• Cubs Convention
  • Interviews
  • MLB Transaction Glossary | Rules
    • Major League Baseball Transactions Glossary
    • MLB Rule 7.13 – Collisions at Home Plate
    • MLB Slide Rule on Double Plays Adopted for 2016 Season
  • Archives
    • Chicago Cubs Online General Info
    • Community Blog Archives
    • CCO Cubs-Metrics
    • CCO Cubs Podcast
    • CCO Feedback
    • CCO Predictions
    • CCO Opinion – You Know Better
    • The CCO Wrigley Perspective
    • Fantasy Baseball
    • The Northside Media Guide
  • Cubstory

Chicago Cubs Online

A Site for The Cubs Faithful Since 2005

  • Home
  • News | Transactions
    • News and Transactions
    • Cubs Regular Season Notes
    • Cubs Spring Training News Reports
    • Cubs Off-Season News Reports
  • Minor Leagues
    • Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 2008 to Present
    • Minor League Transactions Glossary
    • Cubs Minor League Players and Pitchers of the Year 1990 – 2017
    • Minor League Updates – 2005-2007
  • Rumors
    • If The Ivy Could Talk – Cubs Rumors
  • Game Day
    • Let’s Play 2 – Game Recap
    • Talkin’ Cubs Live
    • Cactus League-Spring Training
  • Opinion
    • The CCO, Live from Wrigleyville
    • Notes from the Soap Box
  • 40-Man Roster | Contracts
Chicago Cubs Online > Cubstory > Cubs History: Overall Shuts Out the Tigers, Cubs Win the 1908 World Series

Cubs History: Overall Shuts Out the Tigers, Cubs Win the 1908 World Series

October 14, 2014 12:05 am By Neil 2 Comments

1908Cubs-pubThe Chicago Cubs became the first back-to-back World Series Champions after Orval Overall won his second game of the series. Overall threw a three-hit complete game shutout and a first inning RBI by Frank Chance would prove to be the difference in the game.

Orval Overall worked around four walks and a wild pitch by striking out 10 batters. Overall finished the 1908 World Series with a 0.98 ERA.

There were only 6,210 fans in attendance at Bennett Park when the Cubs won their last World Series, the lowest attended World Series game in history.

Frank Chance was 3-for-4 in the final game and finished the series with a .421 batting average.

PrintOnly one home run was hit in the five games, a two-run homer in game two by Joe Tinker.

The Cubs won game five, 2-0, and it took just one hour and 25 minutes for the Cubs to win their second straight title.

Game Five – Bennett Park, Detroit – Wednesday, October 14, 1908
  • Cubs Manger – Frank Chance
  • Tigers Manger – Hughie Jennings

Cubs Starting Lineup

  1. Jimmy Sheckard – LF
  2. Johnny Evers – 2B
  3. Frank Schulte – RF
  4. Frank Chance – 1B
  5. Harry Steinfeldt – 3B
  6. Solly Hofman – CF
  7. Joe Tinker – SS
  8. Johnny Kling – C
  9. Orval Overall – P

Tigers Starting Lineup

  1. Matty McIntyre – LF
  2. Charley O’Leary – SS
  3. Sam Crawford – CF
  4. Ty Cobb – RF
  5. Claude Rossman – 1B
  6. Germany Schaefer – 2B
  7. Boss Schmidt – C
  8. Bill Coughlin – 3B
  9. Bill Donovan – P

Top of the First

The Cubs did not waste any time against Bill Donovan in game five. After Jimmy Sheckard popped out to second base, Johnny Evers singled to center. Frank Schulte singled to right. Frank Chance followed with a single to center. And Johnny Evers scored the first run of the game. Harry Steinfeldt flied out to center. With runners on first and second with two outs, Solly Hofman hit a grounder to third and Bill Coughlin stepped on the base to end the inning.

The Cubs scored one run on three hits.

Bottom of the First

Orval Overall walked Matty McIntyre to start his day. Charley O’Leary struck out but Sam Crawford singled to center. Overall struck out Ty Cobb. Claude Rossman struck out but the pitch got away from Johnny Kling and Rossman reached to load the bases. Overall struck out his fourth batter of the inning, Germany Schaefer, to end the inning.

1-0 Cubs, after the first inning of game five of the 1908 World Series.

Top of the Second

After allowing a run in the first inning, Bill Donovan settled down and retired the Cubs in order in the second inning without a ball leaving the infield. Joe Tinker grounded out to third, Kling fouled out to Boss Schmidt and Overall grounded out to first base.

Bottom of the Second

Overall struck out Schmidt to start the inning. Coughlin grounded out to short for the second out but Overall walked the pitcher, Bill Donovan, with two outs. Donovan stole second base but McIntyre flied out to center to end the inning.

1-0 Cubs, after two innings

Top of the Third

Bill Donovan retired the Cubs in order for the second inning in a row. Sheckard popped out to first, Evers popped out to short and Schulte flied out to left.

Bottom of the Third

Orval Overall retired the Tigers in order for the first time. O’Leary grounded out to third, Crawford grounded out to second and Ty Cobb flied out to left.

1-0 Cubs, after three innings

Top of the Fourth

Frank Chance started the fourth by flying out to right. Donovan walked Steinfeldt but Boss Schmidt threw out Steinfeldt trying to steal second. Donovan struck out Hofman to end the inning.

Bottom of the Fourth

Overall struck out Claude Rossman for the first out of the inning. Germany Schaefer walked but Schmidt struck out and Johnny Kling threw out Schaefer trying to steal second to end the inning.

1-0 Cubs, after four innings

Top of the Fifth

The Cubs scored the last run of the 1908 World Series in the fifth inning. Joe Tinker popped out to short to start the inning but Johnny Kling worked a walk. Overall sacrificed Kling to second. Donovan walked Sheckard to put runners on first and second with two outs for Johnny Evers. Evers doubled to center, Kling scored and Jimmy Sheckard advanced to third. Frank Schulte grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Cubs scored one run on one hit with two walks.

Bottom of the Fifth

Overall gave up a lead off single to left by Bill Coughlin to start the inning. Donovan struck out but McIntyre doubled to right. With the tying runs in scoring position Charley O’Leary flied out to shallow center, the runners did not tag. Overall struck out Sam Crawford to end the threat and the inning … the double to McIntyre was the last hit given up by Orval Overall.

2-0 Cubs, after five innings

Top of the Sixth

Frank Chance reached on a bunt single to start the sixth. Steinfeldt sacrificed Chance to second but Hofman flied out to left and Tinker lined out to center to end the inning.

Bottom of the Sixth

Ty Cobb led off the sixth with a walk. Rossman hit a grounder to Joe Tinker. He threw to Johnny Evers and forced Ty Cobb at second base. Overall struck out Germany Schaefer and retired Boss Schmidt on a pop up to Johnny Evers to end the inning.

2-0 Cubs, after six innings

Top of the Seventh

Johnny Kling flied out to center to start the seventh. Overall reached on a single to center. Jimmy Sheckard hit a ball between first and second  that hit Overall for the second out of the inning. With Johnny Evers at the plate, Donovan picked off Sheckard from first base to end the inning.

Bottom of the Seventh

Orval Overall retired the Tigers in order for the second time in the game. Coughlin grounded out to third and Bill Donovan grounded out to short. Matty McIntyre flied out to left to end the inning.

2-0 Cubs, after seven innings

Top of the Eighth

Johnny Evers reached on an infield single to first base. Frank Schulte (the number three hitter in Frank Chances’ lineup) sacrificed Evers to seond. Chance followed with a single to left, Evers advanced to third. Harry Steinfeldt struck out and Johnny Evers was tagged out trying to steal home to end the inning.

Bottom of the Eighth

Overall was in total control by the eighth inning. Overall retired the Tigers in order for the second consecutive inning. Charley O’Leary popped out to Frank Chance, Crawford grounded out to second and Ty Cobb, in his last at bat of the series, grounded out to short to end the inning … Tinker, Evers and Chance made all three outs.

2-0 Cubs, after eight innings

Top of the Ninth

1908CubsSolly Hofman struck out to start what would end up being the last inning of the Cubs’ 1908 season. Joe Tinker singled to right but Johnny Kling grounded into a double play to end the inning. Kling actually grounded out to short and Tinker was thrown out at third to end the inning.

Bottom of the Ninth

Orval Overall retired the Tigers in order to end the inning and the game without a ball leaving the infield. Claude Rossman grounded out to second, Germany Schaefer grounded out to third and Boss Schmidt tapped out in front of home plate for the last out. Johnny Kling threw to Frank Chance to give the Cubs the Championship … And one has to wonder where that ball is today?

Final in Game Five – Cubs 2, Tigers 0

  • WP – Orval Overall
  • LP – Bill Donovan
  • Time of Game – 1:25
  • Attendance: 6,210

Sources: Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

Game Recaps of 1908 World Series
  • Game One – Cubs Big Ninth Inning Leads to Game One Win Over Tigers
  • Game Two – Cubs Use Six-Run Eighth to Talk a Two Game Lead in Series
  • Game Three – Cubs Drop Game Three of The Series
  • Game Four – Mordecai Brown Tosses a Shutout, Cubs Take a Commanding Lead in Series
Follow Chicago Cubs Online on Twitter: @TheCCO and @TheCCO_Minors

Filed Under: Cubstory Tagged With: 1908 Chicago Cubs

Archives


Memories of Mr. Cub

A Tribute to Mr. Cub

Forever, THE Cub
What is Eamus Catuli
What is Eamus Catuli?
Lakeview Baseball Club

Subscribe to the CCO

Get Cubs Updates in Your Inbox

Tweets by TheCCO

Stats


Trips to the North Side

Copyright © 2021 5 & 11 Online Productions
Privacy Policy | Commenting Policy | About | Contact
ChicagoCubsOnline.com is not affiliated with the Chicago National League Ballclub

7ads6x98y