otd-in-cubs-history

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July 4, 2025

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ The Northsiders set a new franchise record with 8 home runs in an 11-3 victory over the @stlcardinals.

The homer parade was led by Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong with 3 and 2 dingers each. Seiya Suzuki, Carson Kelly and Dansby Swanson also hit balls into the bleachers.

Michael Busch is the 3rd Cubs player with a 3-HR game against the Cardinals. All 3 did it on Independence Day: Moises Alou in 2003 and Hank Leiber in 1939.

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June 27, 2016

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ Kris Bryant is a one-man @cincinnatiredsofficial wrecking crew during his NL MVP campaign.

In an 11-8 win on the road, Bryant churns out five hits, including two doubles and three homers, scores four runs and collects six RBIs along the way. Bryant's 16 total bases sets the Chicago National League Ball Club's team record.

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May 13, 1982

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ Today's 5-0 victory over the @houstonastros is the franchise's 8,000 victory.

The Cubs' standouts this day include outfielder Keith Moreland, who collects two RBIs on one hit and a sacrifice fly and closer Lee Smith, who pitches the seventh, eight, and ninth innings for the rare three-inning save.

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April 28, 2021

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ In a 10-0 blowout loss to the @atlantabraves, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo completes one of the more memorable strikeouts in Cubs history when he Ks his friend and fellow first baseman Freddie Freeman.

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December 4, 1990 #OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ Ryne Sandberg and Greg Maddux are announced as two of 1990's Gold Glove awardees.

With his 8th consecutive Gold Glove award, Sandberg ties the record for second basemen, which he will break with his 9th consecutive award in 1991.

This is the first of Maddux's 13 consecutive Gold Gloves. Then, in 2008 he sets the @mlb record for all positions with 18 total awards.

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October 4, 1989

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ The @sfgiants Will Clark reads Greg Maddux's lips and crushes a grand slam to break the back of the Cubs. The Giants will go on to win game 1 of the NLCS 11-3: video

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October 3, 1976

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ Cubs third baseman Bill Madlock goes 4-4 against the @montrealexpos on the final day of the season to clinch the NL batting title with a .339 mark.

Cubs' manager Jim Marshall pulled Madlock before his plate appearance in the 8th inning to ensure Madlock's batting title and Northsiders completed an 8-2 victory to close out the 1976 campaign.

Bill Madlock

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image source: Library of Congress

September 30, 1912

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ Cubs' second baseman Heinie Zimmerman goes 1 for 4 on the last day of the season and sets the single-season team record for hits - a team record which has lasted 113 years.

Zimmerman also finished the 1912 campaign with a .372 batting average, 14 home runs, and 104 RBIs to win the season's Triple Crown.

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August 11, 1966

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ Randy Hundley goes 4 for 5 and hits for the cycle in a 9-8 win over the @houstonastros. Hundley had a two-run triple (fourth), double (sixth), game-tying homer (eighth) and single (11th), which led to him scoring the game-winning run.

After catching all 11 innings of the early game, Hundley was back on the field for the second game of today's doubleheader, going 1 for 3 (with a walk) as the Cubs dropped the nightcap 8-9. Hundley caught all 20 innings combined during the two games.

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July 6, 1970

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ Ron Santo sets the club record for most RBIs in a day at 10.

In the 4th inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the @montrealexpos, the third baseman knocks a 2 RBI home run enroute to a 3-2 Cubs victory.

Then, Santo explodes for 8 additional RBIs in the "nightcap" including a grand slam in the first inning of the Cubs 14-2 drubbing of the Expos.

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July 5, 2014

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ The Cubs pull off a trade with the Oakland Athletics sending Jeff "the Shark" Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland for Addison Russell, Dan Straily, and Billy McKinney.

This trade was instrumental in the Cubs 2016 championship season as Straily was traded (with Luis Valbuena) to the @houstonastros for Dexter Fowler, and McKinney was part of the trade to the @yankees for Aroldis Chapman.

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June 7, 2014

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history Lennie Merullo throws out the first pitch prior to the Cubs 5-2 win over the @marlins as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations for @wrigleyfield.

At 97 years old, Merullo was the the last living person to play for the Cubs in the 1945 World Series.

June 7, 2014

As part of Wrigley Field’s 100th anniversary, the Cubs honor 97-year-old Lennie Merullo, who receives a rousing ovation when he tosses the ceremonial first pitch prior to the team’s 5-2 victory over the Marlins. The former infielder, who went 0 for 2 when he played in three games for Chicago in the 1945 World Series, was the last living person to play in a Series game for the franchise.

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April 15, 2024

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ Leading off the top of the second inning, Cubs' first baseman Michael Busch knocks a home run off of @dbacks hurler Merrill Kelly, propelling the Cubs to a 3-2 victory.

This extends Busch's streak of home runs in consecutive games to 5, writing his name into the Cubs record book along side: Hack Wilson (1928), Ryne Sandberg (1989), Sammy Sosa (1998), and Christopher Morel (2023).

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July 26, 2005

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ After a 2 hour and 43 minute rain delay, Greg Maddux becomes the 13th player in history to record 3,000 strikeouts catching the @sfgiants' Omar Vizquel looking in the third inning.

The Cubs however, would go on to drop the game to the Giants 3-2.

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July 16, 1897

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ At the age of 45, Chicago Colts' (later the Cubs) first baseman Cap Anson became the first major league player to amass 3,000 career hits with a single off of @orioles' pitcher George Blackburn.

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May 9, 1993 30 years ago #OnThisDay in @chicagocubs history ▸ Cubs' first baseman Mark Grace hits for the cycle in a 4-5 loss to the @padres. Grace is the 11th, and to date most recent, franchise player to achieve the feat, following Jimmy Ryan (1889, 1891), Hack Wilson (1930), Roy Smalley (1950), Lee Walls (1957), Billy Williams (1966), Randy Hundley (1966), Iván de Jesús (1980), and Andre Dawson (1987).

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September 22, 2022

#OnThisDay in @chicagocubs baseball history ▸ Pitcher Hayden Wesneski becomes the Cubs' fifth pitcher to pitch an immaculate inning. Wesneski's 9 pitches in the 5th inning, strike out the side in the Cubs' 3-2 victory over the @pirates. Wesneski's feat adds his name to the Cubs' record book alongside: LaTroy Hawkins (2004), Lynn McGlothen (1979), Bruce Sutter (1977) and Milt Pappas (1971).