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 2

Chicago Cubs: 6 Detroit Tigers: 1 (Cubs lead 2-0)


W: Overall (1-0)
L: Donovan (0-1)

Home Run: Joe Tinker (1)
By this point, the Cubs had to have been in the Tigers heads. Chicago had beaten the Tigers every possible way in 1907 and 1908. The Cubs hoped to keep the mojo going with Orval Overall on the hill. Detroit countered with 18-game winner Wild Bill Donovan. The game was scoreless into the last half of the 8th when the Cubs unloaded. Joe Tinker slammed a one out 2-run home run. Chicago tacked on four more runs off Donovan to take a 6-0 lead into the 9th. Detroit managed a slop run to make the final 6-1. Tiger Germany Schaefer was the only player with multiple hits. He went 2-for-3. Both starters hurled complete games. Overall tossed a four-hitter, walked two, and struckout five.

1907 World Series Game 4

Cubs: 6 Tigers:1 (Cubs lead 3-0)

W: Overall (1-0)

L: Donovan (0-1)
Orval Overall led the National League with 8 shutouts in 1907. Overall, he won 23 games with a 1.68 ERA. He faced Wild Bill Donovan in a rematch of Game 1. Both pitchers went the distance and posted quality starts. Donovan allowed only 3 earned runs to Overall's 1. However, Tiger defense allowed 3 unearned runs.

Detroit scored first in the fourth inning. Ty Cobb tripled with two out. Claude Rossman singled in the Georgia Peach for a 1-0 lead. The next two batters reached base to fill the sacks. A hit could blow the contest open. However, shortstop Charley O'Leary struckout to end the threat. Detroit did not score again.

Overall helped his cause with a 2-run single in the top of the fifth. The game remained 2-1 until the seventh inning. The Cubs scored three unearned runs in the frame to put the game away. The tacked on an insurance score in the ninth for a 6-1 victory.

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.