Baseball history unpacked, May 3

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:

• 1896 - With an overflow crowd of 17,231 at West Side Grounds, the umpire rules that any ball hit into the crowd is a ground rule triple. The Chicago Colts take advantage and crack nine triples, including three by Bill Dahlen, to crush the St. Louis Browns, 16-7. (2)
• 1927 - In the first match-up of pitching brothers in major league history, Jesse Barnes defeats his brother Virgil Barnes in the Brooklyn Robins’ 7-6 victory over the New York Giants. (2)
• 1936 - Joe DiMaggio makes his major league debut for the New York Yankees and has three hits in a 14-5 victory over the St. Louis Browns. (2)
• 1959 - Charlie Maxwell of the Detroit Tigers hits four consecutive home runs in a doubleheader sweep of the New York Yankees, 4-2 and 8-2, at Briggs Stadium. (2)
• 1961 - Another brilliant Warren Spahn performance is spoiled when left fielder Mel Roach’s misplay costs the Milwaukee Braves’ ace a second no-hitter in a row. Spahn settles for a two-hitter in topping the Dodgers, 4-1. (1,2)
• 1979 - Bobby Bonds hits his 300th home run against Moose Haas in a 6-1 loss to Milwaukee. He has 413 stolen bases at the time and becomes the second player, after Willie Mays, to have 300 stolen bases and 300 home runs.
• 1980 - Ferguson Jenkins of the Texas Rangers becomes the fourth pitcher in major league history to win 100 or more games in each league. Jenkins beats the Baltimore Orioles, 3-2 at Arlington Stadium, as he joins Cy Young, Jim Bunning and Gaylord Perry in the exclusive club. (1,2)
• 1986 - Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Cey hits his 300th and 301st career home runs and Chicago scores four times in the top of the 9th inning to beat the Giants, 6-5. (1,2)
• 2012 - Ryan Dempster of the Cubs and Homer Bailey of the Reds both celebrate their birthday by pitching against each other. It is believed to be the first time in major league history that opposing starting pitchers are both pitching on their birthdays. (2) The Cubs ended up losing in 10 innings.

Cubs birthdays: George Gore, John Hollison, Ralph Michaels, Chris Cannizzaro, Davey Lopes, Joe Kmak, Ryan Dempster.

Also notable: Eppa Rixey HOF, Red Ruffing HOF.

Today in history:

• 1374 BC - Solar eclipse (2m 07s) seen at Ugarit by Mesopotamian astronomers “On the day of the new moon, in the month of Hiyar, the Sun was put to shame, and went down in the daytime, with Mars in attendance.”
• 1558 - Ferdinand I officially appointed Holy Roman Emperor after his brother Charles abdicated in 1556.
• 1715 - Edmond Halley observes total eclipse phenomenon “Baily’s Beads”.
• 1910 - Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States is renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
• 1948 - 1st broadcast of “CBS Evening News” - longest running network news show in the US.
• 1973 - Chicago’s Sears Tower, world’s tallest building, topped out.

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.