by Scott Fennessy
Chicago, IL
10/8/1905
The Cubs play their final scheduled regular season game today against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals have looked horrible against the Cubs most of the year, but have really looked good the last couple of games. Today sees Charles Brown face Jake Weimer in a must win game. In another complete dismantling of the Phillies in game one of a double header the Giants have clinched a tie for the crown. The Cubs now have to win to have a chance and hope for the Phillies to pick up a win. Considering how they have basically rolled over for them the last 4 games it does not look good.
The Cardinals and Cubs do nothing in the first inning, and word from the wire is that the Phillies have a one run lead on a Hugh Duffy RBI single with two out in the first. The Cardinals then score first in the second inning on a double by Mike Grady. Jake Beckley then slaps a soft single to right for the RBI. Weimer settles down to finish the inning, but as the Cubs go down in order they still trail 1-0.
Still 1-0 in New York as Bill Duggleby looks unhittable early. Meanwhile Jake clearly is struggling as Bill Shannon rocks a double off the wall in left and scores as Pepper Clarke crushes one to deep center for a two run homer. Weimer gets the final out of the inning, but it looks surprisingly bad for the Cubs early as they go down quietly in the third.
The Phillies still lead 1-0 as Duggleby now has 3 no hit innings under his belt. Unfortunately the wheels appear to be coming off the wagon in Chicago as Grady hits a moon shot to right that got a visit from a very hostile Frank Chance. Weimer fans two of the final three hitters, but the Cards are now up 4-0. The Cubs finally show up as Frank Schulte gets a leadoff double to left and after a walk to Chance and a sacrifice by Johnny Evers runners are on second and third. Joe Tinker hits a hard grounder that forces the play at first and the Cubs get their first run of the day. The inning ends with St. Louis on top 4-1.
The score was still 4-1 redbirds in the 8th when Clarke gets a one out single and moved to second on a ground out and scores on Grady’s third hit of the day, an RBI single. Beckley grounds out to end the inning. Word from the wire is that the Phillies still lead 2-0 as Duggleby has a 1 hitter going into the 7th. The Cubs get a hit from Weimer, who has clearly over performed as a hitter as well as a pitcher this year. Billy Maloney, who probably should have been given the day off hits into a double play and it looks bleak now, but Jim Casey hits a single to right and takes second on Homer Smoot’s error. Schulte then gets his third hit of the day and the Cubs score a run at last.
Chance calls for the hit and run with himself at the plate and it’s through for a single and runners on the corners. Evers then bangs a fly ball off the wall in center for a 2 run double and suddenly the rainbow may be forming. Tinker then slips a single under Shannon’s glove and another run score. The Cardinal bullpen is warming now as Jimmy Slagle rips a single to score Tinker and the Cubs suddenly have the lead! Kling flies out to end the inning, but the Cubs suddenly are three outs from a possible tie for the pennant. Meanwhile the wire trips again and unfortunately the Giants have taken the lead in the 7th after an error allows the Giants to score three unearned runs and take a 3-2 lead into the 8th with McGinnity on the hill.
Meanwhile back in Chicago Harry Arndt rips a leadoff double and the bullpen gets in action. With one out and Arndt on third pinch hitter Art Hoelskoetter draws a walk and George McBride is called on to pinch run and set up the hit and run. Shannon grounds out on a fine play by Casey at third and runners are now on second and third when John Dunleavy, who had been riding the bench most of the season drills a two run double as the Cardinals suddenly reclaim the lead. Bob Wicker closes out the inning and the Cubs go into the bottom of the 9th trailing 7-6.
Word from New York is that the Phillies in a stunning comeback have taken 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth. Here in Chicago the Cubs fall to the Cardinals and the Giants have already clinched. Making things even worse is that with the Giants just two outs from losing their game Red Dooin of the Phillies drops the third strike allowing the winning run to score. You could almost hear John McGraw cackling all the way from Gotham City as the Giants win the NL pennant.
After a season long battle, it truly came down to the final game of the year. While I am pleased with the Cubs performance, there is a bitter taste of defeat in the air tonight as the final regular season game between the Cardinals and Dodgers is all that is left.
I am interested in how the World Series will play out as the Cleveland Indians survived vast underperformance from most of the lineup, many injuries and quite honestly a vastly superior competition in the form of the Philadelphia A’s and the significantly better pitching from the White Sox will fare against the slugging Giants. I figure New York in 5, but you never know.
Stay tuned for my regular season wrap up and World Series update. It’s been a great ride, filled with lots of ups and downs. I hope you have enjoyed the updates as much as I have in providing them.
Editor’s note: Scott has done a fantastic job detailing his 1905 replay and it has rapidly come to a close. Truth be told, Scott finished his replay months ago but he was so diligent about reporting on it that I’ve been posting them up until now. There will be a few 1905 wrapups as well as a postseason article from Scott but sadly, the Cubs won’t be part of it.
Great job, Scott! -Tom
