Merkle's Boner refers to the notorious
baserunning mistake committed by rookie
Fred Merkle of the
New York Giants in a game against the
Chicago Cubs in 1908. Merkle's failure to advance to second base on what should have been a game-winning hit led instead to a forceout at second and a tied game. The Cubs later won the makeup game, which proved decisive as they beat the Giants by one game to win the
National League pennant in
1908. It has been described as "the most controversial game in baseball history."
