In existence for nearly a century and a half, Major League Baseball has acquired the status of a national saga. The stories of its teams are handed down through generations as heirlooms. Even fans not interested in the history of the game hold a lifelong investment in the decades they personally witness.
Some individual games transcend team loyalties and acquire iconic status. Perhaps the earliest such game known to every fan is the Merkle Game between the Cubs and Giants on September 23, 1908, at the Polo Grounds in New York. From the perspective of baseball history in general, this is probably the most important game in which the Cubs have participated.