Chicago Cubs history unpacked — October 16

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Rodney Scott, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1971 – In the World Series, Brooks Robinson drives in Frank Robinson in the 10th inning of Game 6 to give Baltimore a Series-tying 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente does all he can to win the game single-handed. Stranded after his 1st-inning triple to the wall in left center, his 3rd-inning solo shot puts Pittsburgh up, 2-0. All of Clemente’s offensive contributions notwithstanding, the reason the game reaches extra innings is his defensive gem in the bottom of the ninth, a no-look, one-hop strike from Memorial Stadium‘s right field corner, 310 feet away, to catcher Manny Sanguillen, preventing the runner at first, running on contact on Don Buford‘s two-out double, from even attempting to score. By extending the game, Clemente’s throw will force Baltimore’s best player, Frank Robinson, to win this game with his legs, challenging the arm of centerfielder Vic Davalillo on two consecutive plays. In doing so, Robinson tears his left hamstring and aggravates an already damaged right Achilles tendon, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1909 – The Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series as rookie pitcher Babe Adams registers his third victory of the Series by beating the Detroit Tigers, 8-0, in Game 7.
• 1911 – In the World Series, pitchers Rube Marquard of the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Athletics’ Eddie Plank are in command of a 1-1 game when Philadelphia’s Eddie Collins hits a RBI double in the sixth inning and Frank Baker bats a home run for a 3-1 victory. The Series is even after two games.
• 1912 – Fred Snodgrass drops a fly ball in the 10th inning that helps the Boston Red Sox score two runs and take the World Series from the New York Giants in eight games, including one tie.
• 1923 – Soon after Babe Ruth receives his World Series winner’s share of $6,160.46, insurance agent Harry Heilmann, who beat Ruth for the batting title by ten points, sells him a $50,000 life insurance policy. Beneficiaries are Mrs. Ruth and adopted daughter Dorothy.
• 1928 – Mickey Cochrane wins American League MVP honors, edging Heinie Manush by two points. Neither Babe Ruth nor Lou Gehrig is eligible, having won the award before.
• 1936 – Lou Gehrig, who hit .354 with 49 home runs, 167 runs, and 152 RBI, is voted American League MVP.
• 1962 – With the tying and winning runs in scoring position, Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants hits a hard line drive at second baseman Bobby Richardson for the final out and the New York Yankees win Game 7, 1 – 0, for their 20th World Series title.
• 1969 – The New York Mets win their fourth straight game from the Baltimore Orioles with a 5-3 triumph behind pitcher Jerry Koosman, who throws a five-hitter, to take the World Series in five games. 
• 1974 – Pitcher Ken Holtzman, who hasn’t batted in the regular season because of the designated hitter rule, belts a third-inning home run off Andy Messersmith in Game 4 and gets the 5-2 victory. Rollie Fingers holds the Dodgers in relief and Oakland takes a 3-1 Series lead. Holtzman will remain the last pitcher in American League history to hit a home run at home until two-way player Shohei Ohtani rewrites the record book in the 2020s.
• 1975 – Tony Perez breaks an 0 for 15 slump with two home runs to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 5 of the World Series.
• 1976 – Pitchers Don Gullett and Pedro Borbon combine on a five-hitter as the Cincinnati Reds win the opening game of the World Series over the Yankees, 5-1. Three hits by Tony Perez and Joe Morgan with a home run supply the offense.
• 1977 – In the World Series, the Dodgers stay alive with a 10-4 victory in Game 5 against the Yankees. Steve Yeager and Reggie Smith hit home runs, and Don Sutton pitches a complete game.
• 1979 – Pittsburgh Pirates starter John Candelaria and closer Kent Tekulve combine on a 4-0 shutout over the Baltimore Orioles as the Pirates send the World Series to its seventh game. Jim Palmer is the losing pitcher.
• 1983 – Eddie Murray hits two home runs and Scott McGregor pitches a five-hitter to give the Baltimore Orioles a 5-0 victory, its fourth straight over the Philadelphia Phillies, to give the Orioles the World Series championship in five games. Baltimore catcher Rick Dempsey, who hit .385 with four doubles and a home run, is named the Series MVP.
• 1985 – Major League Baseball gets its first intrastate World Series since 1974, as the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals win their respective playoff series. Kansas City wins the ALCS with a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7, capping a comeback from a three games to one deficit. While at Dodger Stadium, Jack Clark hits a dramatic three-run home run off the Dodgers’ Tom Niedenfuer with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and first base open, to give the Cardinals a 7-5 victory and a 4-2 Series victory.
• 1999 – The Boston Red Sox roll over the Yankees, 13-1, behind the strong pitching of Pedro Martinez. Nomar Garciaparra gets four hits for Boston, while John Valentin get five RBI. Garciaparra, Valentin and Brian Daubach all hit home runs for the Sox. The Yankees now lead the ALCS, two games to one.
• 2003 – The New York Yankees capture their 39th American League pennant, beating the Red Sox, 6-5, thanks to Aaron Boone‘s 11th-inning home run off Tim Wakefield at Yankee Stadium. Boone becomes the fifth player to end a postseason series with a homer joining Bill Mazeroski (1960 WS), Chris Chambliss (1976 ALCS), Joe Carter (1993 WS) and Todd Pratt (1999 NLDS2).
• 2009 – The Yankees take Game 1 of the ALCS with a 4-1 win over the Angels at New Yankee Stadium. The Yanks take advantage of three Angels errors to score their runs, but the critical play is a two-out pop-up that falls untouched between 3B Chone Figgins and SS Erick Aybar in the first, allowing Johnny Damon to score the Yankees’ second run. CC Sabathia pitches eight innings for the win and Mariano Rivera gets the save.
• 2011 – The Cardinals complete their very unlikely run to the World Series by beating the Brewers, 12-6, in Game 6 of the NLCS at Miller Park. Series MVP David Freese opens the scoring with a three-run homer off Shaun Marcum in the 1st, but the Brewers once again manage to chase the Cards’ starter early, scoring four runs off Edwin Jackson in two innings. 
• 2014 – The San Francisco Giants win their third National League pennant in five years by defeating the Cardinals, 6-3, in Game 5 of the NLCS.
• 2016 – The Dodgers even the NLCS at one win apiece with a 1-0 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Adrian Gonzalez accounts for all the offense with a solo homer off Kyle Hendricks* in the second inning, while Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen combine on a two-hitter.
• 2017 – The Yankees notch their first win in the ALCS by defeating the Astros, 8-1, in Game 3 at home. Three-run homers by Todd Frazier and Aaron Judge help New York build an 8-0 lead by the end of the fourth, and they cruise from there as CC Sabathia is the winner over Charlie Morton.

Cubs Birthdays: Kurt Seibert, Rodney Scott, Milo Allison. Also notable: Goose Goslin HOF.

Today in history:

• 1492 – Christopher Columbus‘ fleet anchors at “Fernandina” (Long Island, Bahamas).
• 1577 – Francis Drake sights land in the Philippines after crossing the Pacific Ocean aboard the “Golden Hind”.
• 1901 – Booker T. Washington and his family are invited to dine at the White House with Teddy and Edith Roosevelt, prompting condemnation from the South.
• 1909 – In his fourth title defense, Jack Johnson knocks out Stanley Ketchel in the 12th round at Mission Street Arena, Colma, California, to retain his heavyweight boxing crown.
• 1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis begins as US President John F. Kennedy is shown photos confirming the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.
• 1968 – Americans Tommie Smith (gold, 19.83, WR) and John Carlos (bronze) famously give the Black Power salute on the 200 m medal podium during the Mexico City Olympics to protest racism and injustice against African Americans.
• 1985 – Intel introduces the 32-bit 80386 microprocessor chip.
• 2023 – Model of a Star Wars X-wing Starfighter used in a “Star Wars” film sells for over $3 million from the collection of Hollywood model maker Greg Jein.

*pictured.