Baseball history unpacked, June 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 various narratives to follow as they unfold 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:

• 1894 - Cleveland’s John Clarkson stops the visiting Colts, 7-3. Chicago’s Bill Dahlen, hitting .257, goes 1 for 4 to start a hitting streak, which will reach a then-record 42 games. (2)
• 1905 - A young woman sues the Giants for $500 for injury suffered when a foul ball hit her at a game at the Polo Grounds on September 3, 1904. Judge Chester B. McLaughlin dismisses the suit, ruling that patrons attend baseball games at their own risk. (2)
• 1962 - Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves has the team’s only two hits in a 3-2 win against Willard Hunter of the New York Mets in a six-inning rain-shortened game. Aaron homers in the third and sixth innings and drives in all three of the Braves’ runs, becoming the first player in MLB history to have two homers as his team’s only two hits in a game. (2)
• 1968 - The Cubs lose to the Cardinals, 1-0, for their fifth shutout in a row. During the streak, Fergie Jenkins allows one run in 18 innings, and comes away with a loss and a no-decision, possibly making him rue the low offensive levels of the Year of the Pitcher. (2)
• 1998 - The Cubs’ Sammy Sosa* cranks out his 21st homer in the last 30 days, something no other slugger has ever done. The previous high was 20, set by Ralph Kiner in 1947 and tied by Roger Maris in 1961. Sosa’s 30 days go from May 22nd through June 22nd. (2)
• 2001 - Using the long ball, the Cubs record their first win at Busch Stadium in 13 tries over the last two seasons, beating the Cards, 9-4. Sammy Sosa belts a two-run homer and a grand slam, and makes a diving catch to save a run. Gary Matthews adds a three-run homer. (2)
• 2007 - 2007 - Sammy Sosa cracks his 600th career home run, joining Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays at that level. Jason Marquis allows the shot for the Cubs. In a weird circumstance, Marquis is wearing uniform number 21, which Sosa had worn in his years with the Cubs. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Jim Delahanty, Rip Hagerman, Wayland Dean, Art Schult, Cuno Barragan, Ray Newman, Gary Varsho, Paul Bako, Kevin Gregg, Cole Gillespie.

Today in world history:

• 1214 - The University of Oxford receives its charter.
• 1756 - Black Hole of Calcutta: 146 British soldiers, Anglo-Indian soldiers and Indian civilians are imprisoned in a small dungeon in Calcutta, India where most die from suffocation and heat exhaustion.
• 1787 - Oliver Ellsworth moves at the Federal Convention to call the government the United States.
• 1837 - Queen Victoria at 18 ascends British throne following death of uncle King William IV. She rules for 63 years till 1901.
• 1893 - Lizzie Borden acquitted of the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts.
• 1960 - ”The Huckleberry Hound Show” by Hanna-Barbera becomes the first animated programme to win an Emmy.
• 1967 - Mohammed Ali [Cassius Clay] sentenced to 5 years by jury after 21 minutes of deliberation for refusing to be inducted into the armed forces during the Vietnam War.

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.

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Also please remember that this is supposed to be fun.

Thank you for your cooperation. And thanks for reading!