The Chicago Cubs won the pennant this year, finishing ten games ahead of the Giants. They did not win the World Series, falling instead to the Boston Red Sox. The season was shortened by 25 games due to America's entry into WWI. The War had other effects on the league; attendance dropped, and some of the game's best players had to serve overseas. In the NL, the most noticable absence was Phillies pitcher Pete Alexander, at that time the best pitcher in the league; after three straight 30+ seasons, Alexander won just two games.

         The best pitcher in the league was Cubs' lefty Hippo Vaughn. As you might expect, Vaughn was a big man, listed at 6'4", 215 pounds. He had been one of the best pitchers in the league for several years; this year was more of the same, his fourth 20+ win season. Vaughn is most famous for throwing a no-hitter in 1917, in the same game that Fred Toney also threw a no-hitter. Vaughn eventually lost that game, but he was a legitimately great pitcher, and would be in the Hall Of Fame had injuries not prematurely ended his career.
        The Cubs had other outstanding hurlers, including Lefty Tyler and Claude Hendrix. Tyler began his career with some ugly losing seasons, a combination of him pitching poorly for some terrible Braves teams. But the Braves suddenly improved, and Tyler became one of their better young pitchers. This was his first year with the Cubs, and also the best of his career; but he won only 2 games in 1919, and injuries and ineffectiveness quickly ended his career.
        Hendrix is best known as the greatest pitcher in the two-year history of the Federal League. He also had some decent years in the NL with both Pittsburgh and Chicago. This was his last good year; his career would end two years later, with 144 career wins - 45 of them in the Federal League.
        This was Burleigh Grimes' third year in the majors. The previous two were with Pittsburgh, and were not pretty. In 1917, he had an ugly 3-16 record. The Pirates sent him packing to Brooklyn, and Grimes turned things around. Not only did he have a big year this year, but he won 270 games in his career, and is in the Hall Of Fame. I will give Grimes a slight edge over Wilbur Cooper, who had another fine year for the Pirates.