National League Pennant (1929)

Lore & Background

Rogers Hornsby, who was acquired from the Boston Braves in an offseason deal, had a career year, hitting .380. In the process, he hit 39 home runs with 149 RBIs and led the league with a .679 slugging percentage. The 156 runs scored by Hornsby in 1929 were the most by a right-handed batter in the National League during the 20th century. Hornsby collected his second Most Valuable Player award that year, and for the second time he won a National League pennant.

In Their Own Story

By September 1929, Wrigley Field buzzed with the momentum of Hack Wilson's record-breaking campaign. The slugger had already shattered the single-season RBI mark, carrying a city on his shoulders as the Cubs clinched the flag. But the narrative fractured in Philadelphia. With Game 4 hanging by a thread and the Cubs clinging to an 10-8 lead, the bottom of the eighth inning unraveled in seconds. A wild pitch from Charlie Root pierced the tension, followed by defensive breakdowns that allowed five runs to flood the plate. The roar of the crowd died instantly, replaced by a silence that would resonate through the franchise for sixty years.

Reader's Guide

The Cubs won the National League pennant in 1929, then lost the World Series to the Philadelphia Athletics, 4 games to 1.

Did You Know?

• Rogers Hornsby scored 156 runs in 1929, the most by a right-handed batter in the National League during the 20th century.
• Hornsby hit .380 with 39 home runs and 149 RBIs in 1929.