The 1908 Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs in the early days actually played at the West Side Grounds on Wood Street, now the site of the University of Illinois College of Medicine. The great Cap Anson, a Hall of Famer, led the club to 5 National League pennants in the 1880's, before the World Series existed. First Baseman Frank Chance took over as player-manager in 1905, and the team would never finish below third place during his tenure, which would last through 1912. These Cubs teams featured the famous double play combo of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Chance, as well as pitcher Mordecai "Three Finger Brown", all 4 of who are in the Hall of Fame.

In the 1906 season, the Cubs set a Major League record with 116 wins, which they achieved in a 154 game season. The 2001 Seattle Mariners tied this win total, though the schedule had 162 games by now. The Cubs finished 20 games ahead of the second place New York Giants, and went on to face the cross-town Chicago White Sox in the World Series. The White Sox were dubbed "The Hitless Wonders", and had won 93 games, but they beat the Cubs 4 games to 2 in the first intra-city World Series.

The Cubs won 107 games in 1907, beating the second place Pittsburgh Pirates by 17 games. The first team to reach the World Series in consecutive years, Chicago would face a young Ty Cobb and the Detroit Tigers. The first game was called a tie due to darkness, but the Cubs went on to win the next 4, and their first title.

1908 saw five of the Cubs' starting pitchers post an earned run average below 2.30. The team finished 98-55, tied with the Giants, with the Pirates at 98-56. In a September game, the Giants had appeared to beat the Cubs, but Fred "Bonehead" Merkle failed to touch a base on the game-winning hit, and the game was declared a tie. It was decided that the game would be made up if necessary, and with the Cubs and Giants having the same record at the end of the season, it was. The one game playoff took place at The Polo Grounds in New York, and the Cubs beat legendary pitcher Christy Mathewson 4-2 to go to the World Series for the third straight year.

The defending AL champion Detroit Tigers finished the season a half game ahead of the Cleveland Indians. The Tigers had a game rained out earlier in the season, but it was decided not to be rescheduled, so they captured the pennant.

Game 1 at Bennett Park in Detroit saw the Cubs score 5 runs in the ninth inning to win 10-6. The Series switched to the West Side Grounds for game 2, with Chicago plating 6 runs in the eighth, and Orval Overall allowing Detroit only one run. Joe Tinker's home run in this game was the first World Series long ball since 1903. The Tigers won game 3 in Chicago, 8-3, with a five-run sixth inning. Bennett Park hosted game 4, which saw "Three Finger" Brown pitch a 3-0 shutout, giving the Cubs a 3-1 series lead. Overall pitched a 2-0 shutout in game 5 in Detroit, which featured only 6210 fans, still the lowest attendance in World Series history. The Chicago Cubs became the first team to ever repeat as World Series champions.

The 1909 Cubs finished 6 ½ games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, who would go on to defeat the Tigers in the World Series, making Detroit the second team to reach the Series three straight years, and the first team to lose three in a row. Chicago captured the pennant again in 1910 with 104 wins, but lost to Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics, 4 games to 1. They made it back in 1918, and 5 more times between 1929 and 1945, but lost each time. Cubs fans have been waiting for another pennant ever since.

Baseball Writers' Association of America

This group was formed in 1908, in response to poor treatment by teams, most notably the Cubs, who put out-of-town reporters in the back of the grandstand during the 1908 World Series. They are responsible for voting on league MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year. Ten year members vote on Hall of Fame candidates.