Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Cubs 365, June 5

On this day in 1985, the Cubs played a baseball game that would be immortalized in film.

That was the game featured in the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". If you've seen the movie, you probably remember the three goof offs spending the day at the ballpark. It wasn't a recreated game--it was an actual Wednesday afternoon game at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs were hosting the Atlanta Braves, and the score was tied in the top of the 11th inning with the Braves batting. Claudell Washington was batting against Lee Smith as Leon Durham held Paul Zuvella on first base. In the movie, the fry cook tells Mr. Rooney, who sees it on television, that the score at that point was 0-0 (though the actual score was 2-2).

The Cubs eventually lost that game in the 11th inning. Washington flied out for the first out of the inning. The batter after Washington was Rafael Ramirez and he hit a two run home run off Lee Smith to win the game.

The Cubs completely collapsed that season after their entire starting rotation spent time on the disabled list. The only other highlight of the the 1985 season was when Pete Rose tied Ty Cobb’s record in Wrigley Field that September.