Baseball history unpacked, September 25

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:

• 1889 - The Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players’ organizational plan for a new Players League is leaked to the press. It calls for clubs to be owned jointly by players and capitalists. (2)
• 1930 - Joe McCarthy, not receiving the support of Cubs owner William Wrigley, resigns as manager. Rogers Hornsby is named to finish the season. (2)
• 1935 - In a showdown series in St. Louis, the Cubs edge the second-place Cardinals, 1-0. Paul Dean strikes out the first four Cub batters before young Phil Cavarretta drives a home run on top of the roof in right field for the only score of the game. Lon Warneke gives up just two hits and walks none in winning his 20th game. It is the Cubs’ 19th straight win, and they are now assured of at least a tie for the pennant. (2)
• 1955 - Detroit OF Al Kaline becomes the youngest batting champ in history, as he takes the American League crown at age 20. (1,2)
• 1966 - In a matchup of Jewish pitchers, the Cubs’ Ken Holtzman outduels Sandy Koufax to win, 2-1. The Dodgers go hitless over the first eight innings. Holtzman, who spent much of the season in military service, will finish the year at 9-0, the first pitcher since Howie Krist (10-0) in 1940 to win that many without a loss. (2)
• 1981 - The Phils drub the Cubs, 9-2, behind Mike Schmidt and Gary Matthews. Mathews drives in five runs while Schmidt adds his 11th homer in his last 12 games at Wrigley Field. He has hit 33 there. (2)
• 1983 - Bob Forsch of the St. Louis Cardinals pitched the second no-hitter of his career, defeating Montreal 3-0. (1)
• 1986 - Houston’s Mike Scott pitches a 2-0 no-hitter against the Giants at the Astrodome, clinching the National League West title for the Astros. It is the first time a division has ever been decided by a no-hitter, and the third consecutive game in which Astros pitchers have allowed two hits or less.
• 1989 - At Montreal, the Cubs blow a chance to clinch a tie in the National League East, losing, 4-3, in 10 innings, but back into the tie anyway when St. Louis loses later on. Andre Dawson* homers twice off Bryn Smith, his second a bizarre inside-the-park blow that gives the Cubs a 3-2 lead. Dawson flies deep to CF Dave Martinez, who catches the ball but suffers a painful muscle pull doing so and drops to the ground. Dawson keeps running as Martinez’s teammates surround him. The ball is finally thrown in after Dawson touches home plate. Although at no time did the ball touch the ground or the fence, the umpires award Dawson a homer over howls of protest. Martinez misses the remainder of the series. (2)
• 1995 - Cubs P Frank Castillo one-hits the Cardinals, winning by a score of 7-0. Castillo strikes out 13, walks two, and allows only a triple to OF Bernard Gilkey. (2)
• 1998 - By hitting a 462-foot blast at the Astrodome, Sammy Sosa hits #66 (and his final homer of the season) to take the lead in the home run race. Less than an hour later, however, Mark McGwire also hits his 66th in the Cardinals’ 6-5 victory over the Expos to tie the Cub outfielder in the historic home run race. (2)
• 2001 - The Pirates rout the Cubs, 13-1. Craig Wilson, after getting hits in each of the final three innings of Pittsburgh’s last game, gets hits in each of the first three innings against Chicago, giving him hits in six consecutive innings, against six different pitchers, a major league mark. Cubs pitchers fan 10 Pirates, giving them 1,250 Ks for the year for a new major league mark as well. (2)
• 2003 - Sammy Sosa becomes the first National Leaguer to have at least 100 RBI nine seasons in a row. The Cubs right fielder surpasses Mel Ott and Willie Mays who had accomplished the feat eight straight seasons, and joins Rafael Palmeiro and Jimmie Foxx as the only players in major league history to hit 35 home runs and 100 RBI for nine consecutive seasons. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Dick Harley, Dave Robertson, Pat Malone, Ed Putman, David Weathers, Tony Womack, Kyle Ryan, Matt Swarmer. Also notable: Phil Rizzuto HOF.

Today in history:

• 1066 - Battle of Stamford Bridge: English army under King Harold II defeat invading Norwegians led by King Harald Hardrada and Harold’s brother Tostig, who were both killed.
• 1639 - First printing press in America set up in Cambridge under the guaranty of Harvard College.
• 1789 - US Congress proposes the Bill of Rights.
• 1804 - Twelfth Amendment to the US Constitution, establishing the procedure for electing the President and Vice President, becomes effective.

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.