1906 American League Pennant

Lore & Background

The 1906 White Sox became known as the 'Hitless Wonders' after winning the pennant despite posting the lowest team batting average (.230) in the league. They were propelled by a 9-game winning streak from August 2–10, which drove them from fourth place into first. The team's pitching staff led the league with 32 shutouts and had the second lowest earned run average in the league.

In Their Own Story

The last game of the season at South Side Grounds. The afternoon sun hangs low over the outfield fence, painting the dirt diamond in amber. The stands are a wall of white and blue, of wool caps and wool coats, of men in overalls who left the factory floor an hour early just to be here. Frank Thomas lines up in the batter's box, spits tobacco onto the dirt, and taps the plate with his bat. The crowd noise is a living thing — a low, constant hum that swells with every pitch. Eddie Cicotte, on the mound, wipes his glove on his thigh and stares down the right-handed batter. The umpire calls 'Play ball.' The crack of the bat echoes off the grandstand, and for one suspended moment, the entire South Side holds its breath. Then the roar. Then the pennant. Then a hundred years of memory, all beginning with that single, thunderous crack.

Reader's Guide

The 1906 White Sox won 93 games to claim the pennant. They defeated the heavily favored Chicago Cubs in the World Series, earning the moniker 'Hitless Wonders.'

Did You Know?

• The 1906 White Sox had a 9-game winning streak from August 2–10.
• Their team batting average of .230 was the worst in the American League.
• They upset the Chicago Cubs, who had a 116–36 record, in the World Series.