Winning on the North Side: The 1929 Chicago Cubs (The SABR Digital Library)

“The best team I ever played on was McCarthy’s twenty-niners. It was strictly power all the way. No tricky baseball.” —Cubs first baseman Charlie Grimm This book celebrates the 1929 Chicago Cubs, one of the most exciting teams in baseball history. Bashing their way to the pennant by crushing their opponents in a high-scoring era, skipper Joe McCarthy’s North Siders were an offensive juggernaut, leading the majors with 982 runs scored. Future Hall of Famers Hack Wilson, ’29 NL MVP Rogers Hornsby, and Kiki Cuyler, along with Riggs Stephenson formed one of the most potent quartets in baseball history, collectively scoring 493 runs and knocking in 520. As awe-inspiring as the Cubs offense was, their pitching was almost as good. Charlie Root, Guy Bush, and Pat Malone anchored a staff that finished second in team ERA and led the league in shutouts. The Cubs’ magical season came to an ignominious conclusion when they faced Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series. Long before the “lovable loser” moniker was attached to the Cubs, Chicago’s crushing defeat in five games helped craft the narrative of fateful losses. The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) invites you to read the life and baseball stories of all the roster players and the coaching staff and relive an important part of baseball history. Also included are biographies of club owner William Wrigley, visionary executive Bill Veeck, Sr., and Margaret Donahue, the first female executive in baseball history. A summary of the regular season and World Series, as well as essays on the 1929 Athletics, Wrigley Field, Catalina Island, and fate of the Cubs after 1929 round out this volume. With contributions from 26 members of the SABR BioProject, this book is a riveting account of one of the most memorable teams in Chicago sports history. Introduction by Gregory H. Wolf THE OWNER William Wrigley, Jr. by David Fletcher and George Castle THE CUBS Tom Angley by Jack Morris Clyde Beck by Norm King Footsie Blair by Norm King Sheriff Blake by Gregory H. Wolf Guy Bush by Gregory H. Wolf Hal Carlson by Ernie Fuhr Kiki Cuyler by Gregory H. Wolf Mike Cvengros by Chip Greene Woody English by Dan Fields Mike González by Joseph Gerard Earl Grace by Greg Erion Hank Grampp by Peter Morris Charlie Grimm by Dan Fields Gabby Hartnett by William H. Johnson Cliff Heathcote by William H. Johnson Trader Horne by Dan Fields Rogers Hornsby by C. Paul Rogers Claude Jonnard by William H. Johnson Pat Malone by Gregory H. Wolf Norm McMillan by Bill Nowlin Johnny Moore by C. Paul Rogers Art Nehf by Gregory H. Wolf Bob Osborn by Nancy Snell Griffith Ken Penner by Chip Greene Charlie Root by Gregory H. Wolf Johnny Schulte by James Lincoln Ray Riggs Stephenson by Gregory H. Wolf Danny Taylor by Nancy Snell Griffith Zack Taylor by Norm King Chick Tolson by Chip Greene Hack Wilson by Thomas E. Schott THE MANAGER Joe McCarthy by John McMurray THE COACHES Jimmy Burke by Gary Livacari Mickey Doolan by Paul Mittermeyer Grover Land by Gary Livacari FRONT OFFICE Bill Veeck, Sr. by David Fletcher and George Castle 200 Margaret Donahue by David Fletcher and George Castle Wrigley Field by Scott Ferkovich Catalina Island by Zachary Michael Jack THE SPORTSWRITERS Ed Burns by Chip Greene Irving Vaughan by Chip Greene RADIO ANNOUNCER Bob Elson by Fred Taylor SEASON SUMMARY The 1929 Chicago Cubs Regular Season Summary by Gregory H. Wolf HIGHLIGHTS AT WRIGLEY FIELD IN 1929 Full Game Summaries by Gregory H. Wolf June 9: Art Nehf and Ben Cantwell hurl four-hitters June 15: Riggs Stephenson’s walk-off pop-foul wins it in the 10th August 1: Guy Bush hurls shutout to win 10th consecutive decision September 14: Pat Malone tosses shutout for 21st win WORLD SERIES SUMMARY 1929 Philadelphia Athletics by Bob Buege 1929 World Series Summary by Norm King By the Numbers: Chicago Cubs in 1929 by Dan Fields The Chicago Cubs After 1929: An Epilogue by Greg Erion