Fansided

Top 25 MLB pennant races of all time

By Joshua Sadlock

(Original Caption) Bucky Dent is a happy fellow as he jumps on home plate and is greeted by Roy White and Chris Chambliss after he hit a three-run home run in the 7th inning at Fenway Park.
(Original Caption) Bucky Dent is a happy fellow as he jumps on home plate and is greeted by Roy White and Chris Chambliss after he hit a three-run home run in the 7th inning at Fenway Park. /
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NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23, 1908. Baseball fans atop Coogan’s Bluff watch the National League playoff game, the winner taking the pennant for the season, on September 23, 1908 between the Chicago Cubs and New York Giants, where Fred Merkle made his bonehead play. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images)
NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23, 1908. Baseball fans atop Coogan’s Bluff watch the National League playoff game, the winner taking the pennant for the season, on September 23, 1908 between the Chicago Cubs and New York Giants, where Fred Merkle made his bonehead play. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) /

9. Merkle’s Boner, 1908

One of the biggest gaffes in MLB history helped decide the NL pennant in 1908 — Merkle’s Boner. One incredibly dumb baserunning mistake helped change the course of the season and would forever haunt rookie first baseman Fred Merkle.

The play in question took place on September 23, 1908. At the time, the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates were fighting for the NL pennant. These were the three most dominant teams of early 1900s baseball. The three clubs had been tightly clustered all season, hardly ever separated by more than five games in the standings.

Merkle, himself, was a very interesting player in 1908. At 19, he was the youngest player in the game. He missed almost all of July and August recovering from a foot surgery that went so poorly that his foot was nearly amputated. On September 23, he was starting the first MLB game of his career because regular starter Fred Tenney had lumbago.

Christy Mathewson started the game for the Giants, opposed by Jack Pfiester of the Cubs. Mathewson dominated as was expected. His only blemish was an inside-the-park home run by Joe Tinker. The Giants managed to tie the game in the fifth, and it stayed that way going into their final at-bat in the ninth.

New York began a rally in the ninth, led by Art Devlin, Moose McCormick and Merkle. With two outs, Devlin was on third with Merkle at first. Shortstop Al Bridwell came to the plate and hit what appeared to be a game-winning single to center field. McCormick came into score, but Merkle never touched second base. Somehow, the Cubs got the ball to second base after fighting through the crowd that had rushed onto the field. Merkle was ruled out because he had never advanced to the next base, and the game was ruled a tie.

Both teams finished the year 98-55, leading to a one-game playoff that was won by the Cubs. From there, they won the World Series before embarking on a 108-year quest to win another title. Merkle would go on to have a successful MLB career, playing 16 years and recording 1,580 hits.

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