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1906 White Sox and 1906 World Series Photo Gallery
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1906 “Hitless Wonders” Start 19-Game Winning Streak!
One hundred ten years ago this week, the 1906 “Hitless Wonders” White Sox started a 19-game winning streak. It stated on August 2, 1906 in a 3-0 victory over the Boston Americans, and ended on August 25 in a 5-4 loss to the Senators. The winning streak was the longing in American League for the next 96 years, finally broken by the Oakland Athletics’ 20-game streak in 2002. The Sox had been in fourth place by the end of July, seven-and-a-half games behind the defending champion Philadelphia Athletics, but the 19-game streak drove them into first place for good.
In the featured photo below, we see a nice team portrait of the 1906 World Champion Chicago White Sox (player identifications below). Also, click on the link to see a photo tribute to their 1906 season and the 1906 World Series:
The 1906 White Sox, managed by Fielder Jones, went 93-58 (.616), finishing three games ahead of the New York Highlanders. They somehow managed to win the pennant in spite of having the league’s worst batting average (.230). What they lacked in offense they made up for in pitching, which was truly their strength. The team’s four main starters, all at or near their prime, were rock solid. Frank Owen and lefty Nick Altrock were perennial 20-game winners. Doc White was usually good for 15-18 wins with earned run averages below 2.00. And the fourth member of the rotation was 25-year old spitballer Ed Walsh, just entering into his Hall-of-Fame career. The quartet knew they had to be nearly flawless on the mound. With the White Sox’ anemic offense, anything less than their best would surely result in a loss. The staff came through with 117 complete games, a league-leading 32 shutouts, and a2.13 ERA that was the second lowest in the league.
To compensate for the poor offense, they took the term “small ball” to new heights. They were adept at taking walks, good at “taking one for the team” to get on base, and good at bunting runners around with sacrifices, leading the league in all three categories. In spite of their lack of offensive prowess, the White Sox’ ability to “manufacture runs” (as we call it today), placed them third in the league in runs scored. Thus was the genesis of a baseball nickname for the ages coined by Chicago sportswriters: “The Hitless Wonders.”
Only three everyday starters managed to hit over .250: Second baseman Frank Isbell led the team at .279, followed by veteran switch-hitting shortstop George Davis at .277, and first baseman Jiggs Donahue at .257. Player-manager Fielder Jones matched the team average of .230. Third baseman Lee Tannehill hit .183. Catcher Billy Sullivan was at .214. Most of the bench players hit well below .200. Even two early-season additions who had hit well in the past tailed off dramatically: Eddie Hahn, a .319 rookie hitter with the Highlanders in 1905, and Patsy Dougherty, a career .301 hitter. Both came hit a paltry .230 for the year.
And power numbers? Well…there just wasn’t much. They hit a grand total of seven home runs for the entire year, an embarrassing total even by Dead Ball Era standards. Jones and Sullivan were the Sox’ top sluggers with two homers each!
And who should the White Sox draw as their opponents in the 2906 World Series? None other than the powerful, heavily-favored Cubs with their dominant hitting, slugging, fielding and incredible pitching that led to 116 wins, 36 losses and an all-time best .763 winning percentage. But as is well known, the “Hitless Wonders” prevailed, proving true the baseball adage that you can’t win without good pitching; but adding to it by proving you could win without good hitting.
-Gary Livacari
Photo Credits: All from Google search
Information: Excerpts edited from article: “The Hitless Wonders,” found on the On-line Book of Baseball. Read more at: http://www.thisgreatgame.com/1906-baseball-history.html
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