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The OTHER Sox

© Harold Friend

Now it's time to turn to the OTHER Sox. Until about the 1980s, most fans didn't know and didn't care that the Red Sox hadn't won the World Series since 1918. Then large, fan-held signs began to appear at Yankee Stadium with nothing but the year 1918 painted on them. Wise (?) Yankees fans realized the significance of the year and the 1918 taunt was born. Lost in the idiocy of the Yankees-Red Sox "rivalry" is the fact that the other Sox, the Sox from Chicago, have not won the World Series since 1917.

The last time the White Sox won the pennant was 1959. Before 2004, the last Red Sox pennant was 1986, but they also won pennants in 1975 and 1967. The White Sox have won a grand total of five pennants and have won the World Series twice. The Red Sox have won eleven pennants and have won the World Series six times. Discounting expansion teams(actually, they weren't discounted and their owners paid a lot of money to join the owners' fraternity), only the Phillies (1) the Indians (2), and the Cubs (2) have won fewer World Series than the White Sox.

The first White Sox pennant was in 1901, which was the American League's first season. There was no World Series until 1903 and guess who represented the American League? It was the Red Sox, who became the first World Champions by beating the Pirates. In 1906, the White Sox won their second pennant, played the Cubs in the World Series, and to almost everyone's surprise, won.

The 1906 White Sox were called the "hitless wonders," and for good reason. They scored 570 runs, hit 7 home runs, and batted .230. Even in the deadball era, that was pretty bad. But pitching was, is, and always will be the name of the game. The White Sox had a 2.13 team ERA, which was outstanding, but pitching was so dominant it was only second in the American League to Cleveland's 2.09.

The Cubs were a powerhouse. They won 116 games while losing only 36, a record that still stands. Just let that sink in. The Cubs played 152 games and lost only 36. Some teams lose that many games in two months. The second place New York Giants won 96 games in 1906 and finished 20 games out of first place.

The 1906 Cubs had a decent offense, scoring 705 runs, which was almost one more run a game than the White Sox, and the Cubs had a .262 team batting average. They hit 20 home runs, which was respectable in those days but it must be remembered that the home run was not the primary offensive weapon. Teams got men on base, moved them along, and didn't try for the big inning. And as good as the White Sox pitching was, the Cubs' pitching was better. Led by Three Fingered Mordecai Brown, who won 26 games with a 1.04 ERA (that is not a mistake---he had a 1.04 ERA), the Cubs' pitching staff had a 1.75 ERA and 125 complete games. There was only thing wrong with the Cubs' 116 wins season. The White Sox won the World Series.

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