From Tinker To Evers To Rizzo: The 1908 Cubs and the 2016 Cubs
Putting the timespan between the Cubs’ World Series victories into context seems a like writing a Hollywood script that would get thrown out immediately because it’s so unbelievable. In between the last Cubs’ championship and the title in 2016, the United States went through 2 World Wars, endured The Great Depression, elected 18 new Presidents, and added New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii to the fold. Teddy Roosevelt was the President during 1908. Henry Ford produced the first Model T, Gandhi was arrested for the first time, and fourth occurrence of the Olympics took place.
Baseball has also changed immensely over the course of the time since 1908. Important rules added in 1908 included: prohibiting pitchers from “soiling a new ball,” the reintroduction of shinguards for catchers, and the adoption of the sacrifice fly. Since then, the mound has been lowered, baseballs are made with cowhide due to the shortage of horses, and the game saw the advent of the designated hitter and instant replay. Baseball has also seen the Black Sox scandal, Pete Rose’s rise and fall, Babe Ruth’s mythical career, and the Yankees have won 27 World Series, among many other feats. It is almost impossible to put into context how incredible the difference is between the 1908 Cubs and the 2016 Cubs, but it’s worth taking a look to see how they stack up.
INFIELD
If there’s one thing readily apparent about both the 1908 Cubs and the 2016 Cubs, it’s the fact that both teams were built around their dominant infield. The 1908 Cubs featured the fabled “Tinker to Evers to Chance” double play combination, with Joe Tinker manning shortstop, Johnny Evers manning second base, and Frank Chance playing first base. The Cubs’ double play combination was so constant that they led New York Evening Mail writer Franklin Pierce Adams to pen, “These are the saddest of possible words: Tinker to Evers to Chance,” further illuminating the legend of the trio of infielders. That trio can now be seen in Cooperstown, as all three were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The 1908 season was another season of excellence for the famous trio, as well as for catcher Johnny Kling. In terms of wins above average (WAA) in the National League in 1908, the Cubs ranked second-best at catcher (with Kling only behind N.Y. Giants’ catcher Roger Bresnahan), the best at first base (Chance), the best at second base (Evers), and second-best at shortstop (with Tinker only trailing the legendary Honus Wagner). The only real perceived weakness in the infield was third baseman Harry Steinfeldt, who batted .241 on his way to an OPS+ of 88 (league average is 100).
In a similar fashion, the current Cubs built a powerhouse infield in order to dominate the National League. Their main strength comes from the corners of the infield, with the odds-on National League MVP Kris Bryant manning the hot corner and fellow elite power hitter Anthony Rizzo handling the duties at first base.
Bryant helped post the second-best WAA by position in the National League at third base for the Cubs, trailing only Nolan Arenado and the Colorado Rockies, and Rizzo was also second-best, trailing only Freddie Freeman and the Atlanta Braves. The Cubs used a combination of second basemen, primarily Javier Baez and super-utility whiz Ben Zobrist to post the fourth-best WAA among the National League second baseman by team. The catcher position ended up being up being sort of a revolving door for the Cubs, as Miguel Montero, David Ross, and rookie Willson Contreras all saw significant playing time. The Cubs still finished slightly above average, registering a 0.2 WAA (with 0 being average).
Defense up the middle of the infield was also a high priority for the 2016 Cubs. Shortstop Addison Russell finished 5th in the MLB in Defensive Wins Above Replacement (dWAR) at the age of 22 (2.7), and Baez finished 10th in the MLB in dWAR (2.0) at age 23. Only three times in the history of the MLB have teams had two players age 23 or under finish with a dWAR of 2.0 or better: the 2016 Cubs (Russell, Baez), the 1958 Pirates (Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski), and ironically, the 1904 Cubs (Evers and Tinker).
OUTFIELD
For the 1908 Cubs, their outfield was far from their strength. The outfield was mainly manned by the combination of Jimmy Sheckard, Jimmy Slagle, and Frank Schulte. Sheckard was the only outfielder to post an above-average OPS+ (102), while Slagle (72) and Schulte (88) both were below-average hitters.
Normally, an outfield that struggles with bat will provide some value with their defense. This was not the case with the 1908 Cubs, however, as Sheckard (-0.8), Slagle (-0.2), and Schulte (-0.7) all posted a negative dWAR in 1908. Utility man Solly Hofman also contributed in the outfield, but also posted a negative dWAR (-0.1).
The 2016 Cubs went into their season with what looked like a surplus in the outfield. After signing Jason Heyward to a blockbuster deal in free agency and bringing back centerfielder Dexter Fowler on a one-year deal, the Cubs had a logjam with Heyward, Fowler, Jorge Soler, and Kyle Schwarber. Unfortunately for the Cubs, the logjam was cleared up early, as Schwarber tore his ACL in just the second game of the season. Manager Joe Maddon would use his lineup wizardry to find a way to balance his outfield throughout the season, including having Zobrist and Bryant rotate into the outfield. The ability of Bryant and Zobrist to be versatile allowed the Cubs to use Baez in multiple roles, leading to his emergence within their lineup.
Heyward would struggle with his bat to the tune of an OPS+ of 70, but Heyward did post a dWAR of 1.3 on his way to a Gold Glove award. Fowler’s return would prove to be a godsend for the Cubs, as he held down the top of the batting order and provided a consistent presence in front of Bryant, Rizzo, and company. Fowler posted a .393 on-base percentage, which was sixth-best in the National League. In left field, the combination of Soler, Zobrist, Bryant, and Contreras posted a WAA of 2.0, which was third-best in the National League despite the injury to Schwarber.
PITCHING
While the general principles of batting have largely remained unchanged since 1908, the way pitchers are being used has changed drastically over time. Gone are the days where the starting pitcher consistently finishes the game he starts. Instead, pitching staffs contain many specialized relief pitchers these days, especially in the playoffs, when the starting pitcher gets even a shorter proverbial leash. The 1908 Cubs were led by Hall of Famer Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown, a nickname earned due to the fact that he was missing part of two fingers. Despite his perceived handicap, Brown was able to develop a devastating curveball, a pitch that helped him win 239 Major League games. In 1908, Brown threw a complete game in 27 of his 31 starts, made 13 relief appearances, won 29 games, and led the league with 5 saves. Brown registered a 1.47 ERA over the course of 312.1 innings, establishing a 0.842 WHIP and a league-leading 6.17 hits allowed per 9 innings. Brown’s 29 wins and 1.47 ERA were second in the league both categories, trailing only fellow Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson, who posted a 1.43 ERA and 37 wins for the New York Giants.
Brown also received a ton of support from pitchers such as Ed Reulbach, whose 24–7 record led to a league-leading .774 winning percentage over 297.2 innings. Southpaw Jack Pfiester was also a major contributor, posting a 2.00 ERA over the course of 29 starts and 252 innings. Righty Orval Overall also was a significant contributor, making 27 starts and throwing 225 innings while maintaining a 1.92 ERA and account for 15 wins and 4 saves. The 1908 Cubs posted a 2.14 ERA in the heart of the so-called “Dead Ball era,” which was the fourth-best mark in the league, with three teams narrowly behind the leader, the Philadelphia Phillies (2.10). While the strikeout numbers of 1908 were significantly lower than the modern-day totals, the Cubs led the National League in strikeouts in 1908, striking out 668 batters, which amounts to 4.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
The modern-day version of the Cubs has a similarly built pitching rotation, despite the vast differences in the usage between the two eras. In 2016, the Cubs topped the bill with two elite starting pitchers: the reigning National League Cy Young winner, Jake Arrieta, and a premier free agent signing, southpaw Jon Lester. The Cubs also signed free agent veteran John Lackey to bolster their starting rotation, and went into 2016 with those three pitchers looking to be the front line of the Cubs’ main line of defense.
Veteran Jason Hammel and relative unknown Kyle Hendricks rounded out the rotation, which seemed to be the relative softer spot of the Cubs’ rotation. While Hammel stayed pretty much on par with his career numbers, Hendricks emerged as a force in the Cubs’ rotation, going 16–8 with a league-leading 2.13 ERA. Lester, Arrieta, and Lackey also held up their end of the bargain, with Lester going 19–5 with a 2.44 ERA, Arrieta going 18–8 with a 3.10 ERA, and Lackey going 11–8 with a 3.35 ERA. Lester and Hendricks have now been named two of three finalists for the National League Cy Young award.
At the midseason trade deadline, the Cubs added flamethrower Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees in order to shore up their bullpen, and Chapman was nothing short of dominant. In his 26.2 innings for the Cubs, Chapman struck out a mind-blowing 46 batters on his way to a minuscule 1.01 ERA. With Chapman shoring up the back end and the starting rotation dominating, the Cubs’ pitching was among the best in the league. The Cubs ranked first in the NL in ERA, 3rd in strikeouts, 1st in WHIP, and tied for first in shutouts. All around, the 2016 season was a huge success for the Cubs.
THE SERIES
The 2016 World Series will go down as one of the best of all time. It had all the elements of a classic: two teams fighting off a lengthy World Series drought, a large lead for one team, a gritty comeback by the other team, and an extra innings classic for Game 7. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs finished a fairy tale season with an improbable ending, which seems like the only way the 108 year curse could’ve ended.
In 1908, the Cubs faced a tough opponent in the World Series in the Detroit Tigers, but they didn’t carry the strife of an entire city or the weight of a 100+ year curse. They did, however, have to face a team featuring a Hall of Famer named Sam Crawford, as well as another guy by the name of Ty Cobb. Ed Reulbach would start Game 1 for the Cubs and pitch into the 7th inning, but the Tigers would take the lead on 2 unearned runs against Mordecai Brown and the Cubs in the 8th inning. “Three Finger” Brown would lock down the Tigers from there, earning the save after the Cubs scored 5 in the top of the 9th against Tigers hurler Ed Summers. Brown would record the save and the Cubs would take a 1–0 series lead.
The Cubs would take Game 2 on the back of a complete game performance by Orval Overall and a homerun from Joe Tinker, winning the contest 6–1. Game 3 would prove to be a positive for the Tigers, as Ty Cobb would gather 4 hits in 5 at bats to lead the Tigers to a 8–3 victory.
In Game 4, Mordecai Brown would establish his stronghold as the Hall of Fame pitcher he was, throwing a complete-game shutout to beat the Tigers 3–0. Orval Overall would again make his presence known in the clinching Game 5, as he tossed a complete-game shutout to complete the series for the Cubs, eliminating the Tigers with a score of 2–0.
While the 1908 Cubs’ road to World Series success was likely less ballyhooed and publicized, they used a similar formula to win the title. A strong infield, dominant starting pitching, and stellar defense were the keys to World Series success for both the 1908 Cubs and the 2016 Cubs. The long-term future looks very bright for the current version of the Cubs, but as fans in Chicago are well aware, success is never guaranteed based upon talent, as it could take 108 years to reach the top of the baseball Pantheon again.
(statistics courtesy of baseball-reference.com and baseball-almanac.com)
