Tribune sportswriter I.E. Sanborn: "Not in the memory of this generation of fans has any team won its honors with great credit that which belongs to Frank Chance's warriors. Not in a thousand years has a team been compelled to fight as hard for its titles as the Chicago team."

Then in a phrase that seems stunning prophetic 96 years later, Sanborn wrote, "What those gray clad modest young warriors have accomplished will be remembered longer than any of them lives."

What they say now


Schechter on how those Cubs were the opposite of this year's Cubs, which relied on homers: "They had an offense without stars, but they had a lot of aggressiveness. They had quick-thinking players at a time when outsmarting your opponent was a big difference. They hit and run, took the extra base on hits and outs. When they needed to make a run, they were experts at finding a way to score."

In perspective: 1908


  • William Howard Taft defeats William Jennings Bryan for President.
  • Mother's Day is observed for the first time.
  • Henry Ford produces the first Model T automobile.
  • Jack Johnson becomes the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion, defeating Tommy Burns