Chicago Cubs: 10 greatest all-time teams in franchise history

10 greatest all-time teams in Chicago Cubs history – #4: 1906 (116-36-2)

Eight years before the birth of Wrigley Field, the Cubs set a still-standing MLB record of 116 wins on the regular season. Important to note, the Seattle Mariners also hit 116 wins during the 2001 – but no team has eclipsed the mark. Not to take away from their incredible accomplishment, it’s just otherworldly to think about the fact the Cubs did it when there was still only 154 games in a season instead of the 162 we are accustomed to today.

In 1906, the Cubs had four players that would go all the way to Cooperstown. Frank Chance was the manager and the first baseman. Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Mordecai Brown all also made the Hall of Fame by the time it was all said and done. Speaking of Brown, as we did during the 1910 campaign, this time he did lead the league with a ridiculous 1.04 ERA.

That mark still stands to this day as an NL best. If somebody ever breaks that mark, It will be interesting to see if they can do it in a sample size of over 277 1/3 innings of work with 27 complete games and nine shutouts the way Brown did in 1906. Not too shabby for only having three fingers on your pitching hand.

Even though the 1906 Cubs set that modern day record in the win total category and the fact that the team were looked at as a lock to go all the way and take home the team’s first World Series trophy, they went on to lose the Fall Classic to the Chicago White Sox, four games to two.  Fortunately for the Cubs, much more postseason success was on the way.