Chicago Cubs: The 1906 squad remains one of the best

Chicago Cubs: Let your imagination run wild

The game was much different in 1906 than it was today. That being said, it is nothing short of impressive what the Cubs accomplished so long ago. A lineup led by the likes of Tinker, Evers, Chance, and Brown remains one of the most dangerous teams in the franchise’s history.

The 1906 team lost only 36 games and still to this day holds the record for the highest win percentage of any single season at .736. Every starter in the lineup recorded fewer than 75 strikeouts, while seven of the eight posted at least 25 stolen bases.

The starting rotation saw two 20-game winners, Brown and Jack Pfiester, as the remaining starting squad all registered at least 12 wins. Carl Lundgren finished with the highest ERA on the team at 2.21, which was somehow bad enough where he did not finish in the top ten in the league.

Unfortunately, they lost to the Chicago White Sox four games to two in the World Series, as neither team hit a single home run. The Cubs produced an unimpressive .196/.275/.245 line while the Sox did not do much better finishing at .198/.279/.283.

Thinking about this team is fun. The game has changed over the countless generations of baseball. Traveling back to a simpler time where baseball was beginning is a fun prospect. Attempting to compare the stars of yesteryear to today is even more fun. Let’s hope 112 years from now people can look back on the present team talk about them with the same enthusiasm.

For more fun dives into team history, jump back into the time machine to revisit the 1969 Chicago Cubs.