The1908New York Giants season was the 26th season of the franchise. The team finished in second place in theNational League with a 98–56 record, one game behind theChicago Cubs.

Paced byTurkey Mike Donlin, the offense scored the most runs in the league. Donlin led the team in nearly all batting categories and was second in batting toHonus Wagner.

Giants' pitching shut out the opposition 25 times, a franchise record for 1901 onwards.^[1] FutureHall of FamerChristy Mathewson earned thepitching triple crown with 37 wins, 259 strikeouts, and a 1.43 ERA. However, he lost the last game of the season toThree Finger Brown of theChicago Cubs, and the Giants finished one game back in thepennant race.

That one-game playoff became necessary after Giants rookieFred Merkle failed to touch second base at the end of a previous contest, costing them a win. In addition, they were beaten by another rookie,Phillies pitcherHarry Coveleski, three times in five days late in the season. Coveleski was subsequently nicknamed "The Giant Killer".

The Giants opened the season on the road with a 3–1 victory over thePhiladelphia Phillies. The Giants took five of their first six games of the season. The home opener at thePolo Grounds was the biggest in club history, as the Giants attracted over 25,000 fans.^[2] TheBrooklyn Superbas took a 2–1 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Fred Merkle pinch hit for Christy Mathewson and got a ground rule double. Merkle safely advanced to third base on asacrifice bunt.Fred Tenney hit a grounder and Merkle was caught off third. Captain Donlin hit a two-run home run over the right field wall to win the home opener for the Giants by a score of 3–2.^[2]

On July 4,Hooks Wiltse had a perfect game heading into the ninth inning. With two out in the ninth, the perfect game was still intact.George McQuillan was hit by a pitch and Wiltse lost the perfect game.^[3] on August 27, the Giants won 18 of their last 23 (including four in a row versus the Pittsburgh Pirates) to take the lead in the National League for the first time since April.^[4] During the Giants four-game sweep of the Pirates in late August, the electric scoreboard made its debut in New York. The first electric scoreboard was outside Madison Square Garden, and there was another near the Gotham Theatre on 125th Street.^[5]

On Wednesday, September 23, against the Chicago Cubs, 19-year-oldFred Merkle committed a base running error that later became known as "Merkle's Boner", and earned Merkle the nickname of "Bonehead."

In the bottom of the 9thinning, he came up 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, the nextbatter, followed with a single of his own. McCormick wenthome, apparently scoring the winning run of the game. The fans in attendance, under the impression that the game was over, ran onto the field to celebrate.

Meanwhile, Merkle, trying to escape the mob of people, ran to the Giants' clubhouse without touching second base. Cubssecond basemanJohnny Evers noticed this, and after retrieving a ball and touching second base, he appealed to umpireHank O'Day to call Merkle out. The validity of the ball was disputed – numerous accounts have Giants pitcherJoe McGinnity intercepting the real ball before Evers could get it. However, since Merkle had not touched the base, the umpire called him out on aforce play, and McCormick's run did not count.

Since the run was nullified, the Giants' victory was 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 it was declared atie. The Giants and the Cubs would end the season deadlocked atop the standings and would have a rematch at thePolo Grounds, on October 8. The Cubs won this makeup game, 4–2, and thus theNational League pennant.

Giants managerJohn McGraw never blamed Merkle for the second-place finish. However, the rookie was hounded by the New York press and fans for years thereafter.

• July 8, 1908:Bob Spade was claimed off waivers by the Giants from theCincinnati Reds.^[6]
• July 10, 1908: Bob Spade and $5,000 were traded by the Giants to the Cincinnati Reds forJake Weimer andDave Brain.^[6]

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

Roger Bresnahan

• #3 in NL in on-base percentage (.401)

Mike Donlin

• #2 in NL in batting average (.334)
• #2 in NL in RBI (106)
• #2 in NL in slugging percentage (.452)

Larry Doyle

• #3 in NL in batting average (.308)

Christy Mathewson

• NL leader in wins (37)
• NL leader in strikeouts (259)
• NL leader in shutouts (11)
• NL leader in ERA (1.43)

Cy Seymour

• #3 in NL in RBI (92)

Fred Tenney

• NL leader in runs scored (101)

• 1908 New York Giants season at Baseball Reference

• New York Giants (baseball) seasons
• 1908 Major League Baseball season
• 1908 in sports in New York City
• 1900s in Manhattan
• Washington Heights, Manhattan

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