1908 Chicago Cubs
World Series champions National League champions
League	National League
Ballpark	West Side Park
City	Chicago, Illinois
Record	99–55 (.643)
League place	1st
Owners	Charles Murphy
Managers	Frank Chance
← 1907 Seasons 1909 →

The1908 Chicago Cubs season was the 37th season of theChicago Cubs franchise, the 33rd in theNational League, and the 16th atWest Side Park. It involved the Cubs winning their third consecutiveNational Leaguepennant, as well as theWorld Series for the second consecutive year. This team included four futureHall of Famers: manager /first basemanFrank Chance,second basemanJohnny Evers,shortstopJoe Tinker, andpitcherMordecai Brown. In 1908, Brown finished second in the NL in wins andearned run average. This would be the last World Series victory for the Cubs until2016; it would also take until2003 – an MLB and North American professional sports record of 95 years – for the Cubs to win their next playoff series.

The Cubs started the season in Cincinnati.Orval Overall was the Cubs'Opening Day starting pitcher. Overall gave up five hits and committed an error in the first inning as the Reds took a 5–0 lead.^[1] The Cubs tied the game in the sixth and won the game in the ninth. Cubspinch hitterHeinie Zimmerman drove in Johnny Evers. Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown pitched in the ninth and got asave for the Cubs.^[2]

The home opener was on April 22. OwnerCharles Murphy had added several new seats to the stadium. Long-time Cub player-managerCap Anson threw out the first pitch. Tinker, Evers, and Chance turned their second double play of the season as the Cubs beat the Reds by a score of 7–3.^[3]

On June 30, thePittsburgh Pirates took first place, as the Cubs lost to theCincinnati Reds.^[4] Starting on July 2, the Pirates started a critical five game series against the Cubs.^[5] In the first game, Three Finger Brown threw a six hit, no walk shutout, winning the game 3–0. Brown was 10–1 on the season.

On September 26, starting pitcherEd Reulbach became the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history to pitch two shutouts on the same day. That day, the Cubs played adoubleheader against theBrooklyn Dodgers. Reulbach pitched both games to completion, which the Cubs won by scores of 5–0 and 3–0.^[6]

On Wednesday, September 23, 1908, while playing for theNew York Giants in a game against the Cubs, 19-year-oldFred Merkle committed a base-running error that later became known as "Merkle's Boner" and earned him the nickname of "Bonehead."

In the bottom of the 9thinning, Merkle came to bat with twoouts and the score tied 1–1. At the time,Moose McCormick was onfirst base. Merklesingled, and McCormick advanced tothird.Al Bridwell followed with another single, and McCormick trottedhome to score the apparent winning run. The New York fans in attendance, under the impression that the game was over, ran onto the field to celebrate.

Meanwhile, Merkle, thinking the game was over, ran to the Giants' clubhouse without touching second base (a gesture that was common at the time). Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers noticed this, and after retrieving a ball and touching second base, he appealed to umpireHank O'Day to call Merkle out. Since Merkle had not touched the base, the umpire called him out on aforce play, and McCormick's run did not count. The run was therefore nullified, the Giants' victory erased, and the score of the game remained tied.

Unfortunately, the thousands of fans on the field (as well as the growing darkness in the days before large electric light rigs made night games possible) prevented resumption of the game, and the game was declared atie. The Giants and the Cubs would end the season tied for first place and would have a rematch at thePolo Grounds on October 8. The Cubs won this makeup game, 4–2, and thus theNational League pennant.

• May 29, 1908:Doc Marshall was purchased by the Cubs from theSt. Louis Cardinals.^[7]

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

NLChicago Cubs (4) vs ALDetroit Tigers (1)

• Murphy, Cait (2007).Crazy '08: How a cast of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads and Magnates created the Greatest Year in Baseball History. Smithsonian Books, a Division of Harper Collins.ISBN 978-0-06-088937-1.

• 1908 Chicago Cubs season at Baseball Reference

• Chicago Cubs seasons
• National League champion seasons
• World Series champion seasons
• 1908 Major League Baseball season
• 1908 in sports in Illinois

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