We’re setting the BCB “Wayback Machine” pretty far back today, all the way back to one of the Cubs’ World Series wins in the early 20th Century.
That win might not have been possible without the team’s tremendous rally in the top of the ninth inning in Game 1 in 1908.
The Cubs had quite a rough road to even get to the 1908 World Series. They had to win the makeup for the famous “Merkle Game,” played in New York in September and declared a tie after the final play descended into chaos at the Polo Grounds.
That game was played Oct. 8 in New York and Mordecai Brown outdueled Christy Mathewson. The Cubs’ 4-2 win put them in the World Series against the Tigers, who also had to win their final regular season game to take the AL pennant.
But the Tigers had done that Oct. 6, so they had three days to get ready for Game 1 of the World Series in Detroit. The Cubs, meanwhile, had to take a train from New York to Detroit and had only one day off. Ed Reulbach was given the start for Game 1.
I.E. Sanborn of the Chicago Tribune noted that the entire game was played in a constant steady rain:
The battle took place under the most wretched conditions imaginable, as it was started in the early stages of a rain storm which never ceased and it was finished on a field so soggy that footing was insecure and the base lines almost two inches deep in mud.
Reulbach allowed the Tigers a run in the first inning, and in the top of the third, the Cubs responded with four of their own, adding a run in the seventh to lead 5-1 with just nine outs to go.
When Reunlach allowed Detroit three runs in the seventh, Orval Overall was summoned to put out the rally, but when he issued a leadoff walk in the eighth, Cubs manager Frank Chance called on Brown on one day’s rest. It did not work. Brown began by throwing a wild pitch and after an error put runners on first and third, gave up a single that scored the tying run. Another Cubs error gave Detroit a 6-5 lead, so they needed just three outs to win Game 1.
Here’s how Sanborn wrote up the Cubs’ ninth-inning rally.
When Rossman cut off Evers’ grounder to start the ninth and succeeded in retiring the Trojan without help the roars of the crowd increased as apparently victory became assured. But a frightfully rude awakening was in store for them. Schulte rapped a bounder to O’Leary, who cut it off in deep short, but was unable to throw the fleet footed Dutchman out.
Chance turned the tide of defeat back right there with a ringing single to center. That put the Tigers in the hole and sent their rooters’ hearts into their throats, for a one run lead looked small enough with Cubs on second and first with one out.
Here came Steinfeldt and completed the despair of the crowd by smashing a single into left. McIntyre came in on it and his good throw held Schulte on third. Still Detroit had a lead of a run, but the sacks were full and some determined Cubs were coming to bat. Hofman settled the verdict with a liner into left on which Schulte and Chance both rode home in safety. McIntyre made a desperate throw to the plate trying to stop the winning run, but the ball shot past Schmidt behind Chance as he flashed across the pan.
Steinfeldt went to third on the play to the plate and Tinker scored him with a bunt which did not go twenty feet from the plate, but which completed the utter rout of the Tigers. Schmidt tried to chase the bunt and cover the plate at the same time, as Summers made no move to help him do either. But it was a useless effort. While Steiny scored, Tinker reached first and Hofman second. Then Artie and Joe got together and showed the Tigers up still further by ringing in a double steal in the mud. Kling scored them both with a single into center, which made the fifth run in the inning. Brown bunted, but Sheckard’s fly closed the session.
They don’t write ‘em like that anymore, that’s for sure. The Cubs led by four, and Brown put two Tigers on base with one out by a walk and a single in the bottom of the ninth, then retired Sam Crawford on a fly ball and Ty Cobb on a comebacker and the Cubs won Game 1 of the 1908 World Series 10-6. They would go on to win three of the next four, two by shutout, and take their second straight World Series title.
This rain-soaked rally happened 118 years ago today, Saturday, Oct. 10, 1908.
