Ed Reulbach and 1908 Chicago Cubs Photo Gallery
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Talk About Unique!
A couple weeks ago I wrote about Grover Cleveland “Old Pete” Alexander starting and finishing both games of a doubleheader. I was correct when I said it’ll never happen again; but I was wrong in thinking it was an unusual occurrence in baseball history. Starting both games of a double header is not that unusual – it’s been done more often than you’d think – and as recently as 1973 by the White Sox’ Wilbur Wood. Overall, 35 different pitchers have accounted for two complete game victories in one day a total of 40 times. There’s even been an instance of both teams starting the same pitcher in both games of a doubleheader!
But here’s something that happened 108 years ago along the same lines that really is unique…
On September 26, 1908 Cubs’ pitcher Ed Reulbach started both games of a double header against the Brooklyn Superbas at Washington Park. Reulbach won both games, going the distance twice. What makes Reulbach’s outing that day unique is that he is the only major league pitcher to throw two complete game shutouts on the same day!
The Cubs were involved in a heated pennant race with the Giants and Pirates in 1908 (think Fred Merkle!), and the pitching staff was reportedly growing arm weary late in the season. So Cubs’ player-manager Frank Chance called on Reulbach start both ends of the doubleheader. Reulbach responded by shutting out the Surperbas 5-0 in game one and 3-0 in game two, giving up just eight hits in 18 innings of work. Believe it or not, both games were played in less than three hours! And then in his next start five days later, Reulbach threw another shutout against the Reds. The Cubs won the pennant that year by just one game over both the Giants and the Pirates on their way to their last World Series championship, so Reulbach’s yeoman effort on September 26 was critical to their success.
Ed Reulbach was an outstanding, if often overlooked, major league pitcher. Over 13 seasons in the majors (1905-191917), the 6’1” right-hander played for the Cubs (1905-’13), Superbas (1913-’14), and Braves (1916-’17), posting a 182-106 (.632) record with a 2.28 ERA and 1137 strikeouts. Career highlights include a 17-game winning streak, a 44-inning scoreless streak, and a World Series one-hitter (1906). In 1908, his best year, he went 24-7, with a 2.03 ERA, leading the National League in winning percentage for the third consecutive year.
-Gary Livacari
Photo Credits: All from Google search
Information: Excerpts edited from article on Baseball Round Table, http://www.baseballroundtable.com/ed-reulbach-day-how-the-game-has-changed/
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