1908 World Series Game 5

Cubs: 2 Tigers: 0

W: Overall (2-0)

L: Donovan (0-2)
The Cubs scored single runs in the first and fifth. Hall of Famers Frank Chance and Johnny Evers each singled in runs. Orval Overall became the first pitcher to strike out four batters in an inning. In 2013, Anibal Sanchez became the second hurler to do so in a postseason game. Overall remains the only one to accomplish the feat in the World Series. Overall threw a 3-hitter and struck out 10. Tiger starter Wild Bill Donovan also tossed a complete game in a losing effort. The final game drew only 6,210 fans. Chicagoans stayed away from the ballpark to protest the club's ticket scalping scheme.

There was no World Series MVP in 1908. The award had not been created yet. However, Frank Chance might have won it had the award existed. He batted .421 with 2 RBI and .921 OPS. Three-Finger Brown was another candidate with a 2-0 record and 0.00 ERA in 11 innings. The final candidate, Orval Overall, went 2-0 with a 0.98 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 18.1 innings.

Other players with good World Series for the Cubs included Johnny Evers (.350, 2 RBI, .381 OBP), Solly Hofman (.316 and 4 RBI), and Wildfire Schulte (.389, 2 RBI, .950 OPS). Ty Cobb was the only Tiger hitter that performed well. The Georgia Peach batted .368 with 4 RBI, and .821 OPS. George Mullin pitched a complete game victory, struck out 8, and allowed no earned runs in his only start.

The Tigers returned to the World Series in 1909, but did not win a Fall Classic until 1935. Chicago has yet to win another World Series despite seven NL Pennants from 1910-1945. They have not won a pennant since 1945.

1908 World Series Game 3

Detroit: 8 Chicago: 3 (Cubs lead 2-1)

W: Mullin (1-0)

L: Pfiester (0-1)
The Tigers finally won a World Series game. They had been 0-6-1 in their previous seven outings. They could have won the first two games of the 1908 World Series. Ty Cobb willed the Tigers to the victory in Game 3. He had four hits and two steals in the win. The Georgia Peach singled in the first run of the game in the opening frame. Chicago rallied for three in the fourth for a 3-1 lead. Detroit exploded for five in the sixth with Sam Crawford and Cobb each driving in a run. They tacked on two in the eighth for the final margin. George Mullin pitched a complete game for the Tigers. Jack Pfeister allowed eight runs, seven earned, in eight innings for the loss. Ed Reulbach finished up in the ninth.

1908 World Series Game 1

Chicago Cubs: 10 Detroit Tigers: 6 (Cubs lead 1-0)

W: Three-Finger Brown (1-0)

L: Summers (0-1)
The 1908 World Series featured the first rematch in the Fall Classic. The World Champion Cubs won the pennant after winning a one-game playoff with the Giants. The game was actually a make up for an earlier contest that ended in a tie. The Giants had appeared to win that game, but Fred Merkle failed to touch second base and was forced by Johnny Evers. With fans streaming onto the field, no one knows for sure if Evers actually had the game ball. Either way, the Cubs won the pennant and faced the Tigers for the second year in a row. The series featured three Hall of Fame umpires with Tommy Connolly, Bill Klem, and Hank O'Day. The Tigers boasted Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, and Hughie Jennings. The Cubs fielded four Hall of Famers in Frank Chance, Johnny Evers, Joe Tinker, and Three-Finger Brown.

Detroit should have won Game 1. They led 6-5 in the 9th in the opener in Detroit. The Cubs chased Ed Killian while Ed Reulbach pitched into the seventh for Chicago. The Cubs dropped five in the top of the 9th for a 10-6 victory. Jimmy Sheckard went 3-for-6 for the victors. Wildfire Schulte, Harry Steinfeldt, and Joe Tinker all tallied two hits. Tigers Ty Cobb, Matty McIntyre, and Claude Rossman all had two hits as well.

1907 World Series Game 5

Cubs: 2 Tigers: 0 (Cubs win series 4-0-1)

W: Brown (1-0)

L: Mullin (0-2)
Once again, both starters pitched a complete game. Three-finger Brown shutout the Tigers on 7 hits. George Mullin also allowed 7 hits, but surrendered 2 runs, 1 earned. Chicago scored single runs in the first and second innings while Detroit did not threaten Brown after a fourth inning threat. The Cubs won their first World Series in 1:42. The game would take twice as long today.

The Cubs pitching staff posted a 0.75 ERA in the 1907 World Series. They used four pitchers in the Fall Classic. Each pitcher posted a win. Hall of Famer Mordecai Three Finger Brown won his only start with a shutout. Meanwhile, the Tigers staff finished with a 2.15 ERA. George Mullin lost 2 games to the Cubs with a 2.12 ERA.

Offensively, Harry Steinfeldt batted .471 with a double, triple, 2 RBI, and 1.197 OPS. If there was a MVP, Steinfeldt might have won it. Johnny Evers hit .350 for the Cubs. Hall of Famers Frank Chance and Joe Tinker both finished with a .154 average. On the Tigers side, Claude Rossman hit a healthy .450 with 2 RBI and 1.026 OPS. Outfielder Davy Jones batted .353. Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford performed poorly. Cobb hit .200 and Crawford .238.

Both teams returned to the Fall Classic in 1908. Once again, the Cubs skunked Detroit. The Cubs have yet to win another World Series. The Tigers would win the 1909 AL Pennant, but lost a 7 game thriller to Pittsburgh. Detroit would finally win a World Series in 1935.

1907 World Series Game 3

Chicago: 5 Detroit: 1 (Cubs lead 2-0)

W: Reulbach (1-0)

L: Siever (0-1)
The Cubs led 5-0 by the fifth in a battle of Eds. Detroit started 18 game winner Ed Siever while the Cubs utlized 17 game winner Ed Reulbach and his miniscule 1.69 ERA. The game was never really in question. Johnny Evers had three hits, including two doubles, and an RBI. Harry Steinfeldt had two hits and a RBI. Sam Crawford drove in Detroit's only run and Claude Rossman had two singles. Reulbach went the distance allowing 6 hits, 1 run, walked 3, and struck out 2. Siever went four and was replaced by Ed Killian. Killian went 4 and allowed 1 run.


 

1907 World Series Game 1

Tigers: 3 Cubs: 3
The White Sox shocked the Cubs in the 1906 World Series. The Sox did not repeat as AL champs, but the Cubs did win another NL Pennant. The Cubs won 107 games behind Hall of Famers Frank Chance, Three Finger Brown, Johnny Evers, and Joe Tinker. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers rose to the top of the American League behind Hall of Famers Hughie Jennings, Ty Cobb, and Sam Crawford. 1907 was the first World Series to feature a Hall of Fame umpire. Hank O'Day and Jack Sheridan both reached Cooperstown as umpires.

The series opened in Chicago with Wild Bill Donovan squaring off against Orval Overall. Donovan had a career year for the Tigers. He went 25-4 with a 2.19 ERA.Cub starter Overall also had a career season with a 23-7 record, 1.68 ERA, and league-leading 8 shutouts. The Tigers had the Cubs by the tail, but blew it.

The Cubs led 1-0 into the eighth inning. The Tigers rallied for three against Overall. Sam Crawford raked a two-run single and then Claude Rossman's sacrifice fly gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead. They took that lead to the final frame looking to continue the Cubs World Series problems.

Chicago came out swinging in the ninth. Chance singled to right. Harry Steinfelt was hit by the pitch. Johnny Kling popped out to first. Evers reached on an error to load the bases. Wildfire Schultz grounded out to first to score Chicago's second run. Then, Boss Schmidt allowed a third strike to get past him to allow the tying run to score. Johnny Evers was caught trying to steal home to end the inning, but the damage was done. Schmidt had committed a major error. This might be the greatest blunder in Tiger history. The game went 12 innings, but ended in a 3-3 tie. Darkness forced the game's end.

Davy Jones and Sam Crawford each had three hits for the Tigers. Schmidt added two. He also committed the big error to allow the Cubs to tie the game and surrendered 9 Cub steals. Jimmy Slagle, Kling, and Evers slapped two hits each for the Cubs. Wild Bill Donovan pitched a complete game, allowed 10 hits, allowed 1 earned run, walked 3, and struck out 12. Overall went 9, allowed 9 hits, 1 earned run, walked 2, and struck out 5. Ed Reulbach pitched three scoreless to finish for the Cubs.

Game 1 was the Tigers only look at the World Series. The Cubs swept the next four games. Schmidt's error turned the entire series around. Had he held on, then perhaps the Tigers pull the upset as the Sox did in 1906.

Sam Crawford Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1957

Born: April 18, 1880

1896-97: Star High School Athlete

Debut: September 10, 1899 (Reds)

1901: Set MLB record with 12 inside-the-park homers

1901: Led NL in HR (16)

1902: Jumped to Tigers

1908: Led AL in HR (7)

1907-09: Tigers win Pennant each season

1916-7: Lost starting job

1918-21: Played in Pacific Coast League

1924-29: Coach USC Baseball

1935-38: Umpire in PCL

1946: An article in The Sporting News reignited the Cobb-Crawford rivalry

1957: Elected to Hall of Fame

1968: Died

1999: Nominee for All Century Team

Accomplishments:

All Time Triples leader (309)

.309 Average

97 HR

1525 RBI

1391 Runs

2961 Hits

458 doubles

309 triples

760 walks-579 strikeouts

.814 OPS

4328 total bases

100+ runs: 3x

Led league 102 runs (1907)

217 hits (1911)

30+ doubles: 8x

Led league (35 doubles): 1909

Led league in triples: 6x

10+ triples: 17x

15+ triples: 13x

20+ triples: 4x

Led league in HR: 2x

Led league in RBI: 3x

100+ RBI: 6x

20+ steals: 9x

30+ steals: 3x

42 steals (1912)

Hit .300+: 10x

.378 (1911)

.438 OBP (1911)

.500 slugging: 2x

Led league in TB: 2x

Postseason: .243, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .621 OPS (3 World Series)

Bobby Veach: Timeline

Born: June 29, 1888

Debut: September 6, 1912 (Detroit Tigers)

1913: Became starting left fielder for Tigers

1915: Veach, Cobb, and Crawford made up the greatest outfield of all time

1915-22: Had more RBI and extra base hits than any other player

1916: Scored run that ended Babe Ruth’s 25 inning scoreless streak.

1921: Began feud with Ty Cobb

1924: Sold to Red Sox

1925: Traded to Yankees

1925: Released by Yankees, signed with Senators

1925: Washington won the pennant (lost World Series)

1926-29: Played with Toledo Mudhens.

1943: Had operation

1945: Died after a long illness

Accomplishments:
.310 hitter

64 HR

1166 RBI

.370 OBP

.442 Slugging

.812 OPS

Led league in games played: 2x

110 runs (1921)

200+ hits: 2x

Led league 191 hits (1919)

30+ doubles: 8x

40+ doubles: 3x

Led league in doubles: 2x

10+ triples: 10x

Led league 17 triples (1919)

100+ RBI: 6x

Led league in RBI: 3x

20+ steals: 5x

Hit .300: 8x

.355 (1919)

.500 slugging: 2x

324 total bases (1921)

Led league HBP (9) in 1917

Postseason:
0-for-1 (1925 World Series)

Top 10 Right Fielders of All Time

Not in any order...other than Ruth is #1. Ichiro is probably the most glaring omission.

Babe Ruth

Hank Aaron

Al Kaline

Roberto Clemente

Sam Crawford

Mel Ott

Reggie Jackson

Frank Robinson

Paul Waner

Dave Winfield

The Greatest Detroit Tigers Rightfielders

1. Al Kaline (1953-74): HOF, Gold Glove, 1955 Batting Champ, 1968 World Champion, 3000 hits, 1955 AL Hits leader


2. Sam Crawford (1903-17): HOF, 1908 HR Champ, 3x RBI Champ, 5x Triple Champ, .309 career

3. Harry Heilmann (1914-29): HOF, 4x batting champ, .403 in 1923, .342 career, 1921 hit leader, .410 career OBP

4. Kirk Gibson (1979-87, 1993-5): 1984 World Champion, 1984 ALCS MVP, Big HR in 1987 pennant race, The 84 WS HR vs. Goose

5. Magglio Ordonez (2005-present): All-Star, Silver Slugger, 2007 AL Batting Champ, .312 career, Pennant Winning Walk-off HR

6. Jim Northrup (1964-74): 1968 World Champion, Mr. Grand Slam, GW hit 1968 WS

7. Pete Fox (1933-40): 1935 World Champion, .298 career hitter

8. Vic Wertz (1947-52, 1961-3): All-Star, 100 RBI 2x,

9. Pat Mullin (1940-1, 1946-53): All-Star, .271 career hitter

10 . Pat Sheridan (1986-89): .253 career hitter, GW HR in ALCS

The Detroit Tigers: 1910-1919

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