Happy 176th birthday to one of baseball's true pioneers! Ross Barnes, born in 1850, was a star for the 1876 Chicago White Stockings (the team that would eventually become the Cubs). When he passed away in 1915, he was widely regarded as the greatest player of his era—the original GOAT of Major League Baseball.

Fast forward to 1973: Cubs manager Whitey Lockman gets ejected during a tense 12-inning, 3-2 victory over the Padres. Coach Ernie Banks steps in to manage the final innings, making history as the first Black manager in Major League Baseball. A moment that deserves more recognition than it often gets.

Another clever moment came in 1896. With Philadelphia's Billy Nash arguing with the umpire over a called strike in the top of the 9th, Chicago Colts pitcher Clark Griffith fires a pitch that nicks Nash's bat mid-argument, resulting in a double play. Quick thinking leads to a 5-3 win.

Not every comeback story ends well. In 1901, Amos Rusie—a 245-game winner over nine seasons, mostly with the New York Giants—makes his return after a two-year layoff. The Cardinals bomb him 14-3. After just two more appearances, he's back digging ditches.

That same year, Cy Young wins his 33rd game of the season, accounting for 41.8% of Boston's 79 victories. That post-1900 record stands until Steve Carlton wins 45.8% of the Phillies' 59 wins in 1972—a reminder of how dominant a single pitcher could be in baseball's early days.

Walter Johnson, known for his gentlemanly play, throws the only beanball of his career in 1914—a fastball aimed at Frank "Home Run" Baker, his longtime nemesis. Johnson once called Baker "the most dangerous batter that I ever faced." Baker had hit .385 against the Nats ace over four seasons; after that pitch, he'd hit just .207 over the next nine years. Sometimes one moment changes everything.

And in 1947, a planned protest by Cardinals players against their first meeting with Jackie Robinson and the Dodgers is stopped cold by owner Sam Breadon's clubhouse talk. A pivotal moment in baseball history, quietly resolved behind closed doors.