1906 New York Yankees (Highlanders)

The final standing	2nd in AL (Did not qualify for World Series)
Regular season record	90-61 (.596)
Post-season record	(Not played)
AL rank	2nd
World Series record and opponent	(Not played)
Manager	Clark Griffith
Captain	Kid Elberfeld
Top batter	Home runs: Wid Conroy (4), Jimmy Williams (3) BA: Hal Chase (.323), Kid Elberfeld (.306), Willie Keeler (.304) Runs: Willie Keeler (96), Hal Chase (84), Wid Conroy (67) RBI: Jimmy Williams (77), Hal Chase (76), Wid Conroy, Frank LaPorte (54)
Top pitcher/ (W-L, ERA)	Al Orth: 27-17, 2.34 Jack Chesbro: 23-17, 2.96 Bil Hogg: 14-13, 2.93
Attendance record	434,700 (3rd of 8)

The season: A brief summary

The 1906 season of the New York Highlanders, who would later become known as the New York Yankees, was a notable chapter in the early history of one of baseball’s most storied franchises. Managed by Clark Griffith, a name that resonates with baseball historians for his contributions both on and off the field, the 1906 New York Yankees showcased their prowess by finishing second in the American League with an impressive record of 90 wins and 61 losses.

Playing their home games at Hilltop Park, an elevated site that provided fans with a panoramic view of the Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades, the 1906 New York Yankees capitalized on their home-field advantage to establish themselves as a force in the league. The ballpark, known for its spacious dimensions, favored pitchers, and the Highlanders’ pitching staff took full advantage, turning many would-be hits into outs.

The 1906 season was marked by fierce competition and the Highlanders emerged as serious contenders, challenging the dominant teams of the era. Their second-place finish was a significant achievement, considering the strength of the competition in the American League. This season was a testament to the team’s resilience, talent, and strategic acumen, as they navigated the highs and lows of a long and grueling campaign.

Clark Griffith’s leadership was instrumental in the team’s success. Known for his innovative approach to managing, Griffith was a master at maximizing the talents of his roster. His strategic decisions, particularly around pitching rotations and defensive alignments, were ahead of their time. Griffith’s ability to motivate his players and his keen understanding of the game’s nuances played a crucial role in the Highlanders’ impressive performance throughout the season.

Reflecting on the 1906 season, it’s clear that it was a pivotal year for the Highlanders/Yankees franchise. Finishing second in a highly competitive American League showcased the team’s potential and set the stage for future achievements. It was a season that highlighted the importance of strategic management, team cohesion, and the relentless pursuit of excellence—qualities that would become synonymous with the Yankees in the decades to follow.

In conclusion, the 1906 New York Highlanders’ season was a critical step in the evolution of one of baseball’s greatest dynasties. Under the guidance of Clark Griffith and with a roster brimming with talent, the team demonstrated that they were on the cusp of greatness. While they fell short of capturing the pennant, their impressive performance served as a harbinger of the success that would eventually define the Yankees’ legacy.

The series that cost the 1906 New York Yankees: A missed opportunity in 1906

The 1906 New York Yankees, experienced a pivotal moment in their early history that could have drastically altered the course of their legacy well before their dynasty years. This moment came in a disastrous four-game series against the Chicago White Sox from August 18 to August 22, a series that effectively dashed their hopes for the American League pennant and marked a critical “what if” in their storied past.

Entering this series, the 1906 New York Yankees were in a fierce competition for the league lead, trailing the “Hitless Wonder” Chicago White Sox by a slim margin. The series at Hilltop Park was not just another set of games; it was a potential turning point for the Highlanders to assert their dominance in the league. However, what transpired over those four days was a series of misfortunes that not only highlighted the team’s vulnerabilities but also underscored how a single series can have profound implications on a season’s outcome.

The series opener was a harbinger of the calamity to follow, with the Highlanders holding the White Sox scoreless through six innings, only for a critical error by Kid Elberfeld in the seventh to unravel their efforts. This error seemed to break the team’s spirit, leading to a catastrophic ninth inning where five additional errors, four by third baseman Frank LaPorte, contributed to a 10-0 rout by the White Sox.

The subsequent games did little to restore morale or standings. Over the next three matchups, the 1906 New York Yankees’ defense continued to falter, accumulating a total of 17 errors throughout the series, a staggering figure that turned potential victories into decisive defeats. Despite a brief offensive resurgence in the series finale, the damage had been done. The Highlanders were swept, and their pennant hopes were severely diminished, moving from three games behind to a daunting seven, effectively ending their contention.

This series was a critical juncture for the Highlanders/Yankees franchise, showcasing how errors and missed opportunities can derail an entire season. The aftermath of the series was a team that, despite a valiant effort to recover, including a 15-game winning streak, could not overcome the deficit created during those fateful days in August. The White Sox went on to win the pennant by a mere three games, a margin that painfully highlights the significance of the Highlanders’ collapse.

Reflecting on this series and its impact, it’s intriguing to consider the “butterfly effect” it may have had on the franchise’s history. Capturing the pennant in 1906 could have propelled the Highlanders/Yankees to success much earlier than the Ruth era, potentially altering the trajectory of baseball history. This series against the White Sox serves as a stark reminder of how a team’s fortune can hinge on a single moment, a series of games, or a handful of plays. For the 1906 Highlanders, it was a series that threw away their chance at the pennant and delayed the onset of what would become one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.

Postseason result

(Did not qualify – Eliminated in regular season)

1906 New York Yankees roster

Name	Age	B	T	Ht	Wt	DoB	Yrs	G	GS	WAR
Cy Barger	21	L	R	6′ 0″	160	May 18, 1885	1st	2	1	-0.4
Hal Chase	23	R	L	6′ 0″	175	Feb 13, 1883	2	151	151	2.9
Jack Chesbro HOF	32	R	R	5′ 9″	180	Jun 5, 1874	8	49	42	3.8
Walter Clarkson	27	R	R	5′ 10″	150	Nov 3, 1878	3	32	16	1.9
Wid Conroy	29	R	R	5′ 9″	158	Apr 5, 1877	6	148	148	1.9
Frank Delahanty	23	R	R	5′ 9″	160	Dec 29, 1882	2	92	86	0.6
Patsy Dougherty	29	L	R	6′ 2″	190	Oct 27, 1876	5	12	12	-0.4
Slow Joe Doyle	24	R	R	5′ 8″	150	Sep 15, 1881	1st	9	6	1.3
Kid Elberfeld	31	R	R	5′ 7″	158	Apr 13, 1875	8	99	98	3.5
Clark Griffith HOF	36	R	R	5′ 6″	156	Nov 20, 1869	15	17	2	0.7
Ed Hahn	30	L	R		160	Aug 27, 1875	2	11	6	-0.1
Noodles Hahn	27	L	L	5′ 9″	160	Apr 29, 1879	8	6	6	0.1
Danny Hoffman	26	L	L	5′ 9″	175	Mar 2, 1880	4	104	96	0.4
Bill Hogg	24	R	R	6′ 0″	200	Sep 11, 1881	2	28	25	2.7
Tom Hughes	22	R	R	6′ 2″	175	Jan 28, 1884	1st	3	1	-0.1
Willie Keeler HOF	34	L	L	5′ 4″	140	Mar 3, 1872	15	151	151	2.3
Red Kleinow	28	R	R	5′ 10″	165	Jul 20, 1877	3	96	86	1
Frank LaPorte	26	R	R	5′ 8″	175	Feb 6, 1880	2	123	117	1.8
Louis LeRoy	27	R	R	5′ 10″	180	Feb 18, 1879	2	11	2	0.7
Deacon McGuire	42	R	R	6′ 1″	185	Nov 18, 1863	22	51	45	0.8
George Moriarty	20	R	R	6′ 0″	185	Jul 7, 1885	3	67	52	0.6
Doc Newton	28	L	L	6′ 0″	185	Oct 26, 1877	5	21	15	1.6
Al Orth	33	L	R	6′ 0″	200	Sep 5, 1872	12	47	40	9.1
Ira Thomas	25	R	R	6′ 2″	200	Jan 22, 1881	1st	45	25	0
Jimmy Williams	29	R	R	5′ 9″	175	Dec 20, 1876	8	139	139	3.5
Joe Yeager	30	R	R	5′ 10″	160	Aug 28, 1875	8	57	27	1.2

1906 New York Yankees player additions, transactions, and trades

Before the 1906 Season

• Fred Jacklitsch was sent to York (Tri-State) in an unspecified transaction, indicating a move to adjust the team’s depth or possibly in response to performance or financial considerations.

April 1906

• Ambrose Puttmann’s player rights were sold to the St. Louis Cardinals, a decision likely influenced by the team’s strategy or Puttmann’s fit within the squad.

April 29, 1906

• Traded Dave Fultz to the Philadelphia Athletics in exchange for Danny Hoffman, a move that suggests a strategic adjustment or an attempt to fill a specific need within the team.

May 10, 1906

• Sold Ed Hahn’s player rights to the Chicago White Sox, part of the ongoing roster adjustments during the season.

June 6, 1906

• Sold Patsy Dougherty’s player rights to the Chicago White Sox, continuing the trend of adjusting the team’s composition through sales of player rights.

August 1906

• Purchased King Brockett from Buffalo (Eastern) and Slow Joe Doyle from Wheeling (Central), indicating efforts to strengthen the team by bringing in new talent from minor leagues.

September 1, 1906

• Drafted Roy Castleton from Youngstown (Ohio-Pennsylvania) in the 1906 rule 5 draft, a move that suggests the Highlanders were looking to capitalize on emerging talent to bolster their roster.

1906 New York Yankees player debuts

• Cy Barger – 08-30-1906 – 21 years old
• Slow Joe Doyle – 08-25-1906 – 24 years old
• Tom Hughes – 09-18-1906 – 22 years old
• Ira Thomas – 05-18-1906 – 25 years old

1906 New York Yankees team stats (batting)

Pos	Name	Age	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA
C	Red Kleinow	28	96	306	268	30	59	9	3	0	31	8	24	28	0.22
1B	Hal Chase	23	151	640	597	84	193	23	10	0	76	28	13	48	0.323
2B	Jimmy Williams	29	139	572	501	61	139	25	7	3	77	8	44	51	0.277
SS	Kid Elberfeld	31	99	398	346	59	106	11	5	2	31	19	30	19	0.306
3B	Frank LaPorte	26	123	486	454	60	120	23	9	2	54	10	22	57	0.264
OF	Wid Conroy	29	148	632	567	67	139	17	10	4	54	32	47	67	0.245
OF	Willie Keeler	34	152	674	592	96	180	8	3	2	33	23	40	5	0.304
OF	Danny Hoffman	26	100	362	320	34	82	10	6	0	23	32	27	73	0.256
OF	Frank Delahanty	23	92	345	307	37	73	11	8	2	41	11	16	21	0.238
3B	George Moriarty	20	65	229	197	22	46	7	7	0	23	8	17	24	0.234
C	Deacon McGuire	42	51	159	144	11	43	5	0	0	14	3	12	17	0.299
MI	Joe Yeager	30	57	152	123	20	37	6	1	0	12	3	13	13	0.301
C	Ira Thomas	25	44	126	115	12	23	1	2	0	15	2	8	11	0.2
OF	Patsy Dougherty	29	12	53	52	3	10	2	0	0	4	0	0	4	0.192
OF	Ed Hahn	30	11	31	22	2	2	1	0	0	1	2	3	2	0.091
P	Al Orth	33	47	144	135	12	37	2	2	1	17	2	6	8	0.274
P	Jack Chesbro	32	49	126	125	10	26	2	1	1	4	0	1	34	0.208
P	Bill Hogg	24	28	78	72	8	9	1	0	0	3	1	1	18	0.125
P	Walter Clarkson	27	32	55	51	3	8	2	2	0	4	0	0	7	0.157
P	Doc Newton	28	21	43	41	4	9	0	0	0	5	0	1	13	0.22
P	Clark Griffith	36	17	25	18	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	3	4	0.111
P	Slow Joe Doyle	24	9	17	14	1	3	0	0	0	3	0	0	4	0.214
P	Noodles Hahn	27	6	17	12	3	4	0	0	0	1	0	3	4	0.333
P	Louis LeRoy	27	11	15	14	1	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0.143
P	Tom Hughes	22	3	5	5	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	0.2
P	Cy Barger	21	2	3	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.333
	Team Totals	28.3	155	5693	5095	640	1354	166	77	17	528	192	331	537	0.266
	Rank in 8 AL teams				3	2	2	3	1	4		6	5	3	2
	Non-Pitcher Totals	28.1	155	5165	4605	598	1252	159	71	15	489	189	316	440	0.272
	Pitcher Totals	29.8	155	528	490	42	102	7	6	2	39	3	15	97	0.208

1906 New York Yankees team stats (pitching)

Pos	Name	Age	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER
SP	Al Orth	33	27	17	0.614	2.34	45	39	5	36	3	0	338.2	317	115	88
SP	Jack Chesbro	32	23	17	0.575	2.96	49	42	7	24	4	1	325	314	138	107
SP	Bill Hogg	24	14	13	0.519	2.93	28	25	3	15	3	0	206	171	77	67
SP	Doc Newton	28	7	5	0.583	3.17	21	15	5	6	2	0	125	118	53	44
RP	Walter Clarkson	27	9	4	0.692	2.32	32	16	10	9	3	0	151	135	59	39
RP	Clark Griffith	36	2	2	0.5	3.02	17	2	15	1	0	2	59.2	58	30	20
RP	Louis LeRoy	27	2	0	1	2.22	11	2	6	1	0	1	44.2	33	19	11
	Slow Joe Doyle	24	2	1	0.667	2.38	9	6	3	3	2	0	45.1	34	15	12
	Noodles Hahn	27	3	2	0.6	3.86	6	6	0	3	1	0	42	38	22	18
	Tom Hughes	22	1	0	1	4.2	3	1	1	1	0	0	15	11	8	7
	Cy Barger	21	0	0		10.13	2	1	1	0	0	1	5.1	7	8	6
	Team Totals	29.5	90	61	0.596	2.78	155	155	56	99	18	5	1357.2	1236	544	419
	Rank in 8 AL teams		2	7		5				8	4	2	4	5	5	5

1906 New York Yankees record vs. opponents/ Team splits

Opponent (Games)	Won	Lost	WP
Boston Americans (23)	17	5	0.773
Chicago White Sox (23)	10	12	0.455
Cleveland Naps (22)	11	10	0.524
Detroit Tigers (22)	11	11	0.500
Philadelphia Athletics (21)	13	8	0.619
St. Louis Browns (22)	13	8	0.619
Washington Senators (22)	15	7	0.682

1906 New York Yankees monthly record

Month (Games)	Won	Lost	WP
April (14)	5	8	0.385
May (23)	18	5	0.783
June (25)	14	11	0.560
July (27)	17	10	0.630
August (28)	13	14	0.481
September (33)	20	11	0.645
October (5)	3	2	0.600

How do you rate the 1903 New York Yankees?