Baseball history unpacked, May 22

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:

• 1907 - American League umpire Billy Evans needs a police escort after argumentative Detroit Tigers manager Hughie Jennings incites a riot. Jennings will be suspended. (2)
• 1912 - In an attempt to shake up the team, the Pirates send veteran Tommy Leach and pitcher Lefty Leifield to Chicago for 29-year-old Solly Hofman and pitcher King Cole. Cole, 40-13 in 2+ years of pitching, will be a poor contributor, eventually pitching in just 17 games for Pittsburgh before ending his career with the Highlanders. (2)
• 1926 - Before the Braves-Cubs game at Wrigley Field, Grover Cleveland Alexander is given the keys to a Lincoln automobile, a gift from the fans. The Braves then cuff Alex around and win, 7-1. When the Cubs end their homestand, Alexander will be left behind in Chicago, and then waived. (2)
• 1952 - The Celler committee finds legislation for government control of baseball to be unnecessary. It says that the sport can solve its own problems, and opposes legislation exempting the reserve clause from antitrust laws. (2)
• 1968 - At Wrigley Field, Pirates slugger Willie Stargell hits three home runs and just misses a fourth in a 13-6 rout over the Cubs. “Pops” also hits a single and a double which bounces off the railing in left field fence back onto the playing field. (1,2)
• 1990 - Andre Dawson sets a major-league record when he is intentionally walked five times during a 16-inning, 2-1 Cubs win over the Reds. Cincinnati issues seven intentional passes altogether to tie a major-league record set by Houston in 1984. (2)
• 2003 - Arturo Moreno purchases the World Champion Angels from Walt Disney for $184 million to become the third owner in the 43-year history of the franchise. The 56-year-old outdoor advertising tycoon, who is a fourth-generation Mexican-American, is the first Latino to have a controlling interest in a major league club. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Hooks Warner, Mel Kerr, Frank Coggins, Jim Colborn, Julian Tavarez, Chad Tracy, Eric Sogard, Jaye Chapman. Also notable: Al Simmons HOF.

Today in history:

• 334 BC - The Macedonian army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus.
• 760 - 14th recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet.
• 1761 - 1st life insurance policy in North America issued in Philadelphia.
• 1849 - Abraham Lincoln receives a patent (only US President to do so) for a device to lift a boat over shoals and obstructions.
• 1992 - NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Chicago Blackhawks beat Edmonton Oilers, four games to none.

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.