Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #707978 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-10
• Released on: 2006-03-28
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Ken Burns
"I love this book."

Tom Stanton, Casey Award-winning author of The Final Season and Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America
"...brings life to a magical city, an enchanting World Series and the baseball legends who battled for glory."

Customer Reviews

Gripping, Readable look at Baseball in 1906
This intense look at baseball's first City Series recreates the feel of the game in 1906. Author Bernard Weisberger describes this exciting World Series in the pre-TV, pre-radio era of dead-ball day games and tiny wooden ballparks, when tiny gloves, legal spitballs, trains, streetcars, and horse-drawn wagons were part of the scene. Readers learn about the history of both teams and leagues. The talented 1906 Cubs had a record of 116-36 (still the best ever), while the underdog White Sox won 19 straight via solid pitching and effective offense despite their misleading ¨Hitless Wonders¨ label. Weisberger seats us in the packed grandstand with his tense descriptions of each game, and of stars like Ed Walsh, Three Finger Brown (my grandfather's favorite), Nick Altrock, Joe Tinker, John Evers, Frank Chance, etc. We see how the White Sox took the Series in six games, leading to all-night celebrations (the Cubs then won in 1907-08, but at this writing never since). There is also an appendix with team stats, information about the players after baseball, and a brief description of the Sox 2005 title (Chicago's first since 1917).

I gave just four stars because Weisberger misstates a couple facts, barely mentions the often bitter Cubs-Sox rivalry, and mislabels a photo of Cubs park as Sox park. He also suggests the 1906 Sox had no offense - but they were 3rd in the league in runs. Still, this is an appealing book for Cubs fans, Sox fans (I'm one), and others with an interest in a tense World Series that must have appealed to many of our great-grandparents.

This book covers all the bases

Author Bernard Weisberger does a workmanlike job of telling the story of the 1906 World Series when the mighty Chicago Cubs (116 wins) played the Chicago White Sox, the "hitless wonders" (.230 team batting average).

Weisberger covers all the bases in explaining how the Cubs and White Sox were built and got to the World Series. He delves into Albert Spalding and Charles Comiskey, architects of the teams; the early years of baseball and its fledging leagues; the formation of the National League and American League; how the players were acquired; and what happened to the players after 1906.

Surprisingly, the White Sox upset the Cubs, four games to two. Although the White Sox had Ed Walsh and Doc White, they had few notable players, particularly compared to the Cubs that featured Three-Finger Brown, Ed Reulbach, Frank Chance, Johnny Kling, Johnny Evers and Joe Tinker.

This thin book, which includes a chapter on the White Sox winning the 2005 World Series, is probably best enjoyed by diehard Chicago baseball fans.

Thoroughly Enjoyed This Book
I couldn't disagree more with some of the critical reviews posted here about "When Chicago Ruled Baseball." I'm not exactly sure what some of the other reviewers were expecting from a book on this topic, but in my opinion everyone from serious students of baseball history to the casual fan will be very pleased. I'm a long-time Chicago baseball fan (since about 1956). I fancy myself as an amateur baseball historian, and I'm also an avid student of the Dead ball era, so this book was right up my alley. I thought it was entertaining, very well done, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I've read "The 1903 World Series" and "Autumn Glory" (as one reviewer suggested) and thought this book compares very well...if anything, I enjoyed it more.

It was a fun book to read and I thought it captured just the right mix of relevant historical setting, delightful local color, extremely interesting character development, and in-depth baseball research. Mr. Weisberger writes in an engaging narrative style that flows very well and kept my attention throughout. I love books like this and it certainly deserves a second read. Apparently some of the other reviewers were expecting some sort of doctoral dissertation on the subject. I guess they're disapppointed. Everyone else will probably enjoy the book.

I was familiar with all of the personalities in the book, but reading about them within the context of the 1906 pennant races and World Series, I feel I now have a much deeper appreciation for them all. Also, I have a much deeper appreciation for baseball as it existed in Chicago in the historic year of 1906. In spite of all the changes to the game, it's still amazing how similar the game was played over 100 years ago. This was all captured well in the book and Mr. Weisberger is to be commended.

If you are serious student of the game, or if you just want to learn about the historic 1906 World Series, I'd highly recommend this book. You won't be disappointed.