The Pirates were no longer the league's best team, but star
Honus Wagner was still the best player. He led the NL in OPS, as well as runs
produced and total bases, and was also at his peak as a
defensive player. The Flying Dutchman was 32 years old, but only
midway through his career. This was his fourth batting title; it was
the also the first of a string of four in a row. Wagner won a total
of eight batting titles in his career.
The Cubs of this era are most famous for their trio of
infielders, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance.
Surprisingly, neither Tinker nor Evers were very good this year;
Tinker hit just .233 with one home run. The forgotten man of this
group was the third baseman, Harry Steinfeldt, who was a pretty good player himself. This year, Steinfeldt was terrific; his numbers were actually comparable to
Wagner's, which is about as high a compliment as you can get.
Frank Chance was the Cubs' biggest star, and was also their
manager. I don't know who to compare him to today; if you can
imagine Edgar Martinez with less power and more speed, you might
get the idea. Surprisingly, he was a big man (he stood 6 feet tall,
weighed 190 pounds), but had no power (20 career home runs) but stole over 400 bases in his career.
He is in the Hall Of Fame, but is a weak selection. He
had four outstanding years from 1903-1906, but otherwise didn't do
a whole lot. A first baseman worthy of the Hall Of Fame should retire with prodigious numbers, and
Chance had fewer hits than Pete O'Brien. He had a
fascinating career, though. His record as a manager was remarkable, and includes four pennants and the only two World Series that the Cubs have ever won; his nickname was "The Peerless Leader".
