Pinch Hitter: Arthur "Vin" Campbell
One at bat in one game for the '08 champions. Finished his career as a lifetime .310 hitter over six major league seasons.
THE PITCHERS
Mordecai "Three Finger" "Miner" Brown
We all know the story of Brown's missing digits. Brown was the winning pitcher in the '08 replay against the Giants to win the pennant. The man from Nyesville, Indiana was the best pitcher on some of the best teams in the history of the National League. Nuf ced.
A little poetry from William James Lampton:
Gloom gathers above us,
There's murk in the air,
There's no one to shove us
Along to get where
The crown of the victor
Will rest on this town,
For the Giants see nothing
But Mordecai Brown,
Mordecai, Mordecai
Three-fingered Brown.
Fans wail on the bleechers,
Fans weep in the stands,
Fans cry with the screechers,
For any way, every way,
Far up and down.
There's nothing that greets them
But Mordecai, Mordecai
Three-fingered Brown
Baseball is no longer
The game of a club
Which had it been stronger,
Might wallop the dub
That hails from the windy
And comes to this town
To razzle the Giants
With Mordecai Brown.
Mordecai, Mordecai,
Threee-Fingered Brown.
The murky clouds thicken,
The end cometh on
When nothing can quicken
The hope that is gone;
Manhatten is busted,
The pennant is down,
And the Giants are walloped
By Mordecai Brown.
Mordecai, Mordecai,
Three-fingered Brown.
"Big" Ed Reulbach
The Pippen to Brown's Jordan, Reulbach's 24-7 mark was only good for second best on this team. Pitched in four World Series for the Cubs.
Jack "The Giant Killer" Pfeister
When your biggest rival is the Giants, a man nicknamed "The Giant Killer" is a good man to have around. Former 20 game winner for the Cubs in 1906.
Orval Overall
The Cub flamethrower slumped in 1908, winning only 15 games versus 23 in 1907. When the Series rolled around, however, Overall was in form. He had two complete game wins against the Tigers in the '08 Fall Classic to go along with the one he picked up in 1907.
Charles "Chick" Fraser
Fraser battled wildness for most of his fourteen seasons in the big leagues, but for the Cubs in '07 and '08 he sported a 2.25 ERA. Not too bad for the fifth starter and long man out of the pen.
Carl Lundgren
Lundgren was finishing out an eight year career in the major leagues, but as a swingman he did eat up some innings for the Cubs. His 2.42 lifetime ERA shows he was no slouch in his prime.
Floyd "Rube" Kroh
Kroh spent parts of six seasons in the majors, appearing in two games for the 1908 champs. A 9-4 mark as a spot starter in 1909 highlighted his best season in baseball.
