Baseball history unpacked, August 31

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:

• 1909 - The A.J. Reach Company is granted a patent for its cork-centered baseball, which will replace the hard rubber-cored one. This change will be particularly apparent in the National League in 1910 and 1911. (1,2)
• 1915 - At the Polo Grounds, Cubs hurler Jimmy Lavender no-hits the Giants, 2-0.
• 1935 - In the first no-hitter thrown in Comiskey Park history, Vern Kennedy holds the Indians hitless and triples home three runs in a 5-0 White Sox win. (1, 2)
• 1948 - Before 45,531 at Wrigley Field, the last-place Cubs beat the first-place Dodgers, 3-0 and 7-2. Hank Borowy stops Brooklyn on one hit in the opener - a single by Gene Hermanski - and faces just 27 batters. He hurls 100 pitches, while Bob Scheffing drives in all three runs. Doyle Lade wins the nitecap. (2)
• 1959 - Sandy Koufax breaks Dizzy Dean’s National League mark and ties Bob Feller’s major league record of 18 strikeouts in a game against the Giants as 82,974 fans watch. He also totals 31 strikeouts for two consecutive games to set a new major league mark. (The major league record for strikeouts in a game is now shared by Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood, while Wood holds the record with 33 strikeouts over two games.)
• 1989 - Arbitrator Thomas Roberts orders the Major League owners to pay $10.5 million in damages as a result of their collusion against free agents after the 1985 season. (1,2)
• 1989 - Minutes before the postseason rosters must be filed, the Cubs obtain 3B Luis Salazar and OF Marvell Wynne from San Diego in exchange for P Calvin Schiraldi, OF Darrin Jackson and 1B Phil Stephenson. Salazar will play a key role in the Cubs’ title run, while of the three new Pad people, only Jackson will perform decently. (2)
• 1997 - The Cubs trade vet SS Shawon Dunston to the Pirates in exchange for a player to be named. (2)
• 1998 - Cubs OF Sammy Sosa ties Mark McGwire by hitting his 55th home run in Chicago’s 5-4 win over Cincinnati. Sosa has hit 30 of his homers at Wrigley Field, three short of Hack Wilson’s Cub record and tying him with Ernie Banks. (2)
• 2007 - The Chicago Cubs reacquire former hurler Steve Trachsel* for the stretch run. They send Scott Moore and Rocky Cherry to the Baltimore Orioles in return for the veteran. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Duke Farrell, Ray Mack, Cleo James, Ramon Webster, Boots Day. Also notable: Eddie Plank HOF, Ray Dandridge HOF, Frank Robinson HOF.

Today in world history:

• 1422 - Henry VI becomes King of England at the age of 9 months.
• 1888 - The body of Jack the Ripper’s first victim, Mary Ann Nichols, is found in Whitechapel in London’s East End.
• 1889 - Second International Electrical Congress adopts the joule as unit of energy (after James Prescott Joule), the watt as unit of power (after James Watt) and the quadrant as unit of electrical inductance (later renamed henry).
• 1897 - Thomas Edison patents the Kinetoscope [kinetographic camera], a device which produces moving pictures.
• 1920 - Detroit radio station 8MK (now WWJ, 950AM) is 1st to broadcast a news program on the air.
• 1955 - 1st sun-powered automobile demonstrated (Chicago, Illinois).
• 1987 - The Great Potato Incident: Minor league Williamsport Bills catcher Dave Bresnahan attempts to lure an opposing baserunner off third base using a potato carved to look like a baseball. Umpire calls runner safe, and the catcher is fined $50 and released by the team.
• 1997 Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a car crash in a road tunnel in Paris.

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