Baseball history unpacked, August 1

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:

• 1905 - Cubs manager Frank Selee resigns and is replaced by Frank Chance, who is elected manager in a narrow vote among the players. Selee, suffering from tuberculosis, had not been making road trips, and Chance has been serving as road manager. Selee, who fashioned the team that will dominate the second half of the decade, retires to Colorado. The visiting Phillies overcome a 5-0 deficit to down Chicago, 7-6, in 11 innings. (2)
• 1906 - Brooklyn’s Harry McIntire loses his no-hitter in the eleventh inning when Pittsburgh’s Claude Ritchey reaches on a single. McIntire loses the game 1-0 on an unearned run in the 13th. (1,2)
• 1913 - At Chicago, the Giants win, 5-2, on a controversial call in the 8th inning. Art Fletcher is called safe at second base by umpire Bill Byron on an steal attempt, prompting a shower of abuse from the crowd. Moments later, Fletcher scores the go-ahead run on a triple by Chief Meyers off Bert Humphries. The beneficiary of the offense is Christy Mathewson, who wins his 20th game, the 11th straight season he’s topped the mark. (2)
• 1915 - The Cubs beat the Phillies, 2-1. When OF Possum Whitted misses a shoestring catch on a line drive by Heinie Zimmerman, Zim circles the bases for a homer to beat Grover Cleveland Alexander. (2)
• 1951 - The Cubs’ Eddie Miksis lines a ball to Willie Mays in CF, which caroms off his head for a double, as the Cubs nip the Giants, 3-2. Cal McLish wins over Larry Jansen. The Giants come back in the second game behind the shutout pitching of Al Corwin to top the Cubs, 2-0. Bob Kelly is the losing pitcher, while Corwin wins his first major league game. (2)
• 1962 - Bill Monbouquette of the Boston Red Sox pitched a no-hitter to beat the White Sox, 1-0, in Chicago. (1,2)
• 1983 - Joe Carter of the Chicago Cubs gets his first major league hit - a single off Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium. The Phillies win, 2-1, as Carlton strikes out 12 Cubs batters. (2)
• 1987 - Andre Dawson hits three home runs, his 29th, 30th and 31st, and drives in all five Chicago runs as the Cubs beat the Phillies, 5-3. (2)

• 2005 - Rafael Palmeiro becomes the highest-profile player to be suspended for violating Major League Baseball’s steroids policy. The Orioles first baseman, who denies knowingly taking any banned substances, stated this spring to the House Government Reform Committee that published allegations by Jose Canseco of his steroids use were “absolutely false” and had considered suing his former teammate over the accusation. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Ed Gastfield, Harry Croft, Howard Freigau, Howard Freigau, Greg Gross*, Brandon Kintzler.

Today in world history:

• 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus) enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Republic.
• 527 - Justinian I becomes the sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire.
• 1096 - The People’s Crusade led by Peter the Hermit arrives at Constantinople with 30,000 followers.
• 1774 - English chemist Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen by isolating it in its gaseous state.
• 1876 - Colorado becomes 38th state of the Union.
• 1946 - US President Harry Truman establishes Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
• 1971 - George Harrison’s benefit concerts for Bangladesh (2 shows) take place at Madison Square Garden, NYC; performers include Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, and Leon Russell.

• 1981 - MTV premieres at 12:01 AM.

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.

Also please remember that this is supposed to be fun.

Thank you for your cooperation. And thanks for reading!