Chicago Cubs 1905 replay update: Peerless Leader leads the Northsiders to a win

by Scott Fennessy

West Side Grounds

Chicago, IL 6/18/1905

The Cubs face the Brooklyn Dodgers for the series finale. John McIntire, one of only 2 C starters in the league goes for the Dodgers while “Big Jeff” Pfeffer a B makes his first start of the year for the Cubs.

Jimmy Sheckard gets a one out single but is stranded at first and the Cubs come up in the first and once again take a first inning lead. I don’t know how many times they have done this, but probably more than any team I have ever played. Even more than my 01 Phillies and A’s teams who routinely put up 15 runs a game. That said, Johnny Evers who is starting to show signs of coming out of his slump hits a hard grounder to Phil Lewis at short, but he misplays the hop and it’s off the heel of his glove and Johnny’s on board. Moving to second on Hofman’s grounder Frank Chance hits a solid single to center scoring Evers easily, and for Frank it is a 3 game hit streak and 4 of his last 6 games and he has seen his average really take off. Tinker grounds out to end the inning but the Cubs lead 1-0

The Dodgers get right back in this though as Lew Ritter hits a leadoff triple into the deepest part of center and scores on Tom Owens’ sac fly. Pfeffer gets the next two hitters but the score is now tied at 1-1.

While the Dodgers kept hammering at Pfeffer he did not allow any further scoring. Meanwhile McIntire walks a similar line but as he is a C starter the Cubs have a significantly easier opportunity but fail to do anything. Finally the Dodgers break through in the 5th as Lewis leads off with a single to right and moves to second on Bob Hall’s ground out to Tinker. McIntire who is a good hitter hits a mistake fastball into the gap in left. Lewis scores and McIntire is on second with his 3rd double of the year. Henry Gessler who is the only other player besides Sheckard having a good season hits a sure double play ball to Casey at third, but Casey’s throw is dropped by the normally sure handed Tinker and runners are on first and third. The hit and run is on and Sheckard comes through with a solid single that nearly gets between Maloney and Hofman as McIntire scores and runners are on the corner. Harry Lumley who is finally starting to hit hits a solid shot to right and while Schulte is able to come up with the ball and makes a great throw it is deep enough into the gap that both Sheckard and Gessler score. Emil Batch pops to Chance and the inning ends 4-1 Dodgers.

The Cubs miss another chance with Casey leads off the 5th with a single. This is his 4th hit in 5 games and while he has not been spectacular at the plate he is starting to improve rapidly. Unfortunately Pfeffer hits a tailor made DP to Owens at second, over to Lewis at short who throws a bullet to Gessler at first to clear the bases. Maloney strikes out and the inning ends.

Still nothing doing in the 6th until pinch hitter Jimmy Slagle gets a 2 out pinch hit single hitting for Pfeffer who clearly was not up to the start today. For Slagle it was his 4th pinch hit of the year. Chance knows time is running out and McIntire is tiring so the hit and run is on and Billy Maloney hits a shot past the diving Batch at third and the runners are on the corners. Maloney steals second and Evers has a golden opportunity and takes advantage with a solid single scoring both Slagle and Maloney. Hofman hits a grounder right back to the pitcher and the inning is over, but the Cubs cut the score to 6-4 Dodgers.

Lindgren in for Pfeffer and the Dodgers who are hitting surprisingly well today press the attack. Rigger and Owens put runners on the corners with just one out, but Lindgren promptly gets their respect by shutting the door and not allowing the runners to advance. McIntire still in and fading but since they don’t have anything better in the bullpen they leave him in. It looks like he will make it out of the inning when Frank Schulte gets his second hit of the game with two out and the hit and run is on again. Kling hits one into the corner and Schulte is in to tie the game, but Kling who is “fast for a catcher” (rough translation = just a notch above slow) is nailed easily trying to score. Kling has been terrific this month and while the inning is over, the game is not and we go to the 9th Dodgers leading 6-5. McIntire hits a grounder that eats up Casey at third and he is on to start the 9th, which is not a good sign, but Lindgren hangs tough and the runner never gets past second and we go to the bottom of the 9th and the Dodgers clinging to a one run lead. Casey gets his first 2 hit game in as long as I can remember and it kicks off Halls glove and Casey moves to second on the error. This is probably the one thing that kills the Dodgers more than anything. They have got to be one of the worst fielding teams in the league. One out later and Casey is still on second. Maloney hits a single to right and Casey scores to tie the game. Maloney steals his second base of the game and the winning run is now in scoring position. Flip Flop Jones in for McIntire who gave it his all and gets a tough no decision today. Evers hits a fly to shallow left for out number two. A very tense crowd was starting to go silent gets an extended life when Hofman draws a walk to put runners on first and second with two out. The red hot Frank Chance is up and he gets a pitch to his liking and he hits a solid single to left center Maloney scores the winning run and the crowd is going wild.

A stunned Brooklyn team starts the walk of shame back to the clubhouse while the Cubs have a small cluster near first base congratulating their skipper on the big win.

For the Dodgers Gessler had a hit and raised his average to .291 and stole his 22nd base of the year and scored twice giving him the team lead at 24. Sheckard had two hits and drove in a run. He leads the team with a .334 average. Lumley had 3 hits, 3 RBI and a stolen base. He had been badly underperforming his card and is now up to .234 average and leads the team with 24 RBI. Ritter had two hits today and I think 4 in his last 6 games but is still hitting well below .200. McIntire did everything he could to win, going 3 for 3 as a hitter scoring twice and driving in a run, but he ran out of gas late and gave up 4 runs in 3 innings and could only watch as Jones was ineffective again. Jones who has spot started and relieved has not done well now having an ERA over 7 for the year. Defensively they did turn two double plays, but committed two more errors giving them 74 for the year, and while they may not set the record, they are giving it a run.

For the Cubs Billy Maloney had two hits and two steals giving him 5 of each in his last two games. He is back on track bringing his average back over .300 for the year. He has a two game streak. Frank Chance is extremely hot right now he had 4 hits today and two runs scored. He is now hitting .329 for the year and a team leading 34 RBI. Tinker has a two game hit streak and I believe 4 of his last 5. Frank Schulte is really becoming a machine with two more hits and has a 2 game hit streak but has had several small ones like this and is now hitting .309 and only Frank Chance has been hotter lately, well maybe Johnny Kling who had two more hits today is at .221 for the year. Not much to brag about it would seem, but considering he started the month at .198 it’s a lot. Casey has been deservedly derided this year but has come on strong and now at .209 raising about 15 points as he was in danger of losing his job to Hans Lobert. Pfeffer looked bad and Wicker will get the last start before Reulbach returns. Lindgren got the win in relief and is as close to a “closer” you can have in 1905.

Meanwhile in St. Louis, where the Giants had lost the first two games of the series to the lowly Cardinals served notice that while the Cubs are in first THEY are the team to beat. They just completed the absolute worst beat down ever. This is actually the third time they have done something like this it seems, but the destruction was absolute this time. As bad as this sounds, they beat the Cardinals 34-0, and it was not as close as the score made it look. New records were set in many categories.

• Most runs scored by a team 34
• Most runs scored by player in a game Dan McGann 7
• Most steals by a team in a game 17
• Most steals by player in a game George Browne 6
• Most home runs in a game by team 4
• Most home runs by a player Dan McGann 2 (tied Sherm Magee of the Phillies who had just become my first 2 homer guy 3 games earlier)
• Most hits by a team 37
• Most hits by a player in a game George Browne 7
• Most RBI in a game by a player Roger Bresnahan 9

(regarding Bresnahan’s RBI oddly enough he had to come in off the bench after Mike Bowerman was hit in the hand by a pitch and will miss the next 24 games, he was hitting .335 with 3 homers)

Christy Mathewson was as dominant as anyone ever. He went 3 for 6 with his third homer of the year drew two walks, and stole two bases, and if that was not enough went 6.2 perfect innings walked zero struck out 8 and allowed just two hits in the end.

Cubs 35-11 .761
Giants 32-13 .711

[photo credit]