Long before the first television broadcast and 15 years before the first radio broadcast, if fans wanted a piece of the action they’d need to dig deep and cough up a shiny half dollar for a bleacher seat to witness the original Crosstown Classic: The Cubs vs Sox 1906 World Series. The Chicago Cubs came into the series white hot after winning 50 of their last 57 games and finishing the regular season with a record setting 116 wins. The “Hitless Wonders,” the unfortunate nickname bestowed upon the 1906 White Sox, batted a measly .230 and only clubbed 6 homers all season.
The series got off to a chilly start at West Side Park, the Cubs home, located at the current site of the Chicago's Medical District. Intermittent snow flakes were not enough to cool off the White Sox who were able to fight through the elements and take an early 1-0 Series lead. The Cubs would go on to win games two and four, but that was all they could muster.
Despite their quiet bats, the White Sox's great defense was enough for them to get wins in Game three and five. Before a crowd of 19,245 fans at South Side park, the White Sox won Game six and captured their first World Series Championship.
For a detailed look into the Series, look no further than Bernard Weisberger's, When Chicago Ruled Baseball. Inside you’ll find some fantastic photos, including one of a bear cub being escorted around the bases prior to game five. To learn more about Chicago’s two ball clubs and their successes over the years you’ll find a statistically rich account in Bruce Rubenstein’s Chicago in the World Series, 1903-2005.
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