The Beginning of a Cubs Dynasty

The team that would someday be the bubonic plague of the National League got its start on April 29, 1898 when Frank Chance, a 21-year-old back-up catcher, made his Cub debut. As an eighth inning replacement for Tim Donahue, he dropped two pop fouls, hardly an indication of future immortality. Chance was joined by Johnny Kling, another backstop, in September of 1900.

In 1902 Frank Selee was appointed Cub manager, and under his tutelage the future dynasty began to coalesce in earnest. Selee brought center fielder Jimmy Slagle with him from Boston while rookie Joe Tinker won the shortstop’s job in spring training. Pitcher Carl Lundgren entered the picture shortly after his graduation from University of Illinois in June. Late in the season pint-sizedJohnny Evers began taking over at second base while Chance — against his own desire — was moved over to first. On September 15, 1902 the first “Tinker to Evers to Chance” double play was recorded.

Pitcher Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown and outfielder Frank Schulte were added to the roster in 1904, followed by pitcher Ed Reulbach the next season. In the meantime Frank Chance replaced the ailing Selee as manager on August 1, 1905. During the winter of 1905-06 the lineup was rounded out with the acquisitions of left fielder Jimmy Sheckard, third baseman Harry Steinfeldt, and Jack Pfiester, a much-needed left-handed pitcher.

It was a hard-driving, hard-drinking, “spikes high” crew that took the diamond as the 1906 season unfolded. Their fierce determination was evident as early as April 28, when Frank Chance stole home with two out in the bottom of the ninth to nip the Reds, 1-0, at the Cubs’ fabled West Side Grounds.

By May 31 the Cubs were in the driver’s seat with a 29-15 record, but neither the Giants (26-15) nor the Pirates (24-15) were a safe distance behind. Although the Cubs were an improved team playing exciting ball, many fans were skeptical as to whether they could outlast John McGraw’s New Yorkers, who had won two straight pennants plus an easy victory in the 1905 World Series.

The fears of the doubters were put to rest when the Cubs and the Giants locked horns at the Polo Grounds on June 5 for their first series. Not only did the Cubs take three straight, they utterly humiliated the mighty Giants with a 19-0 whitewash on June 7. Christy Mathewson, the pride of New York, was shelled out in an 11 run first inning. From that point on, the league was on official notice that the Cubs (often called Murphy’s Spuds in reference to owner Charles A. Murphy) were indeed for real.

John McGraw never forgot this shattering defeat, nor would Cub fans let him live it down. For the rest of the season, whenever the Giants took the field in Chicago, a group of fans seated near the visitors’ bench would release 19 balloons into the air — one at a time. They chanted “one” in unison as the first balloon was sent up, continuing their countdown with each until all 19 were in flight. The next number was always shouted louder than the previous one. Needless to say, it was not designed to boost the Giants’ morale. McGraw usually left Chicago fuming and defeated.

By the end of June, the records of the three contenders were: Chicago 46-20, Pittsburgh 42-20, and New York 42-20 also. The Cubs’ already awesome pitching staff was then beefed up even more when they picked up Orval Overall from the Reds and Jack Taylor from the Cardinals. (In Taylor’s case it was a reacquisition since he had previously been a Cub from 1898 through 1903.)

On July 4 the Cubs gave their fans an Independence Day treat, beating the Cardinals twice by identical 1-0 scores. Three Finger Brown halted them on one hit in the morning contest while Carl Lundgren tossed a five-hitter in the afternoon match. By July 31 the Cubs were 66-28, six games ahead of the Giants and Pirates, who were tied at 58-32.

It was in the August heat that the Cubs gathered the steam that put them out of reach, winning 26 of 29 contests. By now John McGraw was ranting and raving in a fury of impotent rage. On August 7 he refused to let Umpire James Johnstone into the Polo Grounds, so the game was forfeited to the Cubs, 9-0. The next day McGraw relented but the Cubs won again, 3-2. By the end of the month Chicago had bolted to 13 games ahead of Pittsburgh and 15 ahead of New York. The standings read: Cubs 92-31, Pirates 77-42, and Giants 74-43.

On September 1 the Cubs won their 14th consecutive game as they clubbed the Cardinals, 8-1, at Chicago. The regular umpires were ill that day (food poisoning was suspected) so Lundgren and St. Louis catcher Peter Noonan performed the arbitrating duties. Although the Cubs’ winning streak ended the following day, they did not cool off for long. Brown, burning up the league, won his 11th straight on September 13 with a 6-2 victory over the Cardinals at St. Louis. Six days later the Cubs clinched the flag as they baked the Boston Beaneaters (Braves), 3-1, behind Ed Reulbach.

The morning of October 1 witnessed the Cubs’ record at 113-36, and the three remaining games were Cub victories. In the morning game of October 1 Lundgren hurled a two-hitter to shellack the Phillies, 4-0. Ed Reulbach then won his 12th straight in the nightcap in a game called because of darkness after six innings, 4-3. The record 116th win came October 4 as Jack Pfiester won his 20th of the season, whitewashing the Pirates, 4-0, at Pittsburgh. With Johnny Evers taking the day off, second base was held down by Lundgren, who seems to have been the club’s jack-of-all-trades during the last several weeks of the season.

Finishing 20 games behind, the Giants had to be content with beating out the Pirates for the runner-up slot. New York, incidentally, did have the league’s “best” record against the Cubs, a 7-15 log.

In capturing their first pennant in 20 years, the Cubs led the league in batting (.262), runs (704), slugging average (.399), fielding average (.969), strikeouts (702), shutouts (31) and ERA (1.76). They were tied for the lead in triples (71), and were second in doubles (181), home runs (20) and stolen bases (283). Their 283 steals remain a city record, excluding the years prior to 1898, when a player was credited with a stolen base if he went from first to third on a single. The White Sox’ highest total was 280 in 1901.

As for the home gate, official Cub attendance figures prior to 1916 have not survived. However, The Sporting News Dope Book gives an estimate of 654,300 which, if accurate, was tops in the circuit.

Yet there were actually no full-fledged superstars on the club, with the possible exception of Three Finger Brown. They were simply a collection of good journeymen ball players who jelled as a unit. Deservedly, much of the credit for the Cubs’ success went to player-manager Chance, whose relentless aggressiveness on the field set a powerful example for his teammates. Soon to be nicknamed “the Peerless Leader,” Chance was a stern disciplinarian as a manager, not averse to using his fists in bringing home a message to an unruly player. “Play it my way or meet me after the game!” was his motto. He played with the zeal of a fanatic, even to the point of deliberately getting hit by pitches in order to get on base.

His infield partners, Tinker and Evers, were only light batsmen (dangerous in the clutch, however), but easily compensated in their fielding and baserunning skill. Evers performed flawlessly at second and stole 49 bases, while Tinker led all National League shortstops with a .944 average. The trio composed the glue which cemented the Cubs’ defense. The team’s 194 errors established a new low in this era of small, underpadded gloves.

Meanwhile, the crosstown White Sox had captured the American League flag and were waiting in the wings. Baseball’s first “subway series” (37 years before Chicago even had a subway, by the way) was about to begin as Chicago held its breath.