Baseball history unpacked, September 8

Sep 28, 2022 - 11:00 AM

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:

• 1920 - 1920 - A grand jury indicts eight members of the Chicago White Sox on charges of fixing the 1919 World Series in the “Black Sox Scandal.” (1,2)
• 1930 - The Cubs bring down the season’s curtain as Hack Wilson has his 189th and 190th RBI in a 12-11 victory over the Reds. Wilson’s Major League RBI record will remain untouched. With Riggs Stephenson and Kiki Cuyler each driving in 100 runs, the Cubs have the first all-100 RBI outfield in the 20th century. The Boston outfield in 1894 also had the same credentials. (1)
• 1935 - With nothing on the line, the pennant winning Cubs finally lose to the Cardinals and snap their 21-game win streak. The skein is the longest in the majors since the Giants of 1916 when New York won 26 games and tied one. However, Chicago’s win streak is the longest without a tie since 1880. (1)

Box score.

• 1938 - Gabby Hartnett* hits his famous “Homer in the Gloamin’” in the ninth inning against the Pirates’ Mace Brown to give the Chicago Cubs a 6-5 victory, their ninth straight, at Wrigley Field. It is a key triumph en route to the Cubs’ National League pennant. (1,2)
• 2007 - The Chicago Cubs clinch the NL Central division title with a 6-0 shutout of the Cincinnati Reds, combined with a loss by the Milwaukee Brewers. It is the third different franchise that Cubs’ manager Lou Piniella has led to a division title. For Chicago, Alfonso Soriano hits his 32nd home run of the season, taking Bronson Arroyo deep in the first inning. It is Soriano’s sixth home run leading off a game this month, a new major league record. It is also his 13th homer in September, tying Ernie Banks’ franchise record. (2)
• 2012 - 2B Darwin Barney of the Cubs makes a wild throw to first base after fielding Justin Upton’s ground ball in the eighth inning of the Cubs’ 8-3 loss to the Diamondbacks. The miscue ends Barney’s 141-game errorless streak, tying Placido Polanco’s all-time record for a single season, set in 2007. (2)
• 2015 - Chris Denorfia of the Cubs does something unprecedented when he homers as a pinch-hitter for Fernando Rodney in the bottom of the 11th inning to give his team a 1-0 win over the Royals. His blast off Miguel Almonte is the first-ever pinch-hit, walk-off homer in extra innings in a 1-0 game. (2)

Cubs birthdays: Wilbur Good, Jim Brillheart, Dick Barrett, Dick Gernert, Joey Nation.

Today in world history:

• 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt.
• 1066 William the Conqueror, then Duke of Normandy, invades England landing at Pevensey Bay, Sussex.
• 1542 - Explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo discovers California, at San Diego Bay, naming it San Miguel and claims it for Spain.

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.