A Cunning Kind of Play

The rivalry between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Giants—the National League’s greatest teams in its early days—took hold with the founding of the league in 1876. Between the two bitter rivals there were nine first-second finishes, eight second-third finishes, and 30 out of a possible 65 championships in the league’s first six decades. Their games often showcased match-ups between baseball’s most talented and toughest players and often had playoff implications.
This history of the rivalry begins coverage in 1876 (when the Cubs won the first NL championship) and goes through 1932 (when John McGraw stepped down as manager of the Giants). All of the many great personalities, player match-ups, streaks, and pennant races are included.

Warren N. Wilbert, a veteran baseball historian and SABR member, is the author of numerous books about baseball. He lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Warren N. Wilbert
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 262
Bibliographic Info: 88 photos, tables, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2002
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1156-6
Imprint: McFarland

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments      v

Introduction      1

I. Beginnings      5

II. The National Association Era: Short and Bittersweet        12

III. From the Ashes of the National Association: A New League and Baseball’s First Dynasty      21

IV. Losing It and Putting It Back Together       45

V. Champions East and West      81

VI. The Sabbatical Years      134

VII. Roarin’ with the Twenties      156

VIII. Reprise and Fini      189

Appendix A: The Twenty Best Seasons, 1870 to 1940      225

Appendix B: They Wore Both Uniforms      227

Appendix C: The Best by Decade      228

Notes      231

Selected Bibliography      235

Index      239

“engaging…recommend[ed]”—SABR Deadball Committee Newsletter.