[actionjackson]

1906 Season/Postseason Recap:

Regular Season:

There would be no run differential zaniness in 1906, as there had been in 1905 with the MLB leading Chicago White Sox having a negative run differential. The postseason teams ranged from +99 (Philadelphia Phillies) on up to +206 (Boston Americans), which is more like it.

The White Sox repeated their 93-69 record (this time with a +106 run differential, which makes a bit more sense), but fell two games shy of the postseason. The Boston Americans finished first in the AL with a 96-66 record, while the Tigers took the second postseason spot at 95-67, which set up a Boston/Detroit matchup for the ALCS with Boston enjoying home field advantage.

The Pirates were the most improved team in MLB going from 60-102 to 80-82, a twenty game improvement, yet they are still seeking their first non-losing season in franchise history. The Cardinals fell off the most going from 90 wins and a postseason appearance in 1905 to a 75-87 season, which left them in a 3-way tie with Brooklyn and Cincinnati for 5th place in the NL.

The New York Giants went from narrowly missing the postseason in 1905 (88-74) to a 103-59 record to easily capture home field advantage in the 1906 NLCS against the Phillies (94-68). It was great to see the Giants in the postseason because at 31 Honus Wagner ain't gettin' any younger. The Washington Senators were the polar opposite of the Giants, going 62-100, thus getting the first overall pick in the draft (Yogi Berra). Sounds like the RL Senators to me: First in politics, last in the American League. They've embarked on a maniacal spending spree in the offseason, and theoretically should be much better in 1907.

ALCS:

This may have been the closest series I have ever seen. Detroit and Boston were dead even in runs at 26 when the dust had settled after 7 games. No game was decided by more than three runs, and that game went to extra innings. 2 extra inning games including the only game decided by three runs in the series. A walkoff HR. Oh yeah, it had everything, and somehow left you wanting more at the end of it.

The first game in Boston would match up the winner and runner up in the voting for the 1906 Walter Johnson Award. Toad Ramsey went for Boston, while Eppa Rixey opposed him for Detroit. As one would expect in such a matchup, it was a tight game all the way. No crooked numbers even. In the end, Boston's picket fence stretched further than Detroit's and they triumphed 4-2. Their runs came on a ground out, a GIDP, an error, and an RBI single. The go ahead run scored on an error by 3B Ty Wigginton an inning after SS Trevor Story had hit a game-tying solo HR for the Tigers in the 4th.

Game 2 featured the #4 (Boston's Ismael Valdez) and #5 (Detroit's Bucky Walters) pitchers in the Walter Johnson voting, and was just as close (same score in fact), but went much longer. Once again an error factored into the go ahead run(s) which came in the top of the 14th inning. Detroit's Alexi Casilla singled and Craig Biggio reached on an error by SS Vern Stephens after Eddie Haas and Carlos Perez had struck out. Lefty O'Doul came up with a massive two-run double to put Detroit ahead 4-2, and they would win by the same score. Kenley Jansen and Jocko Flynn combined for 6 2-hit shutout innings with three walks and 7 K to give the bats a chance. Back to the Motor City they went knotted up at 1 game apiece.

Game 3 would see Fritz Ostermueller for the visiting Americans against Greg W Harris for the Tigers. Once again it would be 4-2 (for Detroit), and once again an error would factor in to the go-ahead run. This time Boston 2B Eddie Kasko made the boo-boo and Trevor Story scampered home with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fourth. A sac fly by Steve Garvey in the fifth inning gave the Tigers some insurance, and their pitching and defense held the Americans in check the rest of the way. Harris went 7 innings allowing 2 runs, and RP Jake Boyd retired the final six hitters on just sixteen pitches.

The Americans would turn to Tommy Byrne to even the series in Game 4. His mound opponent would be Chase Anderson, but both were long gone by the time this game was decided. The Tigers took a 4-2 lead (sound familiar? - for once this time there would be more runs) in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI triple by CF Bill Davidson, followed by a sac fly by RF Jon Nunnally, and a two-out RBI single by LF Lefty O'Doul. The eighth inning would see the Americans get an opportunity to bust the game wide open, as they had already narrowed the gap to 4-3, and had the bases loaded with nobody out. Once again Tiger RP Jake Boyd would come to the rescue (having coughed up the RBI single which scored the third run to 2B Eddie Kasko, but it still was an impressive Houdini act). C Frank House hit a fly out to CF Bill Davidson, who gunned down DH Dan Ford at the plate for a huge double play. Boyd completed the escape by getting 3B J C Martin to fly out, leaving the tieing and go-ahead runs at second and third.

Boyd would walk RF Raul Mondesi to begin the ninth, and that was it for him. Mike J Grace came on and he immediately balked Mondesi to second. It would prove very costly as CF Marquis Grissom singled in Mondesi on the second pitch of his at bat to tie the score at 4, and once again these teams were off to extra innings. The Americans would break through in the eleventh, on an RBI double by SS Vern Stephens, and a two-run double by Dan Ford sandwiched around an intentional walk to 1B Jim Bottomley off RP Luis Perdomo. Rollie Fingers was absolutely stellar in relief, throwing the final 3 innings in hitless shutout fashion, punctuating it with a strikeout of Jon Nunnally to end the game and complete the 7-4 comeback.

Game 5 returned Ramsey and Rixey to the mound. Another taut pitching battle to make fans of both teams squirm in their seats. Dan Ford doubled home a run and LF Andy Dirks followed him with a sac fly to score Jim Bottomley in the top of the fourth. 5-time Walter Johnson winner Toad Ramsey on the mound with a 2-0 lead in the fourth? He should be able to drive it home right? Wrong. Lefty O'Doul got him with a two-run shot in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game following C Craig Biggio's leadoff single. Back and forth they went in a scoreless fashion until 1B Steve Garvey hit a walkoff solo HR off Ramsey with two out in the bottom of the ninth. That had to be deflating for the Americans, even though they still had a chance with the final two games of the series to come on their home turf.

Game 6 of course, was a game that Boston had to have. But Tiger DH Alexi Casilla (yes you read that right Tiger DH Alexi Casilla) would set the tone by leading off the game with a solo shot off Ismael Valdez (Casilla had all of seven career HR heading into this game). Two innings later Craig Biggio would single home Casilla with two out, and the lead was extended to 2-0. The Americans went to work in the bottom of the fourth, with an RBI double from Eddie Kasko, and a two-run double by Frank House. An inning later, a two-run double by Dan Ford put the Americans up 5-2.

Trevor Story would answer in a big way for the Tigers in the sixth inning with a two-out three-run HR off Valdez to tie the game at 5. An RBI double by Vern Stephens, and an errant pickoff attempt by Tiger RP Jake Boyd would give the Americans a 7-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Rollie Fingers started the ninth for the Americans with the two run lead. He was lifted after giving up a one out walk to Ty Wigginton, and Hub Pruett came on from the bullpen, and immediately walked Bill Davidson on four pitches. Not good. PH Carlos Perez (the catcher, not the crazy pitcher) flied out, and there were two out. Super pest Alexi Casilla singled home Wigginton and sent tying run Bill Davidson to third to bring up 3-time top ten MVP candidate Craig Biggio. Pruett managed to get Biggio to ground into a 5-4 force out to end a great game and set up seventh heaven. It was only fitting given the way this series had gone through six games.

Fritz Ostermueller and Greg W Harris faced off in the game for all the marbles, and did not disappoint. Detroit never trailed in this game, as Biggio scored on a fielder's choice by Garvey in the first inning. Bill Davidson singled home 2B Bernie Allen to put the Tigers up 2-0 in the fourth. Jim Bottomley led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo blast to cut the deficit in half. However, the two run lead would be restored in the next half inning on (of all things) a strikeout/wild pitch that allowed Trevor Story to reach and scored Alexi Casilla. Bottomley would single home Grissom in the bottom of the seventh to bring the Americans to within one again, but the rally died with the tying and go-ahead runs on base when Andy Dirks grounded out to end the inning. Kenley Jansen pitched the final 2 innings and stranded Vern Stephens and Jim Bottomley in the bottom of the ninth by getting Dan Ford to fly out. The Americans had had their chances, but the Tigers emerged the victors in an amazing series. Tiger LF Lefty O'Doul took home series MVP honours, batting .345/.406/.517 with 1 HR and 5 RBI. See attached screenshots for further info.