On May 12, 1955, Sam “Toothpick” Jones of the Chicago Cubs pitches a 4-0 no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jones becomes the first black pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the major leagues. It’s also the first no-hitter at Wrigley Field in 38 years.
Toothpick Sam Jones of the Chicago Cubs becomes the first black pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter and he does it in the hardest way. In the 9th inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jones walks the bases full and then strikes out Dick Groat, Roberto Clemente and Frank Thomas in a row to preserve his 4 – 0 victory. It is also the first no-hitter at Wrigley Field in the last 38 years. Unfortunately only 2,918 fans are on hand to witness the double milestone.
At Wrigley Field, Humberto Robinson makes his major league debut, coming out of the Braves’ bullpen in a 9-5 victory over the Cubs. The 24 year-old from Colon is the first player from Panama to appear in a major league game.
1955 – While the Chicago Cubs are in Arizona beating their Los Angeles farm team, 7 – 0, major league baseball is played at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. In a rematch of last year’s World Series, the New York Giants beat the Cleveland Indians again, 7 – 3. Willie Mays and Dusty Rhodes hit home runs for New York, while Ralph Kiner’s 9th-inning homer is the first score for Cleveland. A crowd of 24,434 is on hand.
Reds’ slugger Ted Kluszewski goes deep off Warren Spahn in an eventual 9-7 victory over the Braves in the nightcap of a twin bill. The homer, the first baseman’s 44th overall, is the 34th round-tripper he has hit at Crosley Field, making it the most ever hit in one season by a National Leaguer in the same ballpark, an accomplishment which will stand until Sammy Sosa eclipses the mark in 1998 at Wrigley Field.
August 14, 1953 – In Wrigley Field, Eddie Mathews slammed his 37th home run of the season, putting him one game behind the pace of Babe Ruth in his record-setting year of 1927.
1952 – The Brooklyn Dodgers set the National League mark for consecutive games with a double play, with 23.
Against the Phillies, Cubs player-manager Phil Cavarretta earns his money by driving home three runs in a first-game win, 5 – 4, snapping the Cubs’ 10-game home losing streak. His triple in the 6th off Robin Roberts ends the Cubs’ scoreless inning skein of 31 innings, and the consecutive scoreless innings by Phils pitchers at 41. Cavarretta takes the bench in the second game but inserts himself as a pinch-hitter in the 7th when Roberts relieves, and hits a grand slam home run as the Cubs sweep, winning the nitecap, 8 – 6. The nitecap loss goes to Bubba Church, who put two runners on before giving way to Roberts. It is Church’s first and only career loss to Chicago after nine straight wins.
May 16, 1951 at Wrigley Field Baseball stars Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Andy Pafko of the Chicago Cubs compare fists with the Heavyweight Champion, Ezzard Charles. Pafko and the Cubs will rout Jackie and the Dodgers, 14-4. Charles was in town to defend his title against Joey Maxim, his 8th…
Golf great Sam Snead tees off from home plate and hits the center field scoreboard at Wrigley Field before the Cubs’ home opener. The Associated Press reports: “Sammy Snead settled a long-standing argument today over whether a golf ball could be driven from home plate over the towering scoreboard at Wrigley Field. It can, by a golfer like Sam. Wearing street clothes, Snead sent a ball zooming well over the scoreboard with a No. 2 iron after hitting the board with a swing with a No. 4 iron. Snead calculated the carry was 175 yards. The scoreboard rises 89 feet in the air some 50 feet behind the 400-mark on the centerfield wall.”
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