Tuesday, September 9, 2014

1906 World Series Game 6

White Sox: 8 Cubs: 3 (Sox win World Series 4-3)

WP: White (1-1)

LP: Brown (1-2)
The White Sox were considered the "hitless wonders" after they finished last in the American League in batting. They batted .230 as a team and faced the 116-win Chicago Cubs juggernaut in the World Series. The Sox outscored the Cubs in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead. The White Sox looked to close out their cross town rivals in Game 6. They started Doc White who saved Game 5 and took a loss in Game 2. The Cubs countered with Mordecai Three Finger Brown who split his two decisions. Brown shutout the White Sox in Game 4 and took the 2-1 loss in Game 1. The Hall of Famer Brown did not survive the second inning.

The Cubs scored first on a double by Wildfire Schulte. In the bottom of the first, the Sox scored three times. George Davis doubled in a run and then Jiggs Donahue knocked in two more on a double. The White Sox blew the game wide open in the bottom of the second. They scored four times to take a 7-1 lead. The Cubs never sniffed victory in Game 6. They scored another run for an 8-1 lead. The Cubs scored a single run in the fifth and a slop run in the ninth for an 8-3 final. Doc White went the distance for the win. Ed Hahn had four hits for the Sox. Frank Isabel slapped three hits. Three other players totalled two hits for the Sox. George Davis and Jiggs Donahue each drove in three runs apiece.

The 1906 World Series was the last time two teams that had never appeared in the Fall Classic faced off. The road team won the first five games. That would not happen again until 1996. Games 1 and 2 were played in the snow. That did not happen again until 1997. Patsy Dougherty became the first man to play on two World Series champions. He was also on the 1903 Boston Americans (Red Sox).

Despite the offensive explosions in Games 5 and 6, the White Sox batted .198 as a team. George Rohe led the Series in offense. He batted .333 with 3 extra base hits, 4 RBI, and 1.011 OPS. George Davis batted .308 with 6 RBI and .846 OPS. Frank Isbel also hit .308 with 4 RBI.

The Cubs fared slightly worse than the White Sox offensively. They hit .196 as a team. Solly Hoffman hit .304. Wildfire Schulte had the next highest average at .269. Neither club homered in the series.

Pitching provided the main difference in the series. The Sox team ERA was a miniscule 1.33 compared to the Cubs 3.40. Each team used only four pitchers. Doc White finished 1-1 for the Sox with a save and 1.80 ERA. Nick Altrock went 1-1 with a 1.00 ERA. Hall of Famer Ed Walsh probably would have been series MVP. He posted a 2-0 record, 0.60 ERA, 15 IP, and 0.867 WHIP.

The Cubs went on to win the 1907 and 1908 World Series. The White Sox did not return to the Fall Classic until 1917.

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