Baseball history unpacked, May 6

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:

• 1915 - Babe Ruth, pitching for the Boston Red Sox, collects three hits, including his first major league home run when he connects off Jack Warhop of the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds. (1,2)
• 1917 - Bob Groom of the St. Louis Browns duplicates teammate Ernie Koob’s feat of the previous day by pitching a 3-0 no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox in the second game of a doubleheader at Sportsman’s Park. (1,2)
• 1941 - The Brooklyn Dodgers acquire second baseman Billy Herman from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for outfielder Charlie Gilbert, infielder Johnny Hudson, and cash. Herman, struggling with a .194 batting average, will hit .291 for the Dodgers over the balance of the season. (2)
• 1953 - Bobo Holloman of the St. Louis Browns pitches a 6-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics, becoming only the third pitcher in major league history to fire a no-hitter in his first start. Holloman will win only two more games during a brief one-year career and will never pitch another complete game in the majors. (1,2)
• 1994 - Anthony Young wins as a starter for the first time in more than two years as the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-1. The hard-luck pitcher, obtained from the Mets for shortstop Jose Vizcaino, ends his 29-game major league record losing-streak as a starter. (1,2)
• 1998 - Rookie Kerry Wood ties the major league record with 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, pitching a one-hitter to lead the Chicago Cubs over the Houston Astros, 2-0. The 20-year-old right-hander ties the record set by Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox against Seattle in 1986, and matched by Clemens against Detroit in 1996. Wood also breaks the National League record of 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, held by Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver and David Cone, and the rookie record of 18 held by Bill Gullickson. (2)

• 2010 - Robin Roberts dies at age 83 at his home in Temple Terrace, FL. He began his career in 1948 with the Philadelphia Phillies, with whom he had his best seasons. He was named to 7 All-Star teams and went 286-245 in a career that stretched until 1966. He led the National League in wins four times, won 20 or more games during six consecutive seasons, but also gave up a major league record 505 home runs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Tom Baker, Leo Burke, Bill Hands. Also notable: Willie Mays HOF.

Today in world history:

• 1527 - Spanish and German Imperial troops sack Rome, ending the Renaissance.
• 1626 - Dutch colonist Peter Minuit organizes the purchase of Manhattan Island from Native Americans for 60 guilders worth of goods, believed to have been Canarsee Indians of the Lenape.
• 1837 - US blacksmith John Deere creates the first steel plough in Grand Detour, Illinois.
• 1889 - Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) in Paris opens with the recently completed Eiffel Tower serving as the entrance arch.
• 1937 - German airship Hindenburg explodes in flames at Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 35 of the 97 on board and 1 on the ground.
• 1941 - Joseph Stalin becomes Premier of the Soviet Union, replacing his foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov.

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!