Black Sox Blog

1906 World Series - Game Six
October 14, 1906 at South Side Park
White Sox 8, Cubs 3  White Sox Win Best of Seven Series 4-2

The White Sox made short work of Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown.  In two innings, the White Sox tagged Brown for seven runs on eight hits.  Brown left with two outs in the second inning and the Cubs never recovered.

In the first inning, Ed Hahn led off with a single and he was forced by Fielder Jones.  Frank Isbell singled and then George Davis drove home Jones with a double.  George Rohe hit into a fielder’s choice and Isbell was gunned down at the plate.  Rohe then stole second to put two men in scoring position and Jiggs Donahue cleared the bases with a two run double to give the White Sox a 3-1 lead.

The second inning was even more brutal.  Billy Sullivan grounded out to start things out and then Doc White grounded out to the pitcher.  Two walks and four singles later and the White Sox had busted this game open with a four run inning, all with two outs.  The Cubs scored single runs in the first, fifth and ninth, but they never came close to mounting a comeback off of Doc White.

White gave up three runs on seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts.  Davis and Donahue each drove in three runs and Hahn had four hits and he scored twice.

The White Sox were World Series champions.  Unfortunately for the franchise, they’d have to wait 11 more years for the next one.

1906 World Series - Game Five
October 13, 1906 at West Side Grounds
White Sox 8, Cubs 6  White Sox Lead Best of Seven Series 3-2

In the first four games, the White Sox scored six runs total.  In game five alone, they scored eight runs and they needed every one of those runs because Ed Walsh was touched up for six runs.  The White Sox almost lost this game on the field because they made six errors which led to five unearned runs.

The White Sox didn’t waste much time in this one.  In the top of the first, Ed Hahn led off with a single and he moved to second on Fielder Jones bunt.  Frank Isbell then doubled him home and just like that, the White Sox had a 1-0 lead on Cubs starter Ed Reulbach.

The Cubs answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning.  Solly Hofman singled and then he moved to second on a bunt.  Frank Schulte then hit an infield single to put runners at first and second before Frank Chance was hit by a pitch to load up the bases.  Harry Steinfeldt then forced Chance but a throwing error by Frank Isbell allowed Hofman and Schulte to scamper home.  Joe Tinker then laid down a bunt but Walsh threw it away and that allowed Steinfeldt to score.  So just like that, an inning had gone by and it was already 3-1 Cubs.

The White Sox picked themselves back up in the third inning.  Isbell doubled again and he scored on George Davis’ double.  Jack Pfiester came in to reliever Reulbach and while he struck out George Rohe, he then hit Jiggs Donahue to put runners at first and second.  Patsy Dougherty forced Donahue to put runners at the corners with two outs and then Davis stole home (Dougherty stole second for a double steal) to tie the game up 3-3.

In the top of the fourth, the White Sox struck again.  Walsh led off with a walk and he was forced out by Ed Hahn.  Fielder Jones singled and Hahn moved to second and then Isbell doubled for the third time today to drive home Hahn to give the White Sox a 4-3 lead.  Davis then cleared the bases with a double of his own and before you knew it, the score was 6-3.  Orval Overall came in to pitch for Pfeister and he walked Rohe, then Donahue doubled and Davis scored to cap off a four run inning.

Tinker scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 7-4.  The White Sox then added some insurance in the sixth inning.  Isbell doubled for the fourth time in the game and he scored on Rohe’s RBI single.  Shulte’s two run double in the bottom of the sixth made it 8-6, but that was the closest the Cubs would get. 

The White Sox were one win away from the franchise’s first World Series win.  And if they did it tomorrow, they’d get it done in front of their home crowd.

1906 World Series - Game Four
October 12, 1906 at South Side Park
Cubs 1, White Sox 0  Best of Seven Series Tied 2-2

The Cubs returned the favor today when Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown completely shut down the White Sox offense.  Brown had a no hitter going with two outs in the sixth before Ed Hahn broke it up with a single.  The only other White Sox hit came in the eighth when Patsy Dougherty led off the inning with a single. 

Nick Altrock was almost as good but he yielded the one run that ended up being the difference.  In the seventh inning, Frank Chance led off the inning with a single and he moved to third on two different bunts.  Then Johnny Evers singled to left to drive home Chance for the game winner.

1906 World Series - Game Three
October 11, 1906 at West Side Grounds
White Sox 3, Cubs 0  White Sox Lead Best of Seven Series 2-1

Ed Walsh was nearly perfect as the White Sox took a one game lead in their series with the Cubs.  Walsh gave up a single and a double in the first inning, but the proceeded to get the next nine batters out before giving up a walk to Frank Chance.  Walsh then mowed down the next thirteen batters out before Doc Gessler reached on an error by Frank Isbell.  Gessler actually made it to third base when he moved to second on a ground out and then to third on a wild pitch, but Walsh buckled down and struck the final two batters out to end the game.  In all he gave up on the two hits and one walk and he struck out twelve Cubs.

The White Sox scored all of their runs in the sixth inning.  Lee Tannehill led off with a single and then Walsh drew a walk.  Ed Hahn was hit by the pitch to load the bases up and then Fielder Jones made the first out on a pop up to the catcher.  Frank Isbell struck out and it looked like the Cubs might get out of the inning unscathed, but George Rohe came through with a huge bases clearing triple to give the White Sox the three runs they needed.

1906 World Series - Game Two
October 10, 1906 at South Side Park
Cubs 7, White Sox 1  Best of Seven Series Tied 1-1

The Cubs came back and whalloped the White Sox to tie up the 1906 World Series at one game a piece.  Doc White was hit hard and he gave up three unearned runs in the second and one more in the third before he got pulled.  Frank Owen pitched the final six frames but even he didn’t go unscathed.  he gave up three runs on six hits and three walks with only two strikeouts.

The White Sox managed only one hit the entire game as Ed Reulbach completely shut them down.  They didn’t score until the fifth inning and they did that without getting a hit.  Jiggs Donahue led off with a walk and he was forced out on Patsy Dougherty’s fielders choice.  Dougherty moved to second on a wild pitch before Billy Sullivan popped out to the catcher.  Lee Tannehill then reached base on Joe Tinker’s error and Dougherty came around to score for an unearned run.

The only hit of the game for the White Sox came in the seventh inning.  Jiggs Donahue singled to center.

1906 World Series - Game One
October 9, 1906 at West Side Grounds
White Sox 2, Cubs 1  White Sox Lead Best of Seven Series 1-0

The White Sox spent their whole season making up for poor hitting with great pitching, hence the nickname “The Hitless Wonders.”  The Cubs, on the other hand, won a National League and franchise record 116 games with both hitting and defense.  They not only led the National League in runs scored, but they also had an amazing team ERA of 1.75.  Led by Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown, Frank Chance, and Johnny Evers, few people in Chicago probably expected much from the surprising White Sox in both team’s first World Series.  Of course that’s why they play the games.

Brown got the game one start for the Cubs while Nick Altrock threw for the White Sox.  True to form, the White Sox pulled it out with just enough hitting, some great pitching and a break or two along the way.

Both Brown and Altrock were unhittable early in the game.  It wasn’t until the bottom of the fourth when Frank Schulte singled that either team got a hit.  And even that “rally” was cut short when Schulte was gunned down trying to steal second base.

The White Sox finally got things started in the fifth inning.  George Rohe led off with a triple for the White Sox first World Series hit.  Jiggs Donahue struck out and then Patsy Dougherty reached first on a fielders choice and Rohe scored on Johnny Kling’s error at the plate.  Kling then allowed Dougherty to reach second on a passed ball before Brown got Billy Sullivan and Lee Tannehill to ground out.

Altrock put the Cubs down in order in the fifth and the sixth looked like it might be a big inning for the White Sox.  Altrock drew a walk and he moved to second on Rohe’s bunt.  Fielder Jones then singled but Nick Altrock was gunned down at the plate.  Jones moved to second on the play at the plate and then he moved to third on Kling’s second passed ball of the game.  Frank Isbell then singled home Jones to make it 2-0 lead.

The Cubs didn’t lay down though.  Kling reached base on a walk and moved to second on Brown’s single.  Solly Hofman moved them both over with a bunt before Kling scored on Altrock’s wild pitch.  The next two Cubs went down in order and the rally was squelched, but the Cubs had cut the White Sox lead to just a single run.

Fortunately for the Sox, Altrock settled down and threw the final three innings without much of a threat.  The Cubs did get a man over to second in the eight, but it was two outs.  Altrock finished the game and gave up only four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.