Chicago Cubs: The Heroes of Wrigley Series presents Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown

Chicago Cubs: Three Fingers leads the Cubs dynasty to number two

This game was set into place because of one of the most infamous stories in Cubs lore, dubbed “Merkle’s Boner.”

On September 23, 1908, in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and the scored tied 1-1, 19 year-old Frank Merkle singled to put himself aboard, moving Moose McCormick to third. The next batter, Al Bridwell, followed with a single of his own, scoring McCormick, presumingly the game’s winning run. The fans in attendance rushed the field in celebration, under the impression the game was over.

However, Merkle ran to the Giants’ clubhouse to celebrate before touching second base.

Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers noticed this and, after retrieving the ball, touched second base and appealed to the umpire who then called Merkle out on a force play.  Thus, the runner never scored.

With the game still tied and the Giants’ victory erased the game needed to continue. However, due to the thousands of fans on the field and the impending darkness of the night, the game was called and declared a tie. As it would be, the Cubs and Giants ended the season tied for first place, which set up a rematch to decide the winners of the National League pennant and Brown’s “greatest game” was set to happen.

Brown made appearances in 11 of the previous 14 games so Cubs manager Frank Chance decided to start Jack Pfeister over Brown. Mathewson started for the Giants in front of the reported 250,000 spectators in and around the Polo Grounds.

After the Giants rocked around Pfeister in the first inning, Chance, not willing to take any chances, called upon Brown to enter the game. He finished the game, besting Mathewson, pitching 8 1/3 innings, surrendering just four hits and giving up one unearned run.

The Cubs went on to repeat as World Champions, once again defeating the Detroit Tigers in five games. It would be the last World Series for the Cubs until 108 years later in 2016.

Brown pitched in relief in Game 1 for the victory and another win starting Game 4. Ty Cobb, one of the best hitters the game has ever seen and owner of the MLB record for career batting average (.367), said of Brown’s lively pitches provided by his misshapen fingers:

“It was a great ball, that downward curve of his. I can’t talk about all of baseball, but I can say this: It was the most deceiving, the most devastating pitch I ever faced.”

Cobb’s words would eventually be enshrined forever on the stone mark of Mordecai Brown in his hometown of Nyesville, Indiana.