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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:
- 1911 - At the West Side Grounds, Red Ames gives the Giants a needed 3-1 victory over the 2nd-place Cubs. (2)
- 1984 - On the final day of the season, Mike Witt uses only 97 pitches to retire 27 consecutive hitters. The Angels’ hurler throws a perfect game against the Rangers and beats Charlie Hough on an unearned run, 1-0. (1,2)
- 1988 - Ronald Reagan, nearing the end of his presidency, throws out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field. The former Cub announcer then spends an inning and a half doing play-by-play with Harry Caray in the WGN television booth. (2)
- 2013 - The Cubs fire manager Dale Sveum* one day after the end of a second straight disappointing season in which they lost 96 games after losing 101 in 2012. (2)
Cubs birthdays: Hal O’Hagan, Alex Hardy, Robin Roberts HOF, Carlos Lezcano, Dave Magadan, Doug Jennings, Yorkis Perez, Curtis Goodwin,
Today in world history:
- 1777 - Continental Congress flees to York, Pennsylvania, as British forces advance.
- 1841 - Samuel Slocum patents the stapler.
- 1929 - 1st manned rocket plane flight (by auto maker Fritz von Opel).
- 1955 - American actor and cultural icon James Dean is killed in a car crash aged 24.
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.