1905 Chicago Cubs replay update: Northsiders sweep the Braves

by Scott Fennessy

Chicago, IL
August 5 1905

The Cubs have been playing well and with the Giants starting to come down to reality have closed the gap a bit. Today is a big day today, and in a brief interview prior to the game manager Frank Chance was brimming with an excitement at the prospect of what today could bring. That would be the Cubs facing the Braves in a double header. The Braves have been pretty awful most of the season, but have played the Cubs pretty tough. Today however could be different as they get a double dose of Jake Weimer (right) and the returning Ed Reulbach. THAT is why Chance is so happy today.

Game 1 featured Weimer versus Vic Willis who has had a good season wasted by the lack of hitting and defense and we get under way with both pitchers looking good early as Weimer retires the first 6 in order before the Braves draw first blood in the third when Virgin Cannell who is trying to play his way into the lineup with a good stint as a sub gets his first extra-base hit of the year with a double to start the frame. Moving to third on a ground out and scoring when Willis, who is not a great hitter puts a charge into a Weimer fastball that sends outfielder Jimmy Slagle near the wall to make the catch and there is no play at home as Cannell scores the first run of the day and the Braves take the lead.

Ed Abbaticchio then connects with a curve ball on a 0-1 count and this one is deep in left center, and neither outfielder can get there. This one bounces off the wall and Billy Maloney gets it in and Abbaticchio has a double, and has finally started to hit a little lately. The team’s leading hitter Fred Tenney then draws a walk and the oft-injured Harry Wolverton steps to the plate. Wolverton makes Jake work hard, but it pays off as he gets a pitch to hit and slaps it into center field, scoring Abbaticchio and the lead is 2-0 Braves. Weimer strikes out Ed Delahanty to end the inning, but the damage is done.

The Cubs however start the comeback in the bottom of the inning when Weimer hits a grounder to Abbaticchio at short, and doing his best Shawon Dunston imitation (which is pretty impressive as he won’t be born for about 60 years) and sails this one into the stands and Weimer is awarded second on the error. Manager Pat Moran is not happy as he has seen this happen too many times before. Jake moves to third with one out on a ground out and tags and scores on Johnny Evers fly to Cannell. Willis closes the inning, but the score is cut to 2-1 Braves.

Weimer settles down again in the 4th, but the Cubs keep pressing as Chance hits a grounder that second baseman Bill Lauterborn can’t get to rolls into right and the hit and run is on and Jim Casey at the plate. After a little game of cat and mouse at first Chance is off with the second pitch and Casey swings through the pitch; Moran’s throw to second is not in time. Chance has stolen his 41st base of the season! Casey then gets a change up that does not go where intended and he fights it off the hands and it drops into center scoring Chance with the tying run. One out later the inning comes to close as the Braves pull a rare double play, but the 4th inning ends tied at two apiece.

After a scoreless 5th inning the Braves retake the lead in the 6th as Delahanty hits a single back up the box with one out and steals second with ease as the Cubs just never expected to see him go. This was just the 8th steal of the year for him, and it pays off as Tom Needham hits a solid single to right and Delahanty scores just ahead of Chance’s relay from Frank Schulte to get the Braves back on top with a rare come from behind effort. Weimer then gets the final two hitters to end the inning, but now down 3-2.

That was still the score as both pitchers take control for a while and it was looking grim for the Cubs until the 8th inning. Light hitting Joe Tinker bloops a single that drops between Needham and Wolverton to set up the hit and run with the good hitting Weimer at the plate. Jake gets a fastball and slips it in the vacated hole and now runners are on the corners and nobody out. Billy Maloney who is still struggling lately, but has a hit today gets drilled by a fastball that gets away and now the Braves are in real trouble as Evers is really hitting well at present. But wait, what’s this? Chance shocks everyone and has called for the suicide squeeze! The runners are off with the pitch, and Evers lays down a beauty! Wolverton can only hope this one rolls foul as he knows he can’t get the runner and ends up eating the ball and the tying run scores and the sacks are still full. Schulte then hits a fly to center and Weimer scores the go ahead run.

Willis then retires Chance to end the inning, but not until the Cubs have turned the tide. Weimer gets a perfect 9th to secure his 21st victory of the season and a very badly needed win as the Giants have yet to play today, but they beat the Pirates pretty soundly yesterday. Once again Boston wastes a great pitching performance, but Willis really has nobody to blame for this but himself. Had he not beaned Maloney perhaps the winning run does not score. But that’s baseball.

GAME TWO

After a brilliantly played game one my expectations are high as Ed Reulbach returns to claim his spot as ace of the team. Having missed over a month this season due to injuries he is ready to go and faces Charles “Chick” Fraser. Fraser is another pitcher who has fallen victim to bad play having 17 losses coming in, but an ERA near 2.50. This could be interesting. Will the Braves step up after a great effort in game 1? Will Reulbach be rusty after the long layoff? It’s time to find out.

Both pitchers take early command and there is no score at the end of one. The Braves however get to Reulbach in the second as Ed Delahanty, who has really struggled this year rips one down the line and all the way to the corner in right. Frank Schulte gets to it, but not before Ed has his first hit of the day. While he has had a tough go this year he has started to hit lately. One out later he scores as Pat Moran drops a single to right and the lead run scores. Virgin Cannell, a reserve who has been playing well and getting more playing time strokes a single to center and runners are on the corners. Reulbach is getting tested early in his return, and Cannell is off with the pitch. Fred Raymer hits a shot right at Joe Tinker at second, who easily doubles Cannell at first to end the inning, 1-0 Braves on top.

That was still the score although the Braves did miss a chance to pad the lead in the 4th as Tom Needham got a one out double but a great play by Tinker to end the inning saved the day for Reulbach and the Cubs.

Inspired by Tinker’s play to end the inning the Cubs come to bat ready to get back into this one. Schulte hits a solid single to left, and is on second with one out then Jim Casey hits one deep to right and this hits just in front of the wall. Needham plays the hop and fires it in to second, but Casey slides in ahead of the throw and the Cubs have tied the game as Casey gets an RBI on his 18th double of the season. Johnny Kling hits a grounder to third, and the normally dependable Wolverton throws this one away and Casey scores and Kling is now at second. Fraser then settles down and gets the last two batters, but the Cubs now had a 2-1 lead at the end of four.

Nothing happens again until the bottom of the 6th when Schulte draws a leadoff walk and is on third with two out. Kling gets his second hit of the day and gets his 43rd RBI of the year. Jimmy Slagle gets a single to put runners on the corners, and then steals his 14th base of the year, but the Cubs only get the one run and the score is now 3-1 Cubs in front.

Both pitchers continue to throw well and the score was still the same as Reulbach comes out to toss the 9th inning. Delahanty strikes out to start things, but then the team’s best power hitter Needham comes to bat, and he crushes the 1-2 offering deep to left center field, Slagle starts after it, but stops to watch as it sails deep into the seats and cut the lead to just one run and only one out. Pat Moran pops up in foul territory to Johnny Evers, and it is up to Cannell, and he keeps things alive with a single, but weak hitting Fred Raymer grounds to Casey at third, the throw across the diamond, and the game is over. The Cubs sweep the double header and have gained a lot of ground this week. The lead is now down to just 4 games and the Pirates have started to fade away again.

Giants 62 22 .738
Cubs 60 26 .698

[photo credit]