The Curse of Wrigley Field

May 31, 1908 at West Side Park
Cubs 6, Pirates 3  (23-12)

The Cubs returned home to win their third straight game behind some solid pitching by Jack Pfiester.  He gave up three runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

Harry Steinfeldt continued his hot hitting with three more singles while Del Howard singled, doubled and scored a run.  Solly Hofman pitched in with a double and he scored twice.

May 31, 1908 at West Side Park
Pirates 13, Cubs 3  (23-13)

The Cubs suffered their worst defeat of the season in the fourth game in two days as Chick Fraser and Ed Reulbach were knocked around for a combined thirteen runs.  Even worse, while they gave up sixteen hits, they also dealt out eleven free passes in the contest.

Jimmy Sheckard provided the bulk of the Cubs offense in the loss.  He went two for five with a double and a homerun.

May 30, 1908 at Robison Field
Cubs 10, Cardinals 2  (21-12)

The Cubs scored a season high ten runs in the first game of the doubleheader against the Cardinals and while there were plenty of hitting stars, Frank Schulte was a notch above the rest.  He was a perfect four for four and he drew a walk.  Del Howard tripled and he scored twice. 

Orval Overall picked up the win with 7 2/3 innings of solid pitching.  He gave up two runs on eleven hits in 7 2/3 innings.

May 30, 1908 at Robison Field
Cubs 11, Cardinals 2  (22-12)

The Cubs needed just hours to surpass their best offensive game of the season as the dealt another beating to the Cardinals in the second game of their doubleheader.  This time they scored a season high eleven runs with seven different players having multi-hit games.  Harry Steinfeldt singled twice and doubled in five at bats while Heinie Zimmerman, Johnny Kling and Joe Tinker all scored a pair of runs each.

Carl Lundgren picked up the win with a nice outing.  He gave up two runs on six hits and five walks with one strikeout.

May 29, 1908 at Robison Field
Cardinals 4, Cubs 3  (20-12)

Three Finger Brown suffered his first defeat of the season as he finally gave up a run in the eleventh inning.  It was his sixth inning of relief and he had previously thrown five innings of shutout ball to get to the eleventh.

The Cubs picked up thirteen hits but managed just three runs in the contest.  Johnny Evers singled twice and he scored one of the Cubs runs.

 Phil Velasquez/TRIBUNE PHOTO

You know you’re getting old when you start putting lame things like family first in your life. Take me for instance. I’m a young, strapping young man at the ripe age of 22. I love my family, but if I had the opportunity to, say, work at the New York Times or the Chicago Tribune, I’d pick up and leave in a heartbeat. Hell, I’d even leave in the middle of the night while my family was sleeping if they told me to.

But I’m young, and since I have no children of my own, worrying about nonessential things, like having a job, is alright.

Jim Edmonds, on the other hand, is much older than I am and he has no qualms with admitting to others that baseball isn’t exactly priority numero uno. Via the Chicago Tribune:

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Kosuke Fukudome has had a rough May. Going into Tuesday night’s ball game Fukudome was hitting a pedestrian .256, down from his .305 average during the first month of the season.

But the power of his very own bobblehead day inspired Mr. Fukudome to blow up, going 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI during the Cubs’ 3-1 win over the Dodgers. He also found some time to make a solid diving catch in right field.

If only all of us could have at least one bobblehead day.

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May 28, 1908 at Robison Field
Cubs 8, Cardinals 2  (20-11)

The Cubs kicked off their road trip to St. Louis against the Cardinals with a win.  Seven different Cubs scored runs and Johnny Kling had a team high three hits in the contest.  Frank Schulte doubled, and he was the lone Cub to score a pair of runs.

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Chick Fraser picked up the win with a nice start.  He gave up two runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

The Cubs were back where they belonged, playing an afternoon game at Wrigley Field. And as they’ve done 19 other times this season, they won a game, this time a 3-1 win over the Dodgers.

Chicago is now 20-8 at home this season and its no surprise the Cubs played so well on the first game back from a poor 2-4 road trip.

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May 27, 1908 at West Side Park

Giants 1, Cubs 0  (19-11)

The Cubs finished both their series with the Giants and their homestand on a losing note as the Cubs hitters picked up just two singles and a double the entire game.  Throw in just three walks, and no Cubs hitter reached base more then once.

It was unfortunate that a nice start by Jack Pfiester went to waste.  He gave up a single run in his eight innings of work but for his efforts, he took the loss.

May 26, 1908 at West Side Park
Giants 7, Cubs 4  (19-10)

For the second straight game, Cubs pitching gave up seven runs.  Unfortunately, they only scored four in this one as they lost to the Giants.  Ed Reulbach was touched up for seven runs on twelve hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

Joe Tinker had just one hit but it was a homerun for the Cubs.  Frank Chance singled twice and he scored a run.

  John Heller/AP

AVPR: Aliens vs Predator – Requiem move The way things have been going between the Pirates and the Cubs you’d thing the more they’d play, the worse off Pittsburgh would be. But that wasn’t the case Saturday night when the Pirates edged out a 5-4 win over the Cubs in 14 innings.

Kerry Wood blew his fourth save of the year and it comes as no surprise that he began his ninth inning by hitting Doug Mientkiewicz on the third pitch of the at bat.  Several hitters later, Mientkiewicz scores the game-tying run and fans are sent on a five inning journey of extra innings.

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May 25, 1908 at West Side Park

Cubs 8, Giants 7  (19-9)

The Cubs needed all eight of their runs today as they topped the Giants 8-7 in ten innings.  Joe Tinker drove home the game winner in the tenth inning.  It was his second single of the game while Johnny Evers singled, drew a walk and scored three times.

Jack Pfiester gave up four runs in 2 1/3 innings before he came out in place of the red hot Three Finger Brown.  Mordecai then gave up three runs in the seventh but he held on to pick up the win in the game.

May 24, 1908 at West Side Park
Giants 6, Cubs 4  (18-9)

Chick Fraser had a tough time on the mound as the Cubs lost for just the second time in seven games.  Fraser gave up six runs on thirteen hits and five walks with six strikeouts.

Frank Schulte was the only Cub with two hits in the game.  Johnny Kling drew two walks and he scored a run.

The Last Kiss download May 23, 1908 at West Side Park
Cubs 6, Doves 4  (18-8)

The Cubs wrapped up their series with the Doves on a winning note as Harry Steinfeldt had a big day at the plate.  He went two for three with a walk and he scored all three times he reached base.  Johnny Kling doubled twice to help out the cause.

Carl Lundgren picked up the win with a mediocre start.  He gave up four runs on ten hits and five walks with two strikeouts.

Claude McKay may know a thing or two about the Cubs’ troubles. They still haven’t figured out this whole winning on the road thing. Following an 8-2 homestand, Chicago had a great opportunity to use that momentum to win its first series on the road since the second week of April. Instead, the Cubs dropped two in a row to the Astros, capping the series with a 5-3 loss on Wednesday night.

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May 22, 1908 at West Side Park
Cubs 7, Doves 1  (17-8)

Three Finger Brown won his fourth straight start as the Cubs got back on track with a win after their embarrasing defeat yesterday.  Brown gave up one run seven hits without a walk and he struck out two.

Johnny Evers doubled twice and he scored a pair of runs in the win.  Joe Tinker had a team high three hits with three singles.

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Why does Ryan Dempster look so stressed? He’s probably upset about giving up a fourth-inning grand slam to Houston’s Hunter Pence. Or that he walked two batters leading up to the grand salami. Or that his potent offense disappeared in a park made for an explosive offense. Regardless, he’s upset after a 4-2 loss to the Astros on Tuesday night.

Outside of the four-run inning, Dempster was solid and finished the evening giving up the four runs in six innings and striking out five. One less run and Dempster would’ve had a quality start … and still lost.

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May 21, 1908 at West Side Park
Doves 11, Cubs 3  (16-8)

Not only did the Cubs three game winning streak come to an end, but the Cubs suffered their most lopsided defeat of the season in an 11-3 blowout loss in front of the home crowd.  It was ironic that this was the game where the Cubs hung up their 1907 pennant only to see three pitchers combine to give up eleven runs on fourteen hits.

Harry Steinfeldt was the hitting star, not that it mattered much.  He went two for four with a double and a run.  Jonny Kling singled twice and he was the only other hitter to pick up a pair of hits.

I never hit an inside-the-park home run in my baseball playing days, but I did hit a triple once and as I rounded second, the sight of third base was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It wasn’t because I was excited about getting my first triple. I was just so damn happy to be done running.

So I can only imagine what was going through Geovany Soto’s head when, as he was heading toward third base in the fourth inning of Monday night’s game, he saw his third base coach waving him in.

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May 20, 1908 at West Side Park
Cubs 5, Doves 3  (16-7)

The Cubs won their third straight game and it was Frank Chance who had an exceptional day at the plate in the win.  He finished three for four with a double and he scored three times.  Joe Tinker went two for three and he scored a run.

Chick Fraser picked up the win after he came into the game in the fourth inning to relieve Ed Reulbach.  He gave up one run on three hits and he struck out two.

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Aside from eating, sleeping and playing videogames there aren’t too many things I loved to do six years ago that I’m still doing now.

Baseball? Like most, my career ended at high school graduation. Hanging out with my freinds? Gas is much to expensive to drive around and no friend is worth more than $4 a gallon. Blogging? Unfortunately it didn’t exist six years a go, but I’d like to believe I’d still be doing it.

So give credit to Micah Hoffpauir, who has spent the last six years in the Cubs’ minor league system before being called up to the show Sunday afternoon.

The lefty struck out against a left-handed pitcher during his pinch-hit appearance Sunday, but I like to believe he’ll carve out a niche for himself and, whether it be in Chicago or somewhere else, he’ll stay in the Big Leagues for a while.

 After a 10-game homestand, North Siders must say goodbye (sniff) to their team for seven whole days while they make two road trips to Houston and then, yes, Pittsburgh. But before the Cubs left for the week, they made sure to end the homestand on a good note with a 4-3 win over the Pirates.

Chicago went 8-2 over those ten games and in both losses fell by just one run. The Cubs began the homsetand two games back in the National League Central. Now, they’re two games ahead. So it’s safe to say playing at Wrigley is a good thing for the Cubs. That and playing the Pirates.

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The “cut Soriano” faction of Cubs Nation is getting quieter with each passing day. Chicago’s No.1 hitter led off Friday afternoon’s game with another home run (his third lead off home run in four games) and jacked a three-run home run in his second at bat during a 7-4 win over the Pirates. Better known as the Cubs’ whipping boys.

This is the tenth straight game, going back to last season, that Chicago has beaten Pittsburgh. At least Pittsburgh fans have the Penguins.

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May 17, 1908 at West Side Park
Cubs 5, Superbas 0  (15-7)

Three Finger Brown had by far his best pitching performance of the season with a one hit shutout over Brooklyn.  Brown missed a perfect game by just one single, which came in the third inning off of him.  He finished the game with four strikeouts.  Brown also helped out his own cause with a pair of singles.

Joe Tinker was the hitting star in the contest.  He went two for four with a double and he scored three of the Cubs five runs.

I could go into Ryan Dempter’s impressive 12 strike outs in 8-1/3 innings. Or the Cubs’ sixth win in seven games, a 4-0 shutout over the Padres, Thursday. But who cares about all that. It was the first day of the Jim Edmonds era in Chicago.

So, what did we learn from Edmonds’ first day on the job?

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May 16, 1908 at West Side Park
Cubs 4, Superbas 3  (14-7)

The Cubs snapped their three game skid but they needed some ninth inning heroics to do it.  Jimmy Sheckard led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and then Frank Schulte moved him over to third with a double. Frank Chance then drilled a hard line drive right but the ball was misplayed by Patton.  He was able to throw out Sheckard at home after he had turned back to third but there were still runners at second and third with now just one out. 

Harry Steinfeldt then hit a grounder to the shortstop, who tried to get Schulte at home but he Schulte slid under the tag for the tying run.  Solly Hofman then hit a grounder to the exact same spot as Steinfeldt and once again, a play at the plate was late as the Cubs scored the game winner.

Jack Pfiester gave up two of the three runs in five innings of work.  Ed Reulbach gave up the third run in the sixth but his four solid innings of work allowed him to pick up the win after the Cubs ninth inning comeback.

May 15, 1908 at West Side Park
Superbas 5, Cubs 3  (13-7)

Brooklyn handed the Cubs their first three game losing streak of the season as Chick Fraser had a hard time handling the Superbas.  He gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks with six strikeouts in the loss.

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Frank Chance was the hitting star in a game that saw just six Cubs hits.  He went two for four with a double and he scored one of the Cubs two runs.

I’m new to Cub fandom, so I’m pretty indifferent to the Jim Edmonds deal. While I’ve always hated the Cardinals, I never had a problem with Edmonds. In fact, I sorta-kinda respected him as a defensive player. But I’m not going to defend the Cubs’ decision to go after the guy.

First and foremost, Cubs fans hate him. My crack staff at The Curse has compiled a computer simulation of what may happen if Edmonds becomes a Cub. Here’s a screen grab from that simulation:

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The Cubs stormed out of the gate but then stumbled along the rest of the way during a 4-3 loss to the Padres.

Chicago scored three runs in the first two innings thanks to a leadoff home run from Alfonso Soriano (his 4th career lead off dinger) and a two-run double in the second inning from Reed Johnson. But apparently that was all the Cubs thought they needed because they were cold the rest of the evening. Making matters worse, was the fact that Shawn Estes was pitching for the Padres.

Yes, that

Shawn Estes. The one that was popular in the mid-freakin-90s.

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The only thing more surprising than the Cubs sweeping Arizona this weekend was Jay Mariotti writing something positive about the team. Well, sort of.

While Mariotti downplays the whole idea of revenge (I say screw it and play it up big time!), he does grudgingly acknowledge there is a pretty good baseball team on the North Side. The same way a child grudgingly apologizes for hitting someone.

Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

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They say revenge is a dish best served cold. So it was fitting that a chill hung over Wrigley Field while the Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the Diamonbacks with a 6-4 win. In case you forgot, (which is highly unlikely), Arizona was the team completing a three-game sweep in October during last year’s National League Divisional Series. So Cubs Nation must be feeling pretty good this morning. 

It’s just May, but this slump busting series is better than any inflatable doll Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox can come up with.

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