No one pitcher stands out from the rest this year. But given the choice,
I think I would most want to have Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown. Brown was
the dude with a mangled pitching hand who was able to throw devastating
curveballs. After Brown shut out the Tigers in the last game of the World
Series, Ty Cobb called Brown's curve the best breaking pitch he had ever
seen. Many of the NL hitters who saw Brown on a regular basis agreed with him.
But the Cubs had other outstanding pitchers,
like Jack Pfiester and Ed Reulbach, and also Carl Lundgren and Orval Overall.
Lundgren had been a fine pitcher for several years, and now had his best
season. Arm injuries ended his career only two years later. Orval Overall
had a great name, and was also a heck of a pitcher for
a short time. Overall began his career with the Reds, struggled, but was
then traded to the Cubs and flourished for four seasons. He was one of the
best power pitchers in the game until arm problems prematurely ended his career.
Who to choose from all of these Cub pitchers? Well,
I think Brown was the best, probably followed by Lundgren. Pfiester was brilliant,
but in a limited role. Reulbach and Overall had similar numbers, but I
will give the edge to Orval. And what about some of the other pitchers in
the league? I am also going to include Christy Mathewson among my top four;
his ERA was a little high, but he led the NL in wins, shutouts, and strikeouts.
And besides, he was Christy Mathewson; I would take him over Jack Pfiester
or Bob Ewing any day.
