Rare 1908 Chicago Cubs World Series Program

Sold For:

$18,000

Year:

1908

Auction:

2017 Fall

Lot #:

1798

Category:

Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

Chicago Cubs program issued for the 1908 World Series against the Detroit Tigers. World Series programs dating from the early 1900s are exceedingly rare and this example is no exception. This is the first 1908 Cubs World Series program we have offered and we have seen fewer than ten examples at auction in the past 20 years. The 12-page program features interior portraits of all of the Cubs players, team and league officials, and a few prominent Chicago baseball figures, including Frank Chance, Johnny Evers, Joe Tinker, Mordecai Brown, Charles Murphy (team owner), Harry Pulliam (NL president), Ban Johnson (AL president), August Hermann (Chairman of the National Commission), Cap Anson, and A. G. Spallding. Additional images included two panoramic game-in-progress photos taken by noted Chicago baseball photographer George Lawrence. The preprinted lineups include Tinker, Evers, Chance, Schulte, Steinfeldt, and Kling for Chicago, and Cobb, Crawford, O'Leary, McIntyre, and Schaefer for Detroit. Although the program is not scored, it must have been issued for either Game 2 or 3 of the Series, as those were the only two games played in Chicago. The Cubs won game 2 by a score of 6-1, while Game 3 went to the Tigers by a score of 8-3. The Cubs made short work of their American League rivals, defeating the Tigers in 5 games to capture their second consecutive World Championship (they also defeated the Tigers in the 1907 World Series). In doing so, the Cubs also became the first team in the modern era to appear in 3 consecutive World Series. The program (9.5 x 7.25 inches), like many early World Series programs, has benefited from professional restoration to four tears on the front cover, and two tiny tears to the back cover, as well as standard reinforcement of the covers and pages to the spine. The two original binding staples remain intact. Minor surface wear is evident on both covers and the pages are all generally clean and bright. Without reference to the restoration, the program is in apparent Excellent condition and represents an outstanding, high-grade example of this rare and highly desirable World Series program. Reserve $10,000. Estimate (open).