Chicago Cubs: 10 greatest all-time teams in franchise history

10 greatest all-time teams in Chicago Cubs history – #3. 1908 (99-55)

1908 has always held a special spot in the hearts of Cubs fans. Why? Prior to 2016, it marked the last time the team won it all. Hot on the heels of their first World Series title the year prior, the 1908 Cubs picked right up where they left off – finishing the season in first place, this time with a record of 99-55.

Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown was his dominant self all year long, finishing the season 29-9 with a 1.47 ERA in 312 1/3 innings of work. Amazingly, he didn’t take home either the ERA title or the most wins, finishing second to Christy Mathewson who finished with video game numbers of 37-11 with a 1.43 ERA in 390 2/3 innings pitched. No, 390.2 is not a typo. Mathewson also struck out 259 batters, taking home the pitching Triple Crown in the process.

As impressive as Mathewson’s numbers were, it would be the Cubs who reigned supreme, defending their crown successfully in the 1908 World Series to take home back-to-back World Series titles. That year’s Fall Classic featured a rematch of the 1907 showdown with Detroit and, this time, Chicago came out on top four games to one.

Brown picked up the wins in both Games 1 and 4, marking the first of two times in franchise history a Cubs player won two games in a single World Series. In fact, Brown pitched 11 innings between the games that he started and allowed exactly zero earned runs in the process. The Cubs were enjoying the most successful run the ballclub has ever had.