1908 IN BASEBALL

Contents

Champions

Awards and honors

Statistical Leaders

Major League Baseball final standings

American League final standings

National League final standings

Events

Births

Deaths

Bibliography

Champions

★ World Series: Chicago Cubs over Detroit Tigers (4-1)

Awards and honors

Statistical Leaders

	' American League '		' National League'
AVG	Ty Cobb DET	.324	Honus Wagner PIT	.354
HR	Sam Crawford DET	7	Tim Jordan BRO	12
RBI	Ty Cobb DET	108	Honus Wagner PIT	109
Wins	Ed Walsh CWS	40	Christy Mathewson NYG	37
ERA	Addie Joss CLE	1.16	Christy Mathewson NYG	1.43
Ks	Ed Walsh CWS	269	Christy Mathewson NYG	259

Major League Baseball final standings

American League final standings

'American League' 'Club' 'Wins' 'Losses' 'Win %'   'GB' Detroit Tigers 90 63 .588 -- Cleveland Naps 90 64 .584 0.5 Chicago White Sox 88 64 .579 1.5 St. Louis Browns 83 69 .546 6.5 Boston Red Sox 75 79 .487 15.5 Philadelphia Athletics 68 85 .444 22 Washington Senators 67 85 .441 22.5 New York Highlanders 51 103 .331 39.5

National League final standings

'National League' 'Club' 'Wins' 'Losses' 'Win %'   'GB' Chicago Cubs 99 55 .643 -- New York Giants 98 56 .636 1 Pittsburgh Pirates 98 56 .636 1 Philadelphia Phillies 83 71 .539 16 Cincinnati Reds 73 81 .474 26 Boston Doves 63 91 .409 36 Brooklyn Superbas 53 101 .344 46 St. Louis Cardinals 49 105 .318 50

Events

★ October 2 - In an unforgettable game involving the Cleveland Indians and The Chicago White Sox, future hall of famer Ed Walsh struck out 15 Indians and walked 1 batter and pitched a complete game, but it wasn't enough as Addie Joss also pitched a complete game, but more importantly, he pitched a perfect game, as the Indians beat the White Sox, 1-0. Cleveland centerfielder Joe Birmingham scored the game's only run.

Births

★ February 2 - Wes Ferrell

★ February 14 - Oscar Judd

★ February 17 - Red Barber

★ February 23 - Ray Brown

★ March 19 - Gee Walker

★ April 6 - Ernie Lombardi

★ May 9 - Billy Jurges

★ June 20 - Billy Werber

★ July 14 - Johnny Murphy

★ July 17 - Ed Connolly

★ August 20 - Al Lopez

★ October 17 - Red Rolfe

★ November 21 - Paul Richards

★ November 26 - Lefty Gómez

★ December 25 - Ben Chapman

★ December 25 - Jo-Jo Moore

Deaths

★ April 10 - Mike Griffin, 43, center fielder for Baltimore and Brooklyn who batted .300 six times, scored 100 runs ten times; led league in runs and doubles once each

★ April 20 - Henry Chadwick, 83, the "Father of Baseball," who through his writings, analysis of statistics and service in developing the sport's rules played a principal role in establishing baseball as the "national pastime"; devised the box score, developed scoring system which enabled recording of every play, authored the first rule book in 1858, and created statistics including batting average and earned run average; worked to revise sport's rules so as to balance offense and defense, and to increase mental demands as well as physical ones

★ September 18 - Dickey Pearce, 72, shortstop (in the sport's earliest era) whose career spanned the years 1856 to 1877; introduced the bunt and pioneered defensive play at his position, later became an umpire

Bibliography

★ The Unforgettable Season, Fleming, G.H., , , Bison Books, 2006, ISBN 0-803-26922-6

★ Crazy '08: How a Cast of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads, and Magnates Created the Greatest Year in Baseball History, Murphy, Cait, , , Collins, 2007, ISBN 0-060-88937-3