1908 Chicago Cubs: Second World Championship

1908 Chicago Cubs: Second World Championship

1908 Chicago Cubs: Second World Championship

The 1908 regular season was the last season where the Chicago Cubs saw true success as a baseball franchise, and it came at the expense of 3 other teams. The Cubs went 99-55 in 1908, winning the National League pennant by 1 game over the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs, Giants and Pirates had jockeyed for position all throughout the regular season as the Cubs went 11-11-1 against the Giants and 10-12 against the Pirates in head-to-head play.

Interestingly enough the pennant would be decided after a humongous base running error was committed by Giants first baseman Fred Merkle in a game against the Cubs on September 23. In the bottom of the 9th inning with the scored tied at 1-1, Merkle hit a single to score the run which appeared to be the game-winning run. The fans at the Polo Grounds assumed the game had ended with that play, so they went onto the field to celebrate. Merkle himself also assumed that the game was over, so he went to the New York clubhouse without ever touching second base. Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers picked up on this, and by touching second base with the baseball in hand, umpire Hank O’Day ruled Merkle out via force out, which voided the run. The Cubs would later play a makeup game against the Giants on October 8, which they would win 4-2.

Evers batted .300 with 125 hits, 19 doubles, 6 triples and 36 stolen bases. Catcher Johnny Kling batted .276 with 4 home runs and 59 RBI’s off 117 hits, 23 doubles, 5 triples and 16 stolen bases. First baseman Frank Chance batted .272 with 55 RBI’s, 123 hits, 27 doubles, 4 triples and 27 stolen bases. Shortstop Joe Tinker had 6 home runs and 68 RBI’s off 146 hits, 22 doubles, 14 triples and 30 stolen bases. Left fielder Jimmy Sheckard had 93 hits, 18 doubles and 18 stolen bases. Outfielder Jimmy Slagle had 78 hits and 17 stolen bases. Outfielder Frank Schulte had 91 hits, 20 doubles and 15 stolen bases. Third baseman Harry Steinfeldt had 130 hits, 20 doubles, 6 triples and 12 stolen bases. Utility player Solly Hofman had 100 hits, 15 doubles, 5 triples and 15 stolen bases in 120 games. Utility player Del Howard batted .279 with 88 hits, 7 doubles and 11 stolen bases in 96 games.

Though they hardly had a bullpen, the Cubs had a tremendous starting rotation. Mordecai Brown went 29-9 with 123 strikeouts and a 1.47 ERA, recording 27 complete games, 9 shutouts and 5 saves. Ed Ruelbach went 24-7 with 133 strikeouts and a 2.03 ERA, recording 25 complete games, 7 shutouts and 1 save. Jack Pfeister went 12-10 with 117 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA, recording 18 complete games and 3 shutouts. Orval Overall went 15-11 with 167 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA, recording 16 complete games, 4 shutouts and 4 saves. Chuck Fraser went 11-9 with a 2.27 ERA, recording 11 complete games, 2 shutouts and 2 saves. Despite going 6-9, Carl Lundgren recorded 9 complete games and 1 shutout.

The Chicago Cubs played against the American League Champion Detroit Tigers in the 1908 World Series, and in Game 1 on October 10 at Bennett Park, the Cubs won 10-6. In the bottom of the 1st inning right fielder Ty Cobb had an RBI single, but Chicago responded with a pair of RBI singles by Schulte and Steinfeldt in the top of the 3rd. Tinker followed with an RBI groundout, and Kling reached on an error to score Steinfeldt. In the top of the 7th Steinfeldt had a sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the 7th catcher Charles “Boss” Schmidt had an RBI groundout, second baseman Red Downs had a ground rule RBI double, and pitcher Ed Summers had an RBI single. In the bottom of the 8th first baseman Claude Rossman had a 2-run single, but the Cubs stamped their first win in the top of the 9th with a 2-run single by Hofman, a bunt RBI single by Tinker, and a 2-run single by Kling.

In Game 2 on October 11 at the West Side Grounds, the Cubs won 6-1. Orval Overall pitched a complete game, giving up 4 hits, 2 walks and 1 run while recording 5 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 8th inning Joe Tinker smashed a 2-run home run, Jimmy Sheckard and Johnny Evers both had RBI singles, Frank Schulte had an RBI triple, and he then scored off a wild pitch. Ty Cobb’s RBI single in the top of the 9th couldn’t spark a Detroit rally.

In Game 3 on October 12 the Tigers beat the Cubs 8-3. Cobb had an RBI single in the top of the 1st inning, and in response Frank Chance had his own RBI single in the bottom of the 4th. Harry Steinfeldt followed by reaching on an error to score Chance, and then Hofman had an RBI triple. In the top of the 6th center fielder Sam Crawford, Cobb and Rossman all had RBI singles, and catcher Ira Thomas had an RBI double. In the top of the 8th third baseman Bill Coughlin had a sacrifice fly, and pitcher George Mullin followed with an RBI single.

However, the Cubs rebounded nicely to blank the Tigers 3-0 in Game 4 on October 13 at Bennett Park. Mordecai Brown pitched a complete game, giving up 4 hits and recording 4 strikeouts. In the top of the 3rd inning Steinfeldt and Hofman both had RBI singles, and then Chance reached on an error in the top of the 9th to score Evers.

The Cubs then blanked the Tigers again by the score of 2-0 in Game 5 on October 14 to win their 2nd World Series championship in franchise history. Overall pitched another complete game, giving up 3 hits and 4 walks, but recording 10 strikeouts. In the top of the 1st inning Frank Chance had an RBI single, and in the top of the 5th Johnny Evers had an RBI double.

The Cubs would not see another World Series championship victory for the rest of the 20th Century.