Baseball was not just the national pastime in the early 20th century but the pastime for most Bremen residents as well. The little town had at least three teams, sometimes simultaneously—the Greens, the Blacks, and the Grays—who drew fans well enough that the players were paid $2 a game and who played against nearby teams in Plymouth and South Bend (more on this in a later article).

Baseball-crazy Bremen residents who followed the mighty Chicago Cubs thrilled to a second consecutive World Series victory in October of 1908. This was reported breathlessly by the Plymouth Tribune, which touted the Cubs as having the greatest win-loss record in the history of baseball. Could anything stop them?

Click the image to display a larger version. Depending on your display, you may need to click it again for the full-size version. Cubs fans may need to click it a third time to believe their eyes.

Cubs win World Series - 1908
Plymouth Tribune – 22 Oct 1908