1906 World Series - Firsts and Lasts

Firsts and Lasts

• The 1906 World Series was the first appearance in the World Series for both teams, and the first of three in a row for the Cubs. The White Sox would next reappear in the World Series in 1917.

• The 1906 World Series was the first modern "Subway Series", in a broad sense of the term.

• The 1906 World Series is the last World Series, as of 2012, to feature two franchises that had never before appeared in the Series. Also, barring further expansion, the only theoretical matchup that can break this streak would be the Seattle Mariners (representing the American League) versus the Washington Nationals (for the National League).

• The 1906 World Series was the first World Series appearance for the Cubs' famous infield trio of Joe Tinker (shortstop), Johnny Evers (second base), and Frank Chance (first base). The trio hit a combined 9-for-59 in the series.

• Two future Hall of Fame pitchers appeared: Mordecai Brown for the Cubs and Ed Walsh for the White Sox. However, this pair did not pitch against each other in any game of the Series. Nor did either of them pitch the most dominant game of the series. Instead, that honor went to the Cubs' 23-year-old Ed Reulbach, who pitched the first one-hitter in World Series history in Game 2.

• The first five games of the Series were won by the road team. This unusual occurrence was duplicated exactly 90 years later in the 1996 World Series.

• Doc White recorded the first ever World Series save in Game 5. Saves were not officially recognized as a statistic until 1969, but the stat has been retrofitted by historians.

• The 1906 World Series was the first Series with a surprise star, an obscure player who for a brief time became a star. Third baseman George Rohe batted .348 and drove in nine runs in the six games of the Series. He had a rather nondescript career prior to and following the 1906 World Series, and was out of the game by 1908.

• Games 1 and 2 were played amid snow flurries in Chicago. This would not happen again in a World Series until 1997.

• Bill O'Neill of the White Sox became the first pinch runner in series history during the sixth inning of Game 3 when he came in to run for Eddie Hahn.

• White Sox outfielder Patsy Dougherty became the first player to both play in and win two World Series. He had previously played for the Boston Americans in the 1903 World Series.