As the two Windy City teams prepare to meet for Game 6, the Cubs trail three games to two following the American Leaguers' 8-6 victory in Game 5.

The Cubs have the top pitcher in the National League in Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown. He won 26 games and lost only six during the Northsiders' 116-36 season that saw them outdistance the second-place New York Giants by an astounding 20 games. Brown's 1.04 ERA led the senior circuit.

Brown started Games 1 and 4, facing Nick Altrock both times. The Sox southpaw won the opener 2-1, and Brown outdueled him 1-0 in Game 4.

With no travel days needed in the crosstown series, the teams are playing their sixth game in six days. Cubs player-manager Frank Chance is in a quandary regarding his starting pitcher for Game 6. Ed Reulbach went 19-4 during the season with a 1.65 ERA and threw a one-hitter in Game 2. But Ed lasted only two innings the day before in the Game 5 defeat, yielding three runs on five hits. That forced Chance to summon his other starter, Jack Pfiester (20-8 with 1.51 ERA), to replace Reulbach only to have the Hitless Wonders send him to the showers after yielding four runs in 1 1/3 innings.

That leaves fourth starter Carl Lundgren (17-6 with 2.21 ERA), who has yet to appear in the Series. He pitched only five times after July 30, but his last last start in the regular season was a two-hit shutout of the Phillies October 1. It is suggested that Chance may have scratched Lundgren from his Series rotation because the White Sox roughed him up in the annual City Series at the beginning of the season.

So with his team's back to the wall, Chance decides to pitch Brown on only one day's rest. The result is disastrous.

By 12:30, an hour and a half before first pitch, all tickets have been sold, and the gates are closed to the chagrin of hundreds of people hoping to get in. The overflow crowd of almost 20,000 encroaches on the field as far as police will permit. The rooftops beyond the outfield are packed with people.

The Cubs score a run off southpaw Doc White in the top of the first. But the White Sox jump on Brown in the bottom of the inning for three runs on two singles and two doubles.

After the Cubs fail to score in the top of the second, Brown starts the bottom of the inning with two groundouts. Then the roof falls in. Four singles and a walk plate two runs and send Mordecai to the showers. Orval Overall takes the mound with the bases loaded and gives up a single to score another run and a walk to force in the seventh run.

The Sox coast to an 8-3 victory for the World Series championship.

The day after the Series, the Chicago Daily News reporter writes, "Some criticism of Chance is heard for permitting Brown to remain in the box as long as he did yesterday, and also for not using Lundgren at any time in the series."

Giants manager John McGraw adds his two cents worth. "After Lundgren and (Jack) Taylor had helped the Cubs win the pennant, I believe Manager Chance should have used one or both of them in the world's series."