the Red Sox prove to be poor hosts, whacking them, 15-5. The Cubs commit 4 errors and give up 19 hits, while the Sox take advantage of the Green Monster to launch 6 doubles and a pair of homers in its direction. Adrian Gonzalez has 4 hits and 4 RBI in the Sox’s 7th straight win. Box score. (2)

Cubs birthdays: George Grantham, Bobby Murcer, Brian McNichol,

Also notable: Hal Newhouser HOF.

Today in world history:

• 325 - First Council of Nicaea - 1st ecumenical council of Christian bishops at Nicaea, Asia Minor.
• 1293 - Earthquake strikes Kamakura Japan, 30,000 killed.
• 1862 - US President Abraham Lincoln signs into law the Homestead Act to provide cheap land for the settlement of the American West (80 million acres by 1900).
• 1990 - Hubble Space Telescope sends its 1st photographs from space.

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.

*pictured.

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!