Baseball history unpacked, October 30

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.

Today in baseball history:

• 1911 - Clark Griffith is named manager of the Washington Senators, beginning a stand in the nation’s capital as manager, then owner, that will last until his death in 1955.
• 1984 - Willie Hernandez of the Detroit Tigers wins the 1984 American League Cy Young Award, edging fellow reliever Dan Quisenberry of the Kansas City Royals. Hernandez posted a 9-3 record with 32 saves and a 1.92 ERA.
• 2000 - Signing a three-year, $2-million contract, broadcaster Bob Brenly is named as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The former major league catcher replaces Buck Showalter, the club’s only manager, who was let go at the end of the season.
• 2016 - The Cubs remain alive in the 2016 World Series with a 3-2 win over Cleveland in Game 5. The Indians score first, on a solo homer by Jose Ramirez off Jon Lester in the second but Chicago scores three against Trevor Bauer in the fourth. Aroldis Chapman* gets the final eight outs to record the save. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Tom Nagle, Rudy Sommers, Kettle Wirts, Roy Joiner, John Burrows, Roe Skidmore. Also notable: Ed Delahanty HOF, Bill Terry HOF, Leon Day HOF.

Today in history:

• 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge.
• 1270 - The Eighth Crusade and siege of Tunis ended by agreement between Charles I of Sicily (brother to King Louis IX of France, who had died months earlier) and the sultan of Tunis.
• 1866 - Jesse James’ gang robs a bank in Lexington, Missouri. The take: $2,000.
• 1873 - P. T. Barnum’s circus, “Greatest Show on Earth,” debuts in New York City.

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.

Some of these items spread from site to site without being verified. That is exactly why we ask for reputable sources if you have differences with a posted factoid, so that we can address that to the originators and provide clarity if not ‘truth’. Nothing is posted here without at least one instance of corroboration (this also includes the history bullets). Thanks for reading, and thanks also for your cooperation.