Bill Bonham---1975
On This Date in Major League
History.... August 5, 1975
Every so often, you have those days.
Yep. The car won’t start as you are
frantically running off to an important
meeting. You get a call from your
boss on a Saturday that causes you
to burn the steaks in front of family
and friends. The key breaks off in a
lock and your spouse is out of town
with the other key.
On August 5, 1975, Bill Bonham just
should have stayed in bed. Instead,
he got up and faced the Philadelphia
Phillies.
After the Cubbies were held
scoreless in the first frame by Phillies
right-hander Dick Ruthven, the
Philadelphia bats went to work on
Bonham.
Second baseman Dave Cash led off
the bottom of the first with a line drive
single to center. Larry Bowa followed
with a pop single to center. Gary
Maddox sent them both home with a
home run to left. Clean up batter
Greg Luzinski then lined a single to
center and Jay Johnstone continued
the hit parade with a double to left
field. Tommy Hutton doubled to
center to drive in The Bull and
Johnstone. Mike Schmidt cleared the
bases with his 23rd long ball of the
season, a drive over the centerfield
fence.
The right-hander entered the game
with a 10-7, 4.12 mark, but after
seven batters his outing was done.
Bonham’s line for the day: 0 IP, 7 H,
7 R, 7 ER, 0 W, 0 K. His ERA would
climb to 4.52, as Bonham would
eventually be saddled with the loss.
Bonham gave way to Ken Crosby,
who was making his Chicago Cub
debut, as the right-hander yielded a
ground ball single to center by
catcher Johnny Oates. Ruthven
mercifully laid down a sacrifice bunt
for the first out of the inning.
However, the eight consecutive hits
by the Phils to open the game set a
Major League record.
Philadelphia would continue to feast
on Cubs’ pitching, as Crosby walked
three batters and allowed two more
hits, before registering the third out.
The fifth place Cubs walked off the
field down 10-0 as they reached for
their bats a second time. In the end,
the Phils would triumph, 13-5.
Bonham, who was coming off a NL
leading 22-loss season in ’74, would
continue a slide that saw him lose
seven of his last ten decisions to
finish the 1975 campaign at 13-15.
However, his 13 wins would be the
high water mark for the skinny right-
hander.
Bonham closed his career in 1980
with a 75-83 record in 10 seasons…
and one day he probably wished he
had called in sick.
(8/5/08)
History.... August 5, 1975
Every so often, you have those days.
Yep. The car won’t start as you are
frantically running off to an important
meeting. You get a call from your
boss on a Saturday that causes you
to burn the steaks in front of family
and friends. The key breaks off in a
lock and your spouse is out of town
with the other key.
On August 5, 1975, Bill Bonham just
should have stayed in bed. Instead,
he got up and faced the Philadelphia
Phillies.
After the Cubbies were held
scoreless in the first frame by Phillies
right-hander Dick Ruthven, the
Philadelphia bats went to work on
Bonham.
Second baseman Dave Cash led off
the bottom of the first with a line drive
single to center. Larry Bowa followed
with a pop single to center. Gary
Maddox sent them both home with a
home run to left. Clean up batter
Greg Luzinski then lined a single to
center and Jay Johnstone continued
the hit parade with a double to left
field. Tommy Hutton doubled to
center to drive in The Bull and
Johnstone. Mike Schmidt cleared the
bases with his 23rd long ball of the
season, a drive over the centerfield
fence.
The right-hander entered the game
with a 10-7, 4.12 mark, but after
seven batters his outing was done.
Bonham’s line for the day: 0 IP, 7 H,
7 R, 7 ER, 0 W, 0 K. His ERA would
climb to 4.52, as Bonham would
eventually be saddled with the loss.
Bonham gave way to Ken Crosby,
who was making his Chicago Cub
debut, as the right-hander yielded a
ground ball single to center by
catcher Johnny Oates. Ruthven
mercifully laid down a sacrifice bunt
for the first out of the inning.
However, the eight consecutive hits
by the Phils to open the game set a
Major League record.
Philadelphia would continue to feast
on Cubs’ pitching, as Crosby walked
three batters and allowed two more
hits, before registering the third out.
The fifth place Cubs walked off the
field down 10-0 as they reached for
their bats a second time. In the end,
the Phils would triumph, 13-5.
Bonham, who was coming off a NL
leading 22-loss season in ’74, would
continue a slide that saw him lose
seven of his last ten decisions to
finish the 1975 campaign at 13-15.
However, his 13 wins would be the
high water mark for the skinny right-
hander.
Bonham closed his career in 1980
with a 75-83 record in 10 seasons…
and one day he probably wished he
had called in sick.
(8/5/08)
