1908 vs. 2008: Starting pitching

Between now and the end of the season we're going to compare the last Cubs championship team to this year's future championship team. Next stop: Pitchers. We're only highlighting the top 4 starters, because that's all you'll see in the playoffs.


Mordecai Three Finger Brown vs. Carlos Zambrano

Brown had one of the best seasons in Cubs history in 1908, winning 29 games, saving another 5, and compiling an ERA of 1.47. He was a big game pitcher, the man who rescued the Cubs time after time. He also won two of the games in the World Series (game 1 in relief, and game 4 as the starter). Brown remains the best pitcher in Cubs history--and is a member of Baseball's Hall of Fame. On the other hand, Carlos Zambrano did something in 2008 that Brown did not do in 1908...he pitched a no-hitter. While Zambrano is not a Hall of Famer yet, over the past five years, he has been the best pitcher on the Cubs, and one of the best in baseball. Cubs fans worry about him in the playoffs, however. Zambrano is a volatile volcano...ready to erupt at any moment.


Orval Overall vs. Ryan Dempster

Dempster actually won more games (17) in 2008 than Overall (15) did in 1908, but good old Orval had ice water in his veins. Like Brown, he was often used to pitch in relief. Orval has the distinction of being the last Cubs pitcher to win a World Series deciding game. (He also won a game in the 1907 World Series). Like Overall, Dempster is no stranger to relief, having been the Cubs closer for several seasons before 2008. Dempster led the Cubs in wins, and his 2.96 ERA is a testament to his excellent season. While Overall was a serious college boy from California, Dempster is the key to the loose Cubs clubhouse. His temperament is the exact opposite of Zambrano.


Big Ed Reulbach vs. Ted Lilly

1908 was Reulbach's best season by far. He won 23 games, including a crucial double-header (yes you read that correctly) in September. He pitched shutouts in both games, and remains the only player to do that in baseball history. Reulbach was a tough competitor, but he was also a free spirit. In July he missed the team train because he tried to buy some fried chicken at a stop in Cleveland. Reulbach was so hot down the stretch in 1908, he got the ball in Game 1 of the World Series. He had some trouble in the game, and was rescued by Mordecai Brown. Ted Lilly had his own difficulties in the 2007 playoffs, but during his two seasons in Chicago, he has consistently been the pitcher the Cubs count on to stop losing streaks. He also pitched the best game of his career in 2008, a one-hitter over the Astros in Milwaukee (the day after Zambrano's no-hitter.)


Jack Pfiester vs. Rich Harden

Pfiester and Harden share one undeniable trait: they are both injury prone. Pfiester started the 1908 season by injuring his thumb when he couldn't get it unstuck from a bowling ball, and had several other injuries during the season. He only managed to win 12 games, but a few of those wins came in crucial games against the arch rival of the Cubs--the New York Giants. That's why Pfiester was known as Jack the Giant Killer. Success began to elude him at the end of the season, however. He had to be removed after 2/3 of an inning in the one-game playoff against the Giants, and was the only Cubs pitcher to lose a World Series game in 1908 (Game 3). Harden came to the Cubs in mid-season with a reputation of being so fragile, the Cubs treated him with kid gloves after his arrival. When he was on the mound, however, his stuff was absolutely electric, and his ERA was among the lowest in the big leagues in 2008.

1908 vs. 2008: Catcher

Between now and the end of the season we're going to compare the last Cubs championship team to this year's future championship team. Next stop: Catcher


JOHNNY KLING

Johnny Kling is a key member of the 1908 Cubs. He is considered one of the smartest players in the league, known for his defensive prowess, his ability to call a good game (Mordecai Brown gives Kling credit for his emergence as a star pitcher), and his way of making the umpires love him. Unlike most of the players in the league, Kling is a gentleman with the umps--he never swears, and he is well known as the only member of the Cubs who doesn't smoke or drink.

Despite his boy scout image, Kling is far from an angel. He has nearly perfected the art of tripping a batter on his way out of the batter's box. He's also known for his ability to get under the hitter's skin with his subtle barbs. His teammates don't call him "Noisy" for nothing. Johnny is also a pool shark who owns his own Billiard Hall. Before the next season he will become the national billiards champion. In fact, he'll sit out the entire 1909 season defending his title.

His importance to the Cubs is not only measured by his defensive contributions. Johnny Kling is a solid hitter too, despite the fact that he hits eighth in the lineup. In 1908 he hit 4 home runs, which is the second most on the Cubs, and the ninth most in the entire National League. (It was the dead ball era).

How important is Kling to the Cubs? During the Cubs dynasty (1906-1910), the Cubs were in the World Series every single year except one; 1909, the year Kling took off to play pool.


GEOVANY SOTO

While the 1908 Cubs were paced by a veteran 33-year-old catcher, the 2008 team has a rookie at the helm; Geovany Soto.

Soto is more than just a rookie. Last September he made the Cubs playoff roster and hit the team's only home run in the playoffs versus the Diamondbacks. They gave him the starting job in spring training, and he hasn't disappointed. In July he was voted the starting catcher for the National League in the All-Star Game; the first rookie catcher in baseball history so honored. In addition to that honor, there is a very good chance he will be named the Rookie of the Year after the season.

Why is he so respected? He's a slugger (one of the many Cubs hitters this year with more than 20 home runs), a top RBI man, a clutch hitter, and a solid defensive catcher. The mostly veteran staff has accepted him and lets him call the game--which is highly unusual for a rookie.

Soto is so important to the Cubs success of 2008, Hall of Fame baseball commentator Peter Gammons is calling for him to be named the Most Valuable Player of the league.

1908 vs. 2008: Third Base

Between now and the end of the season we're going to compare the last Cubs championship team to this year's future championship team. Next stop: Third Base


HARRY STEINFELDT

Steinfeldt is the answer to the trivia question, 'Who was the other infielder besides Tinkers, Evers & Chance.' He was the third baseman during the Championship era--every bit as important to the Cubs as his Hall of Fame infield compatriots. (He's the one on the far left of this photograph. You may have seen this picture before with Steinfeldt cropped out.)

Steinfeldt was one of the first players that Chance acquired when he took over the general manager duties before the '06 season. He traded Jake Weimer, a left handed pitcher, to acquire him from Cincinnati. Steinfeldt was probably the MVP of the 1906 team that set a record for most victories. That year he led the league in hits and RBI, batted .327, and stole 29 bases. In the 1907 World Series he hit .471.

Although 1908 was a bit of a down year for Steinfeldt (he hit only .241), he remained one of the team's best clutch hitters. Batting 5th in the lineup, he was counted on to knock in the big runs. He probably wasn't as respected as the other infielders on the team for one reason, and one reason only. He had an iron glove at 3B. In 1908 he made 28 errors.

Steinfeldt was shipped out of Chicago after the 1910 World Series (the last year of the Cubs dynasty). He only played one more season in the big leagues, then tried to reclaim his lost hitting stroke in the minors, but never found it.

He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1914 at the tender age of 37.





ARAMIS RAMIREZ

Like his 1908 counterpart, Aramis Ramirez is THE clutch hitter for the Chicago Cubs. This year he bats cleanup, but he prefers to bat in Steinfeldt's old slot--5th. Year after year Aramis leads the Cubs in RBI, and seems to relish the most difficult situations. After the seventh inning, he's amongst the most feared hitters in the game.

Ramirez also benefits from the same thing Steinfeldt enjoyed with the 1908 Cubs--a slick fielding first baseman. Thanks to the steady play of Derrek Lee at first base, the error totals for Aramis have continued to decline. This year there is even talk about a possible gold glove. (That's something his 1908 counterpart Harry Steinfeldt could have never earned--despite the great play of Frank Chance.)

Ramirez starred for the Cubs in the 2003 playoffs, but struggled in 2007. It remains to be seen if he will reclaim his clutch playoff status in 2008.

1908 vs. 2008: Shortstop

Between now and the end of the season we're going to compare the last Cubs championship team to this year's future championship team. Next stop: Shortstop

JOE TINKER

By 1908 standards, Tinker was what we would now call a 5-tool player. He was among the league leaders in homers, RBI, and stolen bases (he led the Cubs in the first two categories), and was one of their steadiest fielders. In 1908, he also led the league in games played; a man that could be counted on to penciled in to that 7th slot in the batting order every day.

The ever steady Tinker was a crucial part of the championship club. In addition to his physical skills, he was a tough and gritty competitor--never afraid to let his fists do the talking. He once got into a fight on the field...after the game...dressed in his street clothes. He had a particular hatred for the Giants, stating: "If you didn't honestly and furiously hate the Giants, you weren't a real Cub."

His teammates loved Joe, except of course his double-play mate Johnny Evers. They only spoke to each other on the field, and only about baseball. Knowing their personal feelings for each other, it's amazing how well-oiled that Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance double play combination worked. They were pioneers in many ways--using signals on the field to adjust to upcoming pitches. Opponents were amazed at how difficult it was to get a ball through that infield. (Hence, the poem penned in 1910).

All three men (Tinker, Evers & Chance) would eventually manage the Cubs. Tinker's chance came in the first season the Cubs played at what is now known as Wrigley Field (1916). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Chance and Evers in 1946.


RYAN THERIOT

Though he is the same age as his 1908 counterpart (28), Theriot is considered one of the young players on the 2008 team whereas Tinker was one of the grizzled veterans of his team. While Tinker was a power hitter, Theriot is more of a slap-hitter concerned with on-base percentage. And while Tinker was a fighter, Theriot is more of a calming force in the clubhouse.

But between the lines, the two men shared a common get-your-uniform-dirty grit. Theriot isn't afraid of stealing a base (though he occasionally overreaches in that area), and his play at shortstop is so steady that fans often don't even notice that he rarely makes mistakes.

It's no coincidence that the Cubs didn't start clicking until they put Ryan Theriot in the every day lineup. He has batted lead-off, second, seventh and eighth, but wherever he hits, he does something that the Cubs didn't do for many many years before his arrival; he takes a few pitches.

1908 vs. 2008: Second Base

Between now and the end of the season we're going to compare the last Cubs championship team to this year's future championship team. Next stop: Second Base.

JOHNNY EVERS

Johnny Evers was such a vocal irritant when he was playing second base, manager/first baseman Frank Chance actually considered moving him to a different position so he didn't have to hear him talk. Evers was known as an aggressive competitor, and probably the most baseball savvy member of the Cubs. It was his heads up play in the famous Merkle game that led to the Cubs pennant in 1908.

1908 was also the season he really came into his own as a hitter. His .300 average was the highest on the Cubs, and one of the best in the league (this was the deadball era), and only one other player in baseball had a better on-base percentage that year. Once he got on the bases, he was even more dangerous. Despite his small size (he was only 125 pounds), he never hesitated to slide into the base with his spikes up. He was one of the best base-stealers on the team--in 1908, he swiped 36 bases.

Evers was a tough Irish-Catholic New Yorker by birth, and despite his heroics on the field, he didn't mesh that well with his teammates. (His nickname was "The Crab"). His double-play mate Joe Tinker, for instance, didn't talk to him at all. They despised each other.

He later managed the Cubs (1913), was fired by the Cubs (1913), and went on to win the MVP during a season he led the Boston Braves to the World Series championship (1914).

He was elected to the Hall of Fame along with Joe Tinker and Frank Chance shortly before his death in 1947.


MARK DEROSA

When the Cubs signed Mark DeRosa as a free agent before the 2007 season, it's fair to say the signing was greeted with a less-than-enthusiastic response from the Chicago media and Cubs fans. After all, they had two young infielders on the roster (Ronnie Cedeno & Ryan Theriot). It seemed like just another example of the Cubs signing a mediocre veteran instead of letting the kids have a chance.

But DeRosa quited those critics pretty quickly with his gritty play, his versatility in the field (he has played every position except SS, CF and C), and his ability to get on base. Like his 1908 counterpart, DeRosa is a key member of the team who seems to get more than his share of crucial hits. Unlike Johnny Evers, though, Mark DeRosa's game is not speed--it's power. By the end of the year he will be one of up to six Cubs players with more than 20 home runs.

Some of his teammates consider DeRosa the MVP of the team because of all the different ways he helps them win.

1908 vs. 2008: First Base

Between now and the end of the season we're going to compare the last Cubs championship team to this year's future championship team. Next stop: First Base.


FRANK CHANCE

Frank Chance was more than just the first baseman and clean up hitter for the 1908 Cubs--he was the manager and the brains behind the organization. His nickname was "The Peerless Leader" and there was never a question about who was in charge of this team. He was fierce and competitive.

One time after a loss he was brooding at home after a loss—and wouldn't eat or talk. His wife said: "Don't worry, dear, you still have me," and he replied "Many a time this afternoon, I'd have traded you for a base hit." He was known to be a brawler. James J. Corbett, heavyweight champ, called him: "one of the best amateur fighters I've ever seen." One time he provoked a riot by punching out Giants pitcher Joe McGinnity at the Polo Grounds. Another time he threw a bottle into the stands at fans in Brooklyn.

He was just as fierce as a manager and general manager. He once acquired a pitcher (Jack Harper) who beaned him one too many times, just so he could cut his salary (by 2/3), and refused to pitch him, thereby effectively ending his career.

As a hitter, Chance would do whatever it took to get on base. He was always among the best on the team in on-base percentage and runs, and led the league in stolen bases twice. In the field, he was impeccable at first--something that would eventually be immortalized in the poem.

He was only 31 years old in 1908, but after many beanings (he was hit 137 times in his career), it was starting to affect his hitting and his health. He hit only .272 in 1908 after hitting over .300 for many years, and he suffered from horrible headaches. But he toughed it out for the season, and despite opponents attempts to psych him out with frequent brush back pitches and/or provoke him into a fight (Giants manager McGraw actually assigned players to taunt Chance), he led the team back to the pennant. In Game 5 of the World Series, he knocked in the game winning run, giving the Cubs their last championship.


DERREK LEE

Before joining the Cubs, Lee had the game winning hit in the infamous Bartman game in the 2003 playoffs for the Florida Marlins. Acquired for rookie slugger Hee Sop Choi (one of the all-time steals), Lee immediately made an impact in Chicago. He hit over 30 homers in his first season, and won a batting title in second year (2005), when he hit .335.

Like his 1908 counterpart, Lee hasn't quite been the same hitter the last few seasons (since he broke his wrist), but his teammates all look up to him as one of the team leaders, and his consistently gold-glove caliber defense at 1B (he has won three gold gloves) makes the rest of the infield and the pitching staff better.

Just don't ask him to come up with a man at first and one out. He leads the league in hitting into double plays.

1908 vs. 2008: Rightfield

Between now and the end of the season we're going to compare the last Cubs championship team to this year's future championship team. Next stop: rightfield.


WILDFIRE SCHULTE

Wildfire didn't get his nickname for his style of play (although he stole home 22 times), or his tendency to hit the town (although Frank Chance used to chide him for that in the press). He got it because he named his favorite pony after his favorite Broadway show "Wildfire" (starring Lillian Russell), and soon it became his nickname too.

He was a memorable character--known for his flakiness and his quirks. For instance, he had a thing for hairpins. He thought they were good luck, so he would search the streets looking for hairpins. The bigger the hairpin, the better the luck.

Wildfire was also the most important batter in the Cubs lineup for years (he always hit third). Despite suffering through an injury plagued 1908, he was their most reliable hitter at clutch time. In his four World Series appearances, he hit .321, including .389 in 1908.

Schulte didn't really hit his stride until after the 1908 season. In 1911, Schulte became the first player in baseball history to have a 20-20-20-20 season (20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases). Only three other players ever accomplished that feat: Willie Mays in 1957, Curtis Granderson in 2007, and Jimmy Rollins, also in 2007.

He would be the last key member of the Cubs dynasty to leave the team. He starred for them until the middle of the 1916 season, when he was traded to Pittsburgh. He only played two more years, and retired after the 1918 season.


KOSUKE FUKODOME

Fukodome arrived in Chicago amidst much fanfare. In his first game he hit a three run home run, and the love affair with the fans began almost immediately. They voted him in as a starting outfielder for the National League in the 2008 all-star game.

Known as a power hitter in Japan, Fukudome hasn't quite lived up to his power numbers here in America, but his gold-glove caliber outfield play has improved the team immeasurably.

Fukudome has many of the same skills of his 1908 counterpart. He'll likely end the season with double digit home runs and stolen bases. If he learns to adjust to the adjustments big league pitchers have already made to him, he has all the tools to become another Wildfire Schulte.

Only time will tell.

1908 vs. 2008: Leftfield

1908: Jimmy Sheckard

Sheckard was the final piece to the Championship puzzle when he was acquired before the 1906 season to play left field. He was known for his speed (he led the league in steals twice), his good eye (he was in the top ten in walks nearly every year), and his rascally sense of humor. Unfortunately for Sheckard, that sense of humor rubbed his teammate Heinie Zimmerman the wrong way. Early in the season they got into a fight in the locker room, and Zimmerman threw a bottle of ammonia at Jimmy--nearly blinding him. If the ballpark wasn't located just steps away from Cook County hospital, he almost certainly would have lost his sight. As it was, it cost him several weeks of playing time. (It also cost Zimmerman several weeks...he was beaten to a pulp by his manager and teammates)

Sheckard's hitting never really returned in 1908 (he ended the year hitting only .231), but he still managed to make an impact at the top of the order (mostly batting second) with his speed (18 steals) and his walks (he finished in the top 5 that year). He played with the Cubs for four more seasons and retired in 1913.


2008: Alfonso Soriano

Like his 1908 counterpart, Soriano missed several weeks of the season with an injury, and is a bit of a hot dog--just like Jimmy Sheckard. He also hits at the top of the lineup and has good speed--but that's where the similarities end.

Alfonso Soriano is a power hitter who can carry the team on his back when he is hot. He is the marquee player on a team full of marquee players. He is likely to make a mistake in the field that will seemingly lose the game before making up for it by getting the game-winning hit.

Historically his hot streaks have not coincided with his appearances in the post season. If those two forces coincide in 2008, he could take the Cubs to the promised land.

1908 vs. 2008: Centerfield

Between now and the end of the season we're going to compare the last Cubs championship team to this year's future championship team. First stop: Centerfield.


1908: Jimmy Slagle

One of the wily old veterans on the Cubs, centerfielder Jimmy Slagle is the leadoff hitter for the 1908 Champs. He's been around so long he has acquired not one, not two, but three nicknames. He's known as the "Human Mosquito" (because he's such a pest), "Rabbit" (because of his speed), and Shorty (because of his height—5'7").

Jimmy is well respected by his teammates, but hated by his opponents. He has been the starting centerfielder with the Cubs since 1902, but his run with the team is almost over. He is showing signs of his age (he's 35), and by the time the Cubs reach the World Series, Solly Hofman will claim the starting job. Slagle will play his last game for the Cubs on October 3, 1908. He won't get an at-bat during the World Series, and will retire after the last out is recorded.


2008 Jim Edmonds

This year's Cubs team also has a wily old veteran named Jim manning centerfield. Picked up off waivers from the San Diego Padres early in the year, Jim didn't win over the fans immediately because of his long association with the St. Louis Cardinals.

That began to change during the first series against the White Sox when he clubbed two home runs in one inning to help clobber the crosstown rivals. Since arriving with an average south of .200, he has turned it around. He actually leads the team in home runs since he put on Cubbie blue.

Cubs fans are starting to see why Cardinal fans dubbed him "Jimmy Baseball." Jim Edmonds will undoubtedly provide an invaluable bat in this season's quest for the World Series title.