Black Sox Tainted by Cubs?

The Cubs put Big Z on the mound and added some good hitting yesterday en route to a victory over the NY Mets. I would say that I'm getting more confident about this team every day, but I don't like to think about it this early. I'm still keeping my eye open for indications that anything I see is going to be either a problem down the line or is evidence of the playoff calibre team I think this is.

Zambrano is firing well, Lee has been a monster so far, Fukudome has done what we thougt he could and Dempster and Wood have made the transitions expected of them. Add in quality performances from almost every other player in a variety of situations and it isn't hard to grasp how the Cubs sit atop the NL Central right now.

What does have some people wondering is how the Cubs lost the 1918 World Series. The team was 84-45 that season and favored to win the WS against the Red Sox.

According to SportingNews.com, a recently discovered affidavit informs that notorious Black Sox player Eddie Cicotte claimed the 1918 Cubs were the inspiration for the Black Sox. Believing the Cubs threw the Series, the Sox began to ponder how they might be able to accomplish the same thing. This affidavit is in possession of the Chicago Historical Society along with numerous other documents related to the 1919 Sox, which the museum won the rights to in a December auction.

Interestingly, the Cubs played the Series at Comiskey due to the larger seating capacity and the Series boasted Babe Ruth as pitching and hitting threat for the Red Sox. According to Baseball-Almanac.com, it was a pitchers Series with the Cubs (1.04 ERA for the Series) managing to lose to the Sox (1.70 ERA for the Series) in 6 games. Also of note was the fact that the final game (game 6) was delayed due to a players debate over gate receipts. For the first time, all first-division clubs would share the revenue, drastically reducing Series shares. Coincidence?

The Cubs lost the final game 2-1. Cub right fielder Max Flack committed a two run error in the 3rd inning. The Cubs were picked off three times, twice in the final game. Game four was lost after the Cubs tied it at two in the top of the eighth when Cub pitcher Phil Douglas gave up a single, a passed ball (moving runner to second) and then a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt that brought the winning run home for the Red Sox.

It's certainly a grand history, no matter how you look at it, but you have to wonder....