The Official 100th Anniversary 1908 Cubs Championship Thread!

Blackborder

The Cubs have the longest period of any professional sports team without a championship. In fact, the last time they won in 1908, the other three major sports leagues were not even in existance yet. NHL-1917, NFL-1920, NBA-1946.

1908 is almost universally regarded as the most exciting season ever played in Major League Baseball. Both Leagues had Pennant races that were decided on the last day of the season. The Cubs and Giants were forced to replay the "Merkle Boner" game in front of a crowd of over 30,000, the largest ever for any game up to that time. It was a classic duel between Christy Mathewson and Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown. Cubs manager Frank Chance said before the game "Whoever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?"

These weren't the cursed "lovable losers" of the last 100 years. They were the first dynasty in Baseball, maybe the best team of all time. The 1906-1910 Cubs won four Pennants and 2 World Series. They won 530 games in five years, the greatest five year period any baseball team has ever had.


Post something in commemoration of the 1908 Cubs!

CDsNuts

I wanna dip my balls in it!

Elemenopeo

Two cards I used to own, but sold, and wish I had back...

Estil

All ya need now is Tinkers and Evans.

mrbud60

blackborder-what was the merkle play?i'm not familar with it.thanks,gil

Stone193

It's also the 100th anniversary of the "anthem" of baseball - Take Me Out to the Ball Game.

In 1908, Jack Norworth was riding the subway and noticed a sign for baseball at the Polo Grounds. He threw the song together in about 15 minutes and his good friend - also a Vaudevillian - Albert Von Tilzer put it to music.

The irony was that he had never been to a baseball game.

Now the Cub connection - the announcer for the Cubs was overheard by owner Bill Veeck singing the song during a game and he hid a microphone in the booth - he felt it was so bad, everyone would want to join in - and the rest was history - Harry Caray made singing the song during the 7th inning stretch an American institution!



And forever memoralized at the stadium:



mike

Bosox1976

Red Bird is a dead bird.

Go Cubs!

Tabe

I highly recommend picking up the following:



Amazon Link for "Crazy '08"

Fantastic book covering the entire 1908 season.

Tabe

ripkenintheminors

Definitely nothing lovable about losing.

Elemenopeo

<< <i>Definitely nothing lovable about losing. >>


Here's hoping you don't coach Little League.

ripkenintheminors

<< <i>

<< <i>Definitely nothing lovable about losing. >>


Here's hoping you don't coach Little League. >>



I think that's an apples/oranges situation. Little league is all about having fun, learning the sport, and getting recreational time. While it's still the same sport, professional baseball is still a business. With that being said, I'm not a fan of the "lovable losers" ideal that so many feel about the Cubs.

Blackborder

<< <i> I'm not a fan of the "lovable losers" ideal that so many feel about the Cubs. >>




We Cubs fans have to rationalize in some way to feel better about 100 years of pathetic losers.

bigfische

see my sig line pic

Blackborder

<< <i>see my sig line pic >>



My favorite player from the team. Underrated too in my opinion. He owned Christy Mathewson.

SoonerCowboy

My 10 year old grandson is beginning his first year in baseball. I think he's a couple of years too late but I took him out last weekend and he's pretty good. His teams name is the Cubs though. I didn't have the heart to tell him that his team is probably doomed.

storm888

"..Little league is all about having fun, learning the sport, and getting recreational time..."

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////

It is taken pretty serious where I am.

"Not To Win Is A Sin."

Blackborder

MeteoriteGuy

Blackborder

Anything new to add?

69Cubs

The PCCE convention had some pretty cool Cubs stuff from over 100 years ago. A 1907 World Series ball which the Cubs played in, game worn jerseys from Johnny Evers and Frank Chance and other cool stuff.

Mike

bigfische

Baseball's Sad Lexicon


These are the saddest of possible words:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pr1cking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double --
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."


Im not sure three players ever gained more from a writer than these guys did, Outside of Chance, im not sure they would have near the name recognition today without the help of this poem.

Estil

<< <i>Red Bird is a dead bird.

Go Cubs! >>



You know, UK fans could do much the same also (our rival is also the Redbirds, from Loserville that is)! Redbirds are dead birds from Loserville!

Bosox1976

If anybody can break the spell it is Ronnie Woo Woo.