June 19, 1908 - Cubs lose, Hoodoo blamed

Cubs lose to the Giants 6-3 thanks to bad voodoo. In other news, Ty Cobb is a jerk.

Cubs lefty Jack Pfiester had a decent day on the hill, but bad defense and bad luck cost him both a victory and a new suit. Pfiester was smack dab in the middle of an unlucky streak of "hoary old hoodoo" as pointed out by the Chicago Tribune. If you harken back to our June 16th entry Pfiester was on the losing end of a freak play involving a foul ball and an oblivious umpire.

So in an effort to break the "hoary old hoodoo," manager Frank Change told Pfiester he'd buy him a $60 suit if he won the game. Now keep in mind that Pfiester made about $3,000 in 1908. So if he played today, I'm gonna peg his salary around $6 million a year since his stats had him as a middle of the rotation kinda guy, and that would mean the manager just offered to buy him a $120,000 suit if he won the game. That's a fancy ass suit! And even if he just made a "normal person" salary of something like $60,000 today, that's still a really nice $1,200 suit.

But yeah ... he lost. No suit. Sorry Jack!

The one play that stand out in this game sounds almost super-human, and I wish I was there to see it. Mainly because I don't believe it even happened. That's how insane the play sounded when described in the Tribune.

So Solly Hofman crushes one to left center that looks like a sure two run homer, but Giants outfielder Cy Seymour leaps up, spins around, and catches the ball with his BARE HAND! Oh ... and his eyes were closed too!!

Wait ... what?

You mean to tell me he threw himself up in the air, spun around with his eyes closed, and caught the ball with his bare hand? Hey ... that's what the Tribune says, so I gotta take their word for it, but damn that sounds like a spectacular play I would've heard about in my life before today, doesn't it?

Though I do suppose that would DEFINITELY fall in line with some "hoary old hoodoo" screwing you out of both a victory and a really nice suit!

In other baseball news, legendary jerk Ty Cobb settled of court for $75 for beating the crap out of some guy in a street fight. According to the paper "a negro by the name of Collins" heckled Cobb, who then proceeded to stomp his face. Cobb meanwhile said he wasn't sorry at all and only settled because "I did not want to be inconvenienced later on," and said he would totally do it again if put in the same situation in the future.

And yet today we think Bryce Harper is a jerk because he yells at an umpire. Meanwhile, Ty Cobb was beating people up in the streets!

Oh ... and here's Ty kicking somebody in the nuts during a play at the plate. What a charmer!

Anyway ... Cubs lose 6-3 to fall to 32-18, but Pittsburgh lost too, so the lead is still two games. Game three of the four game series with the Giants is tomorrow.

#1908 #suckyroadtrip #defense #cubslose #chicagocubs #cubs #tycobb