Chicago Cubs history unpacked — October 12

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Glenn Beckert, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1907 – Chicago Cubs pitcher Three Finger Brown shuts down the Detroit Tigers, 2 – 0, to win the World Series. Chicago steals four bases for a total of 18 in the five-game Series, winning four, and the other ending in a tie, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1920 – Future Hall of Famer Stan Coveleski of the Cleveland Indians wins his third game of the World Series, a 3-0 shutout of the Brooklyn Robins. The victory gives the Indians the World Championship, five games to two.
• 1967 – Future Hall of Famer Bob Gibson hits a home run and strikes out ten batters in leading the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Championship over the Boston Red Sox. Gibson allows only three hits as the Cardinals win Game 7, 7-2.
• 1972 – The Oakland Athletics take the American League pennant with a 2-1 win in Game 5 of the ALCS over the Detroit Tigers. The A’s Reggie Jackson steals home, but pulls a hamstring in the process, sidelining him for the World Series.
• 1974 – Oakland slugger Reggie Jackson connects for a home run off Andy Messersmith, and pitcher Ken Holtzman scores the second run in the fifth inning on a suicide squeeze. Oakland wins the World Series opener, 3-2, as the Dodgers strand 12 baserunners.
• 1982 – Paul Molitor of the Milwaukee Brewers sets a World Series record by collecting five hits against the St. Louis Cardinals as Brewers starter Mike Caldwell posts a 10-0 shutout in Game 1.
• 1987 – The Minnesota Twins beat Detroit, 9-5, in Game 5 of the ALCS to wrap up their first American League title since 1965. Twins third baseman Gary Gaetti is named ALCS MVP.
• 1988 – Orel Hershiser of the Los Angeles Dodgers blanks the New York Mets on five hits to win the National League Championship Series. Hershiser, who is named the series MVP, vaults the Dodgers into the World Series.
• 1990 – Danny Jackson, Norm Charlton and Randy Myers combine on a one-hitter as Cincinnati beats the Pirates, 2-1, to win the NLCS in six games.
• 1991 – The Blue Jays chase Minnesota Twins starter Kevin Tapani for the second time in the ALCS, but Minnesota’s bullpen holds strong and its bats speak, leading to six unanswered runs in Game 5 as the Twins win their third American League pennant.
• 1993 – The Toronto Blue Jays, behind the strong pitching of Dave Stewart, beat the Chicago White Sox, 6-3, to win the ALCS in six games.
• 1997 – Florida Marlins rookie Livan Hernandez matches Mike Mussina‘s one-day old League Championship Series pitching record, with 15 strikeouts in a three-hit, 2-1 win in Game 5 of the NLCS. Hernandez, who would not have started if not for an injury to Alex Fernandez, wins his second game of the Series and earns MVP honors.
• 2001 – Atlanta defeats the Houston Astros, 6-2, to sweep their Division Series and move into the National League Championship Series for the ninth time in ten seasons. Paul Bako, Julio Franco and Chipper Jones hit home runs to back the solid pitching of starter John Burkett.
• 2009 – The Phillies advance to the NLCS thanks to a ninth-inning rally that gives them a 5-4 win over Colorado in Game 4 of their NLDS at Coors Field. After the Rockies score three times in the eighth, closer Huston Street is unable to hold the 4-2 lead, giving up a two-run double to Ryan Howard and a run-scoring single to Jayson Werth. For the second straight night, Brad Lidge records the save for the Phils.
• 2012 – The Cardinals move on to the NLCS with another dramatic comeback, pulling out a 9-7 win over the Nationals in Game 5 of the NLDS, after trailing by six runs. With St. Louis trailing, 7-5, in the top of the ninth, Carlos Beltran hits a lead-off double, but Drew Storen retires the next two batters; however, Yadier Molina and David Freese both draw walks on full counts and Daniel Descalso hits a shot just off the glove of SS Ian Desmond to tie the game. Pete Kozma follows with a single to score two more runs. Jason Motte then pitches a scoreless bottom of the 9th to give St. Louis another stunning postseason win.
• 2012 – Behind CC Sabathia, the Yankees fight off the pesky Orioles, 3-1, in Game 5 of the ALDS. Sabathia allows only four hits in a dominant complete game effort. With Alex Rodriguez on the bench, New York scores twice in six innings against Jason Hammel, and Curtis Granderson adds a solo homer in the 7th.
• 2021 – The Astros win Game 4 of the Division Series, 10-1 over the White Sox, and will meet the Red Sox in the ALCS. The White Sox score first on a homer by Gavin Sheets in the second, but it’s all Houston after that, as they get a run in five of the last seven innings. Jose Altuve scores four runs and drives in three to lead the charge from the lead-off spot.
• 2021 – The Braves come back twice from being two runs down against the Brewers in Game 4 of the NLDS, before Freddie Freeman homers off Josh Hader in the eighth for the go-ahead run. The 5-4 win sends the Braves to the NLCS.
• 2021 – The other NLDS will go to the limit after the Dodgers defeat the Giants, 7-2, in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium. They chase Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani in the second inning and keep piling on runs, scoring in four of the first five innings, and leaving the bases loaded in the other. Mookie Betts and Will Smith both go deep for L.A.
• 2023 – Nick Castellanos homers twice to propel the Phillies into the NLCS with a 3-1 win over the Braves in Game 4 of the Division Series. For Castellanos, it is a second consecutive game with two homers, something he is the first to accomplish in the postseason. 
• 2024 – A grand slam by Lane Thomas off Tarik Skubal in the fifth inning is the key blow as the Guardians defeat the Tigers, 7-3, in Game 5 of the ALDS. The Guardians rely heavily on their bullpen, as starter Matthew Boyd leaves after just two scoreless innings in what is a pre-determined strategy.

Today in Cubs history:

• 1929 – Trailing the Chicago Cubs, 8-0, in Game 4 of the World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics score 10 runs in the seventh inning to win, 10 – 8.
• 2003 – Josh Beckett throws his first complete game in 51 career starts, allowing two hits and striking out 11, as Florida shuts out the Cubs, 4-0, in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Beckett ties an NLCS record for fewest hits allowed in a complete game.
• 2011 – The Chicago Cubs agree on a five-year contract with Theo Epstein to be their new team President. Epstein built the Boston Red Sox team that won two World Series in 2004 and 2007, but was shaken by the team’s brutal September collapse this season, following manager Terry Francona‘s departure by a few days. The deal won’t be made official for another two weeks, and Boston and Chicago will need to agree on compensation as Epstein still has a year to go on his contract.
• 2015 – The Cubs hit six homers in defeating the Cardinals, 8-6, in Game 3 of the other NLDS. The hitters are Kyle Schwarber, Starlin Castro, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Jorge Soler and Dexter Fowler. Jake Arrieta is not his usually dominant self, but still strikes out nine in 5.2 innings to earn the win over Michael Wacha, who gives up three of the long balls.
• 2017 – The woes of the Nationals in the Division Series continue, as they again fail to advance to the next round of the postseason, losing Game 5 at home, 9-8, to the Cubs. In a wild and sloppy game, Washington jumps ahead, 4-1 after two innings thanks to homers by Daniel Murphy and Michael Taylor off Kyle Hendricks, but Chicago comes back with a pair of runs in the 3rd, and a brutal four-run inning against ace Max Scherzer, pitching in relief in the fifth. Both teams will add a few runs in the later innings, but Chicago’s lead holds to the end as Washington loses at this stage for the fourth time since 2012, and three times in a decisive fifth game in which they held a lead at one point.

Cubs Birthdays: Casey McGehee, Tanyon Sturtze, Derrick White, Jorge Pedre, Glenn Beckert*, Lou Novikoff, Walter Signer, Dick Cotter, Malachi Kittridge. Also notable: Joe Cronin HOF. Rick Ferrell HOF. Pete Hill HOF.

Today in history:

• 1859 – Jules Leotard performs the first flying trapeze circus act in Paris; he also designs the garment that bears his name.
• 1892 – Pudge Heffelfinger receives $500 to become first professional football player in the Allegheny Athletic Association’s 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Athletic Club.
• 1966 – Buzz Aldrin takes the first “space selfie,” a photo of himself performing extravehicular activity in space during the Gemini 12 mission.
• 1972 – Charity concert for United Crusade (now United Way) in San Diego, California attracts nearly 52,000; performers include: J. Geils Band, Jesse Colin Young, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Foghat, and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show.
• 1984 – Paul McCartney releases single “We All Stand Together”.
• 1990 – “The Body Bag Game” – after Eagles coach Buddy Ryan threatens beating Redskins so badly “they’ll have to be carted off in body bags” the Eagles defense score three touchdowns winning 28–14, knocking 8 Redskins out of the game.
• 2019 – Former Houston Astros MLB pitcher Mike Fiers reveals team secretly “stole signs” via camera from visiting teams 2015-17; signs between opposing pitchers and catchers are intercepted and relayed to Astros batters.
• 2025 – Final US penny is minted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; manufacturing cost of the1-cent coin, produced for 232 years, had risen to nearly 3.7 cents, an estimated 1.4 billion remain in circulation.

*pictured.