Heathcote was part of an unusual trade on May 30, 1922. Swapped from the Cardinals
to the Cubs between games of a doubleheader for outfielder Max Flack, he and Flack
were hitless in the morning but collected hits with their new teams that afternoon
as the Cubs took a pair. On August 25, 1922 the lefthanded-hitting Heathcote was
5-for-5 with four RBI and five runs scored in the major leagues' biggest slugfest
ever: Cubs 26, Phillies 23. Usually a regular through 1926, he hit a career-high
.313 in 82 games in 1929 as the Cubs won the pennant.
(AA)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»September 17, 1920:
The Cards set a National League record by cracking out 12 consecutive hits in the 4th and 5th innings against the Braves. Ten of the hits occur in the 4th inning when St. Louis scores eight runs. The last two outs come as Milt Stock tries to stretch a single and Austin McHenry tries the same on a double. Both are thrown out. In the 5th inning, Doc Lavan opens with a double and Cliff Heathcote singles before a Redbird finally makes an out. St. Louis wins 9–4.
»May 30, 1922: Between games of the Memorial Day A.M.-P.M. doubleheader, the Cubs swap OF Max Flack to the Cards for OF Cliff Heathcote. Flack, who lives just three blocks from Cubs Park, went home for lunch between games, and arrived back in the Cubs clubhouse to find that he'd been traded. The players, who both played in the morning game, trade uniforms and play for their new teams in the afternoon. Heathcote is 0-for-3 as a Card, 2-for-4 as a Cub. Flack is hitless in the first game, 1–for-4 in the 2nd, as the Cubs win both, 4–1 and 3–1. George Stueland wins the opener and Vic Aldridge is the winner in the afternoon. In the nitecap, Cubs SS Charlie Hollocher strikes out for the first time this year, on a Bill Doak spitter. A .304 career hitter, he will whiff five times in 1922. In three years he will fan 33 times in 372 games.
»August 25, 1922: You can't blame it on the wind as one of the most poorly pitched major-league games ever played takes place in Chicago. The Cubs edge the Phils 26–23 in a game that features 51 hits, 23 walks, and 10 errors. The Phils have the bases loaded in the ninth when the game ends, making a total of 16 left on base; the Cubs leave 9. When the Cubs score 14 runs in the fourth to take a 25–6 lead, OF Marty Callaghan bats 3 times (a since tied record), getting 2 hits and striking out. Modern records are set or tied for total runs (49, by two teams)and hits, most players scoring runs (Phils, 13), and most players scoring 2+ runs (Cubs, 9), most plate appearances (66, by the Phils). The 14-run inning ties the Yankees’ mark of July 6, 1920; The Phils add a run in the fourth to make the two-team total of 15 a record for the inning, as is the second inning total of 13—ten from the Cubs side and 3 from the Phils. Cliff Heathcote of the Cubs sets a modern NL record by reaching base 7 times in the nine-inning game. Hack Miller helps run up the Chicago total with 3-run homers in the second and fourth innings. His first blast is just the second homer to reach the centerfield scoreboard, located at ground level in Cubs Park: Hornsby hit the first last year. The game ends with the Phils leaving the bases loaded. Tony Kaufmann is the winner over Jimmy Ring in the game that lasts a surprisingly short: 3:01.
»May 12, 1930:
The wind is blowing out at Wrigley Field as Giants P Larry Benton sets a modern major-league record (since tied several times) by surrendering six home runs in a game. Chicago spots New York a 14–0 lead and trails 14–4 when they add five runs on four home runs in the bottom of the 7th to tie the ML record. Clyde Beck drives in five runs as he and Cliff Heathcote each have two of the Cubs' homers. The Giants counter with three home runs including one by Larry Benton as the New Yorkers manage to hold on to win, 14–12. The victory goes to Benton, but New York will trade him in 10 days.
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