One very important player was acquired by trade in this year.
The Cubs got off to a fantastic start in 1903, 30-11, and were in first place in early June. They faded and finished third, eight games out, their first winning season in the 20th Century.
After the season ended they engineered a deal that brought a Hall of Fame pitcher to the team.
April 20: Acquired Bob Wicker from the Cardinals for Bob Rhoads
Wicker had good years for the Cubs from 1903-05, and by bWAR was the fifth-best pitcher in the National League in 1905 (5.1, 2.02 ERA, 1.045 WHIP). The following year he was traded to the Reds for Orval Overall, so that produced more value for the team.
Rhoads only lasted a few weeks in St. Louis before he was traded to Cleveland, where he had some excellent seasons.
This was a very good trade for the Cubs.
October 10: Acquired Buttons Briggs from Toronto (International League) for Clarence Currie, Dick Harley, Tommy Raub and $750
Currie had been acquired from the Cardinals earlier in the year for cash considerations and pitched in just six games for the Cubs. Harley, an outfielder, had batted .231/.328/.259 in 104 games for the Cubs in 1903, and never played in the majors again. Raub, a catcher, had played in just 36 games for the Cubs and later resurfaced for St. Louis for a few games in 1906.
Briggs had pitched a few seasons for the Cubs before the turn of the century and did put together a very good year for them in 1904: 19-11, 2.05 ERA, 3.3 bWAR. He wasn’t quite as good in 1905, but good enough to be included in the Jimmy Sheckard deal after that season was over. Briggs died of tuberculosis in 1911, aged just 35.
$750 in 1903 is roughly equivalent to $27,000 today.
December 12: Acquired Mordecai Brown and Jack O’Neill from the Cardinals for Larry McLean and Jack Taylor
At first glance, this trade appears to be a steal… for the Cardinals. Taylor had been a stalwart Cubs starter for several years and in 1902 was probably the best pitcher in the National League (23-11, 1.29 ERA, 206 ERA+, 0.953 WHIP, eight shutouts, 9.4 bWAR) but had declined a bit in 1904. At 29 the Cubs thought they’d go with an unknown pitcher who’d had just one mediocre year in St. Louis.
O’Neill and McLean were both catchers, more or less throw-ins. McLean did go on to have several good years … but for the Reds, not for the Cardinals. For the modern fan, it’s probably hard to believe that the Cardinals were the doormat of the National League in the first decade of the 20th Century. From 1903-16 — a 14-season span — they lost 90+ games 10 times and 100+ twice. This deal didn’t help matters any.
That’s because Brown became one of the greatest pitchers of his time. In fact, Brown’s best season was probably the one where the Cubs didn’t win the pennant, 1909. That year Brown went 27-9, posted a 1.31 ERA, threw 32 complete games with an 0.873 WHIP and posted 9.5 bWAR. To this day that’s the fourth best bWAR number by any Cubs pitcher in the Modern Era (Fergie Jenkins, 10.1 in 1971, Dick Ellsworth, 10.2 in 1963 and Grover Alexander, 12.0 in 1920 are the three better).
Brown threw three World Series shutouts for the Cubs and overall posted a 2.97 ERA in nine World Series games (57⅔ innings).
He was already 26 when the Cubs acquired him, and in 1912 he suffered a knee injury that reduced his effectiveness. He pitched in the Federal League and returned to the Cubs for one last hurrah in 1916. He died in 1948 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame the following year. His 47.9 bWAR are third-best in Cubs history behind Rick Reuschel (48.3) and Fergie Jenkins (53.0). and his 188 wins are second in franchise history behind Charlie Root (201).
Brown was perhaps the greatest of all the World Series Cubs of the first decade of the 20th Century and should not be forgotten.
The 1903 trades gave the Cubs both current and future value and so I’ll give them an “A” grade.