1906 World Series Championship

Lore & Background

The teams split the first four games; then the Hitless Wonders (a name coined by sportswriter Charles Dryden) exploded for 26 hits in the last two games. True to their nickname, the White Sox hit only .198 as a team in winning the series, but it beat the .196 average produced by the Cubs. In Game 3, White Sox pitcher Ed Walsh struck out 12 Cubs, breaking the previous record of 11 set by Bill Dinneen in 1903. National interest in the Series was strong. Ahead of the third game, backers in Denver, Colorado offered a guarantee of US$10,000 (equivalent to $358,333 in 2025) to host the seventh game of the series should it be necessary. The Spokane (Washington) Chamber of Commerce offered US$15,000 (equivalent to $537,500 in 2025) for the game. The Series would remain in Chicago and finish in six games.

In Their Own Story

The October air over the ballpark was sharp, carrying the smell of cut grass and the faint sweetness of roasted nuts from the concession stands. Cicotte stood on the mound, his white uniform catching the late-afternoon sun, and the crowd — thousands of them, packed into the wooden bleachers — settled into a hush that felt almost sacred. He wound up, that long, sweeping motion, and the ball left his hand with a sound like a crack of the whip. The Reds batter swung and missed. The crowd exhaled. Somewhere in the outfield, Schulte adjusted his glove and grinned, already knowing this game was going to be his to finish. He would. He always did, when it mattered most.

Reader's Guide

The 1906 World Series was the first to be played between two teams from the same metropolitan area or state. This series along with the 1944 edition (contested between the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns), and the 1989 edition (contested between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics) are the only such instances outside of New York City where two teams from the same metropolitan area played in the World Series. This was also the last World Series where both teams were making their first appearance in the Fall Classic, something that is currently impossible without future expansion (as the Seattle Mariners are currently the only team in the league to have never appeared in a World Series).

Did You Know?

• The White Sox were known as the "Hitless Wonders" after finishing with the worst team batting average (.230) in the American League.
• In Game 3, White Sox pitcher Ed Walsh struck out 12 Cubs, breaking the previous record of 11 set by Bill Dinneen in 1903.
• The 1906 World Series was the first modern World Series contested between two teams based in the same metropolitan area.
• Frank Isbell hit four doubles in Game 5, remaining the sole major league player to get four extra-base hits in one postseason game until Shohei Ohtani hit two doubles and two home runs in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series.