by Scott Fennessy
8/22/1905
Brooklyn, NY
GAME ONE
The Cubs face the Dodgers in a double header today. I am still amazed at their fortune of late. Pitching is really rounding out, and although Frank Chance is the only player really doing well, he is getting just enough help to have the offense rolling. Meanwhile for the Dodgers Harry Gessler and Jimmy Sheckard are the real offense and when doing well create a lot of havoc. Harry Lumley has started to do well and with a performing 1-3 have made teams work a little harder. Today’s first game features Jake Weimer, who may be having the best season for any number three starter I have had. His opponent today is John McIntire, who has had a miserable season to date.
McIntire struggles through the first inning, but the Cubs don’t score. Meanwhile the Dodgers get the upper hand in the first inning as Gessler draws a leadoff walk and Sheckard executes the hit and run perfectly and runners are on the corners. Lumley hits a weak grounder to third, and while Jim Casey makes a good play and keeps Gessler at third while getting Lumley at first Sheckard moves to second. Emil Batch, who is having a really tough season hits a fly to the deepest part of left field when Jimmy Slagle runs it down for a great running catch. Unfortunately his momentum keeps him moving the wrong way and Gessler tags and scores the first run of the afternoon. Charlie Malay grounds out to end the inning but the Dodgers are on top 1-0.
Both pitchers look solid although Weimer does seem a bit wild, issuing 3 walks through the first three innings, but we still have the bums on top 1-0 in the top of the 5th with two out and McIntire looking like he may move up to a B rating for once when Frank Schulte hits a soft floater to right field where Harry Lumley tries to make the shoestring catch, but he bobbles the ball several times; allowing Schulte to take second base. Chance then hits a bullet up the middle, and the third base coach is waving Schulte around for the run that will tie the game at one apiece. Casey then takes first on a walk and catcher Lou Ritter goes out to talk to McIntire. Chance then signals from third to have the hit and run on and Casey is off with the pitch. Kling singles over Gessler’s head and Chance scores with Casey moving to third. Kling is sent to second anticipating the throw home, but unfortunately the ball is cut by the pitcher who then fires to second where Kling is out easily and Casey still holding third. Slagle then gets another single scoring Casey and the merry go round is still working. Joe Tinker then hits a fly high to left field and Tom Hall completely loses it in the sun and it bounces off his glove allowing Slagle to score. Weimer then grounds out to end the inning and the Cubs score 5 to make it a 5-1 game.
Weimer has worked through his struggles and now seems to be more in control as we complete the bottom of the 6th. McIntire has survived his bad inning and has regained control as well. The Dodgers try to mound a rally in the 7th as Malay collects his second single of the day and soon after his second steal. He moves to third with one out and Hall gets one in the ribs as a curve ball gets away from Weimer who clearly is not having his best control today. Ritter then hits a chopper in front of the mound and Weimer rushes the throw and it’s over Chance’s head and into right field. Schulte gets it in quickly, but not until after Malay scores. McIntire stays in the game and whiffs to end the inning, but the Dodgers cut the score to 5-2 Cubs, which is where this one stays at. The Dodgers did commit two more errors, giving them their 5th 5 error game of the season and 157 for the season. Weimer gets the win, but clearly could have pitched better. McIntire gets the loss, and wastes one of his best efforts of the year.
GAME TWO
After a rather difficult game one Ed Reulbach faces Kelly Stricklett in a highly anticipated game two. “Big Ed” is coming off of a terrific 3 hit game and Stricklett is another pitcher who has given the Cubs fits and had he been pitching on a better team would be among the leaders in wins.
The Cubs go down quietly in the first, and while the Dodgers are sent down in the first Reulbach has a two out jam to deal with after allowing a single to Harry Lumley, who has really had a solid second half and then hits Emil Batch before retiring the final batter with no score.
Things are much different in the second though as Chance rips a single to center and steals second on the third pitch. Casey then draws a walk and the double play is in order. Johnny Kling then pops up but Jimmy Slagle, who is showing signs of life drops a single, scoring Chance and putting runners on the corners. Slagle also steals second and Joe Tinker delivers the knockout punch with a single up the middle scoring both runners and also steals second but does not score when the inning ended a couple of batters later with the visitors now on top 3-0.
The bums start the comeback right away in the bottom of the inning. With one out when Bob Hall hits a hard grounder that bounces off of Johnny Evers chest and is aboard with an error. Lou Ritter then hits a single just out of Tinker’s reach and runners are on the corners. Ritter, while not the fastest catcher on earth, but he knows how to pick his spot and steals second. Reulbach then allows a walk to the pitcher Stricklett, and gets a visit from Kling and Chance as the bases are now loaded and the game in jeopardy. It clearly worked as Gessler hits a fly to medium center and Hall scores but the others hold, and Sheckard grounds out weakly to end the threat with the Cubs up 3-1.
The Cubs get back the run in the third when Evers rips a single to right and with the hit and run on Schulte gets a hittable pitch and he pulls it into the left field corner. Evers scores easily, but the relay is good and he has to hold with an RBI double. Stricklett immediately shuts down the rally, but the lead is now at 4-1 as the Dodgers go down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
From that point forward both pitchers controlled the game. The Cubs had several opportunities to break it wide open as Stricklett walked six batters but stopped every rally when he needed to. Reulbach was completely in top form again allowing just 2 hits overall, and that gave him a two game total of 5 hits allowed. He is really picking things up. This doubleheader sweep now has the Cubs 2 games up in the win column over the Giants, but 2 games down in the loss column. The Giants host the Pirates later today so this is a big moment.
Giants 69 28 .711
Cubs 71 30 .703
Hi Scott,
I saw Jimmy Sheckard’s name for Brooklyn and got confused. Then I looked him up and found out he didn’t play for the Cubs till 1906. :)
While looking that up, I learned Sheckard was also the first man to lead the league in homers and steals in the same season. That was in 1903.
Always learning something with your articles. :)
Hi Tom,
Apparently it was a busy offseason after 1905. Jimmy Sheckard comes over from the Dodgers, Manager/Catcher Pat Moran comes over from the Braves and in a move that would have crushed me had I been there to see traded Jake Weimer to the Reds for Harry Steinfeldt and Orval Overall.