1905 Chicago Cubs replay update: The Tornado is unhittable vs the Phils!

by Scott Fennessy

West Side Grounds

Chicago, IL 6/20/1905

The Cubs face the Philadelphia Phillies today in game two of this series. Frank Corridon who is as good a hitter as he is a pitcher goes for the Phillies and the sizzling hot Jake Weimer.  Weimer (left)comes out and gets three weak fly balls to each of his outfielders for a 1-2-3 inning. Billy Maloney draws a tough 5 pitch walk and Chance sends him and Johnny Evers slips one through the hole between first and second and runners are on the corners with nobody out.

Evers is coming around again and has a 3 game hit streak. One out later Chance draws another walk and the normally pesky Corridon has loaded the bases. Tinker pops up to Dooin behind the plate and now two outs and the bases still loaded. Unfortunately for Corridon, Schulte keeps his solid June up with a soft single to center, scoring Maloney. Evers is rounding third, but the coach puts the stop sign on and he gets back just in time. Kling hits a grounder to Doolan at short for the toss to Gleason at second to end the inning 0-1 Phillies.

Another 1-2-3 for the Tornado and the Cubs come back for more in the bottom of the second. Jim Casey has earned my respect at last. He had been woeful through May, but has really turned on the jets and leads off with a solid single. He then steals second. One out later Maloney singles scoring him, and Maloney then steals second as well. Evers draws a walk, but Corridon gets out of the inning just allowing one run for a 0-2 Cub lead.

Weimer strikes out the side to start the third and suddenly I’m thinking “perfect game” Jesse Tannehill of the 01 Pirates came closest with 7.2 innings against the Reds. Nothing doing for either team as we go to the 6th inning. Weimer still has the perfect game going as the Cubs bat in the bottom of the inning. Casey starts a two out rally, and suddenly he has his second two hit game of the week, considering he had been lucky to get two hits in a week prior to this streak things are looking bad for the Phillies. Weimer bloops a single just out of Ernie Courtney’s reach at third and runners are on first and second.

Maloney gets his second hit of the game scoring Casey and putting runners on the corners before he steals his second base of the game, and his 30th of the year. Evers grounds out to end the inning 0-3 Cubs lead and the excitement continues to build.

Roy Thomas strikes out to start the 7th and now I am getting stoked. Gleason hits a one hopper to Casey at third, and he boots it E-6!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! The perfect game is over. Casey is clearly not happy with himself, but Weimer who has been almost super human his last three starts looks over to him and says “it’s ok”.

John Titus then lays a sac bunt down putting Gleason in scoring position. The red hot Sherm Magee then hits a deep fly to center but Maloney has it for the out. The no hitter is still intact. The Cubs leave Tinker stranded at third after his third 3 bagger of the year and we go to the 8th.

Weimer gets another 1-2-3 inning ending in convincing fashion with a 3 pitch strikeout on Catcher “Red” Dooin to end the inning. The Cubs blow another chance to break this open in the bottom of the inning when Weimer gets his second hit and moves to third on Maloney’s third single of the game, but they fail to score and into the 9th we go.

First baseman Bill Bransfield hits a grounder to Tinker who mishandles the ball and the fielding one Cubs commit their second error of the game. If you though Casey looked upset with himself Tinker looks like he made the biggest mistake of his career.

Former Cub Mike Kahoe pinch hits for Corridon who pitched beautifully for the Phils hits a grounder moving Bransfield to scoring position and one out. Thomas gets fooled on a change up and hits a pop into foul ground behind third, Tinker and Casey converging and……………Casey makes the grab, leaning over the wall to pull this in. Whew, two down now. Gleason hits a fastball hard, but Chance makes a great lunging grab, to his knees……, the throw to Weimer racing for the bag and heessss OUT!!! WEIMER GETS HIS FIRST CAREER NO HITTER. CUBS WIN, CUBS WIN. WOOOO HOOOOOO!.
Frank Corridon pitched a gem and could have won on any other day. Just three runs scattered on 8 hits while striking out 3.

Weimer was the big story today of course, with the perfect game ending at 6.1 innings, got the no hitter, and walked none, and strikes out 5. He is now 14-2 for the year with a 1.15 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and just 5.34 base runners per 9 for the season. It was his 6th shutout of the year. But there are other accolades today. Maloney had 3 hits raising his average to .312. Evers streak is at 3 games. Schulte gets a hit after his 8 game streak had ended yesterday and is at .302 for the season. Casey’s two hits raise his average to .228 and again his hit streak is at 4. Weimer also managed two hits and is hitting .259 for the year.
The Giants beat the Reds 6-4 in Cincinnati today, so not much changed in the standings.

Cubs 37-11 .771
Giants 35-13 .729

[photo credit]