By Woodrow Carroll
It is enjoyable to take a look at the best regular-season records in Major League Baseball, then check to see how well the teams did in the postseason. Memorable as these regular-season campaigns may have been, ultimate success is in championships aka a World Series trophies.
Both the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs were part of the story in 1906. The two clubs squared off in the World Series.
For good reason, the 1906 Cubs were favored to beat the White Sox in what was only the third World Series. The first World Series took place in 1903 with no postseason the following year. Then, starting in 1905 and continuing until 1994 when labor strife brought cancellation of the Fall Classic.
In the 1906 World Series, the Cubs closed out the regular season in with a 116-36 won-loss record. The White Sox reigned as American League champion with a 93-58record. The White Sox were viewed as a solid team for sure, but, not in the Cubs’ class. As loyal fans for both the White Sox and Cubs can tell you, the Sox beat the Cubs, four games to two in the 1906 World Series.
As unpleasant as was the loss to the White Sox in the 1906 World Series, those were good times for the Cubs. In 1907 and 1908 the Cubs were World Series champions in victories over the Detroit Tigers each year. The Cubs reached the World Series in 1910 only to fall, four games to one to the Philadelphia Athletics. That’s four World Series appearances in five years for the Cubs.
•The 116-victory jinx! In 2001 the Seattle Mariners seemingly had all things good. Many players were having career years. Then, the franchise added a rookie, Ichiro Suzuki. All Suzuki did was win every imaginable award that season.
By 2001 interleague play was in full swing. In the Mariners’ 2001 schedule the team played 18 big league clubs. The Mariners had a winning record against each of those 18 franchises. The Mariners ended the regular season with a 116-46 record. Managing the Mariners was Lou Piniella who was manager of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds and to a surprise World Series championship over the favored Oakland A’s.
In the postseason, Seattle opened by defeating the Cleveland Indians, three games to two in a tougher-than -expected AL Divisional Series. Next up were the New York Yankees champions in three consecutive World Series. Major League Baseball is replete with tales of the favorite being taken down. The 2001 Seattle Mariners became part of that conversation when the Yankees ousted Seattle four games to one in the AL Championship Series. Even more disconcerting to many Mariners’ fans may have been the Yankees falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series shortly there after.
In 2002 and 2003, the Mariners strung together 93-win campaigns, yet, in both of those seasons, Seattle did not reach the playoffs. In fact, it was not until 2022 the Mariners made their next playoff appearance to end a 21-year playoff drought.
Seattle ousted the Toronto Blue Jays, two games to zero before falling three games to zero to the Houston Astros in the 2022 playoffs
•For the good side of a great season ending on a positive note, we can turn to the White Sox.
The 1917 White Sox finished the regular season with a 100-54 record. The 100 victories is the White Sox franchise best, and, the 1917 White Sox ended up beating the New York Giants four games to two in the World Series. Right behind the 1917 White Sox in number of victories is 2005 White Sox, who ended the regular season with a 99-63 record. White Sox fans were rewarded with a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros in the World Series.