Simulated replay. This post describes a season played out with sports simulation software. Scores, standings and winners are the simulation's results, not the real historical record.
The final out of the 1906 regular season has been recorded, and the World Series is about to begin. When July began, the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals were in positions to win the pennants and face off. Now, only one of those teams has made it, thanks to a strong run of wins from another club. Who will be going head to head in the World Series this year? The final standings are just below.American League:
At the midway point of the season, the Cleveland Naps were a game under the .500 mark and sitting in fourth place in the American League. Now, at the end of the season, an amazing stretch from September into October allowed them to move past everyone and clinch the American League pennant by three games over the Philadelphia Athletics. The Athletics played well, but not well enough to keep the Naps from overtaking them in the standings.
The defending American League champion New York Highlanders finished a disappointing third in 1906, while the Chicago White Sox found themselves in the middle of the AL once again with the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators. At the bottom of the league rested the St. Louis Browns and Boston Americans, who both appear to need massive work done on their teams if they want to compete in 1907.
Cleveland's resurgence in the second half of the season had a lot to do with it's stellar pitching staff. The Naps boasted the pitchers with the three most wins in the American League during the regular season. Addie Joss won the crown with 25 wins, Ed Walsh finished second with 24 and Red Ames finished with 23 wins, but was able to lead the American League in strikeouts, fanning 233 batters on the season. Walsh also led the American League in ERA, posting a 1.93 mark for the year and putting the final stamp on Cleveland's excellent pitching. The National League pennant winner is going to have to play very well in order to defeat Cleveland's three aces.
At the plate, the Naps were right in the middle of the pack in the American League, but they still had a few dangerous bats. Erve Beck led the Naps in batting average (.289), home runs (5) and runs batted in (80). The 28 year old first baseman enjoyed one of his best seasons yet, and is a big reason why the Naps were able to catch the Athletics and win their first American League pennant. Backing Beck up with his bat and speed this season was George Stone. Stone finished second to Beck in every offensive category for Cleveland, but Stone was also able to steal 35 bases, giving him an added threat level that Beck does not have. With Beck and Stone in the middle of Cleveland's lineup, the Naps might be poised to take home the World Series.
(L-R) Addie Joss, Ed Walsh, Erve Beck and George Stone were just some of the leaders on the American League champion Cleveland Naps in 1906.
National League:
The Pittsburgh Pirates made a spirited charge at the St. Louis Cardinals in September, but for the first time in World Series history, the National League will be represented by a team not from Pittsburgh. The Cardinals took first place in the National League early in the season, and they never let go, winning the pennant by three games over the Pirates thanks to a solid offense and very good pitching staff.
Everyone knew that the Pirates would make a run, but this year it wasn't enough. Following closely behind Pittsburgh were the Brooklyn Superbas, and then the Philadelphia Phillies, who finished in fourth place in the National League. Behind Philadelphia were the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, while the Boston Beaneaters and New York Giants had very few reasons to celebrate the 1906 season. They just wanted it to end so that 1907 could arrive.
Aside from Rube Waddell, most would argue that the best pitcher in the National League in 1906 was Doc White of the Cardinals, and they would not be wrong. White had an excellent year, winning 22 games, striking out 180 batters and posting a 1.76 ERA for the season. His teammate Jimmy Dygert enjoyed the best season of his young career, as he finished with a 22-16 record, a 2.24 ERA and a team leading 219 strikeouts. At just 22 years of age, the Cardinals might have found one of the best pitchers of the next ten years if Dygert can keep this pace up. Former Philadelphia Athletic Bill Bernhard gave St. Louis a trio of 22 game winners on the pitching mound, and while the Cardinals might not have gotten the same attention that the Cleveland Naps did with their pitching staff, St. Louis fans are confident that they can match whomever Cleveland puts on the mound.
Defending National League Most Valuable Player Sherry Magee had a down season by his standards, but was still the best offensive player that the Cardinals had to offer during the regular season. Magee led St. Louis with a .271 batting average and eight home runs while also stealing 52 bases. His bat seemed to be getting warmer as the season reached the end, so the Naps might want to tread lightly when pitching against him in the World Series. The only statistic that Magee did not pace the Cardinals in was runs batted in, and teammate Rube Oldring led the way for St. Louis in that category, driving in 75 runs to go along with a .268 batting average and four home runs. In just his first full major league season, Oldring appears to have the look and poise of a long time player, and should give Magee a lot of support as the seasons go on. For now, all the attention in St. Louis is on the World Series, and whether or not the Cardinals can bring home their first ever world championship.
(L-R) Rube Oldring, Doc White, Jimmy Dygert and Sherry Magee all played a big part in guiding the St. Louis Cardinals to their first World Series.
The stage has been set for possibly the closest World Series to date. Both teams have excellent pitching and enough offensive firepower to turn the tide of any game. All that remains is to play the games, and see who comes out on top this time around.