A Pennant Is Blown

National League Playoff Game, October 8, 1908

I am in Cleveland now after last night’s thrilling Game 5 victory by the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Their push to capture a first World Championship since 1908 recalls for me this game account of the Merkle Boner, written on the day of its occurrence by the great Charles Dryden for the Chicago Tribune, with a next-day follow-up. Without this epic mishap, the Cubs would not have finished in a first-place tie with the Giants, necessitating a playoff game which the Cubs won at the Polo Grounds on October 8, 1908. Who was to blame? John McGraw never thought it was Merkle, who followed in the footsteps of many players in running off the field following a game-winning hit.

Fred Merkle, age 19

A PENNANT IS BLOWN, Charles Dryden

New York, Sept. 23, 1908 — Minor league brains lost the Giants’ game today after they had it cleanly and fairly won by a score of 2 to 1. In the ninth round, Fred Merkle did a bonehead base-running stunt identical with the recent exhibition which Mr. Gill, also a minor leaguer, gave at Pittsburgh three weeks ago. But this time O’Day had his eagle eye peeled, and the winning run which the Giants compiled in the ninth inning was tossed into the discard.

O’Day ruled “no contest” and, as the field could not be cleared, the game may be forfeited to the Cubs.

It must chagrin the Giants aplenty to think how they kiboshed themselves. In a swell combat, worth going miles to see, Mathewson had the better of Pfiester, and the game looked as safe as the Bank of England when Bridwell tore off what should have been a hit in the ninth.

Tinker’s home run in the fifth was all the Cubs had in the way of visible assets. Steinfeldt’s bum heave and a couple of singles knotted the count in the sixth after a most gallant defense. Then came the bonehead finish, which left the bugs puzzled and wondering. And they won’t know what happened until they see the public prints — i.e., newspapers — in the morning.

Harry Pulliam

President Pulliam would not make a statement tonight, but he intimated the game would not be played over. That means either that the contest goes to the Cubs by forfeit because of the crowd on the field, or that Pulliam will overrule O’Day’s decision that the run in die ninth did not count. This would give the game to New York.

Round nine for the Giants opened with the out of Seymour. Then Devlin singled and McCormick forced him. Merkle’s safety to right put McCormick on third. On the first ball pitched, Bridwell pasted a neat but not gaudy single to center. McCormick crossed the plate, but Merkle, who was on first base, ran half way down to second, then turned, and hotfooted it for the clubhouse.

Unless the said Merkle planted a hoof on second base, Bridwell could not be credited with a hit, and McCormick could not score. The Cubs and Hank O’Day were primed for the situation, having been through it once before in Pittsburgh. With one voice the Cubs set up a yelp like a cage of hungry hyenas, and O’Day, working be-hind the plate, ran to the pitching slab to see what had come off at second base. Capt. Donlin realized the danger about to overtake the Giants, so he set off after the fat-headed Merkle, while McGinnity, who was coaching at third base, butted into the fracas coming off at the middle cushion.

Baseball in the Big Leagues, Evers 1910

The facts in the case gleaned from active participants and survivors are these: Hoffman fielded Bridwell’s knock and threw to Evers for a force play on the absent Merkle. But McGinnity, who was not in the game, cut in ahead and grabbed the ball before it reached the eager Trojan. Three Cubs from as many directions landed on the iron man at the same time and jolted the ball from his cruel grasp. It rolled among the spectators who had swarmed upon the diamond like an army of starving potato bugs.

At this thrilling juncture “Kid” Kroh, the demon southpaw, swarmed upon the human potato bugs and knocked six of them galley-west. The triumphant Kroh passed the ball to Steinfeldt after cleaning up the gang that had it. Tinker wedged in and the ball was conveyed to Evers for the force out of Merkle, while Capt. Donlin was still some distance off towing that brilliant young gent by the neck.

Some say Merkle eventually touched second base, but not until he had been forced out by Hoffman to McGinnity, to six potato bugs, to Kroh, to some more Cubs, and the shrieking, triumphant Mr. Evers, the well-known Troy shoe dealer. There have been some complicated plays in baseball, but we do not recall one just like this in a career of years of monkeying with the national pastime.

Meanwhile a more turbulent scene was being enacted elsewhere. Peerless Leader Chance ran at O’Day to find out what Hank had to say, but the sparrow cops, specials, two hundred cops and Pinks — slang for Pinkertons — thought Chance was going to bite Hank on the ankle. Half a hundred men in uniform surrounded the P.L., and thousands of bugs surrounded them. Bill Marshall, an expert on bacteria, and Del Howard rushed in to help the Peerless Leader. Another squad of cops had O’Day in tow several yards away.

Frank Chance, 1908

Hank didn’t know Chance wanted to converse with him, and they couldn’t get together anyhow. Finally the cops got O’Day into a coop under the stand and tried to slam the door in the face of the Peerless Leader. He jammed his robust frame in the opening and defied the sparrow chasers. Chance later got to O’Day who, said Emslie, working on the bases, did not see the second-base play be-cause of the crowd, but Plank informed Chance that McCormick’s run didn’t count.

Merkle Ball, Sept 23, 1908

Still later, Hank submitted gracefully to an interview by the war scribes. He said Merkle was forced at second base and the game ended in a tie, 1 to 1. None of the Giants remained to make public statements. Part of the crowd lifted a player in white to their shoulders and bore him to the clubhouse. The Giant thus honored was not Mr. Merkle. He left long before the trouble started, and his departure caused it. Some base runners should have a groove cut for them so they couldn’t go wrong.

O’Day made the correct ruling. He had been through one harrowing experience along the same lines at Pittsburgh, where a situation similar in every respect came up, including the minor leaguer on first base, and Hank stood by to see what came off. President Pulliam was present and saw what transpired. Under the rules of baseball, a run cannot score when the third out is forced out, even if private citizens, née bugs, and players not in the game assist in the final play.

New York, Sept. 24 — Following a sleepless night of agony throughout the length and breadth of Manhattan, haggard bugs waited all morning for the decision from President Pulliam on the riotous wind-up of Wednesday’s tie game. Scribes from far and near assembled in Pulliam’s outer office, where he conversed on general topics in his usual affable manner. Then he retired to the inner sanctum and sent out a neatly typewritten ruling. In effect, H. Pulliam said he had received a written report from Umpires O’Day and Emslie stating the game resulted in a tie score, 1 to 1, and that it was impossible to continue after the ninth inning.

Hank O’Day, by Conlon

“Without entering, at this time, into the merits of the controversy or passing upon the legality of any decision,” the ruling continued, “the game will be recorded as reported, namely, a tie score.”

Barring himself within the inner precincts, Mr. Pulliam declined to see anybody, nor would he come forth to reveal the future. Questions sent in by scribes came back in original state — i.e., unanswered. Nothing was said about playing off the tie game, as provided by the league constitution, which states such games shall be played. As this is the last day that the game can be played, the Giants are subject to a fine. It rests with the home club to arrange such matters, but McGraw announced last night the contest would not be played over.

Editor’s note: When the season’s play ended with the Giants and the Cubs tied, the National League’s board of directors ordered the tie game replayed in New York. The Cubs won, 4 to 2, on October 8.