The following is a
franchise
Franchise may refer to:
Business and law
* Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees
* Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...
history of the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
, a charter member of the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
who started play in the
National Association in
1870 as the Chicago White Stockings. The Chicago National League Ball Club is the only franchise to play continuously in the same city since the formation of the National League in
1876
Events
January–March
* January 1
** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin.
** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol.
* February 2 – The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs i ...
. They are the earliest formed active
professional sports club in North America, predating the team now known as the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
by one year. In their early history, they were called in the press the White Stockings, Orphans, Infants, Remnants and Colts before officially becoming "Cubs" in 1907.
Chicago White Stockings/Chicago Colts
1870: The Chicago White Stockings Base Ball Club
![1870chicagoclub](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/1870chicagoclub.jpg)
The success and fame won by the
Brooklyn Atlantics
The Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn ("Atlantic" or the "Brooklyn Atlantics") was baseball's first champion and its first dynasty. The team was also the first baseball club to visit the White House in 1865 at the invitation of President And ...
, organized baseball's first true dynasty, and the
Cincinnati Red Stockings
The Cincinnati Red Stockings of were baseball's first all-professional team, with ten salaried players. The Cincinnati Base Ball Club formed in 1866 and fielded competitive teams in the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) 1867†...
(c. 1867–1870) baseball's first openly all-
professional team
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
, led to a minor explosion of other openly professional clubs by the late 1860s, each with the singular goal of defeating the Red Stockings, who had accumulated an unparalleled 89-game winning streak. It was common at the time for sportswriters to refer to teams by their uniform colors, and it happens that Chicago's club, which was officially known as The Chicago Base Ball Club, adopted white and were immediately tagged by reporters "White Stockings" (or occasionally "Whites"). On April 29, 1870, the Chicago White Stockings played their first game against the Union Club of St. Louis, and soundly defeated the Unions 7–1. The White Stockings divided their games between their downtown practice field,
Ogden Park Ogden Park, also known as Ogden Skating Park, was a recreational facility on the near north side of Chicago around the 1860s and 1870s. It was home to the Ogden Skating Club. It was on a piece of land east of where Ontario Street (at that time) T-ed ...
, and a larger facility set up at
Dexter Park where they hosted games expected to draw larger crowds.
After some individually arranged contests, using mostly the same roster, Chicago managed to put together a 10-man roster and joined the nation's top organized league, which was now allowing entry to professionals. This league, known as the
National Association of Base Ball Players
The National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) was the first organization governing American baseball. (The sport was spelled with two words in the 19th century.)
The first convention of sixteen New York City area clubs in 1857 effecti ...
, had been primarily dominated by the Atlantics and until very recently before the admitting of the Red Stockings and the White Stockings, had consisted of mostly baseball clubs from the New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. areas. Despite this East Coast dominance, Chicago won the NABBP championship that year, although the title was disputed by the opposing club, the
New York Mutuals
The Mutual Base Ball Club of New York was a leading American baseball club almost throughout its 20-year history. It was established during 1857, the year of the first baseball convention, just too late to be a founding member of the National Asso ...
.
1871–1875: William Hulbert and the National Association
The following season, the time was right for the formation of the very first all-professional league, and thus the
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP), often known simply as the National Association (NA), was the first fully- professional sports league in baseball. The NA was founded in 1871 and continued through the 1875 se ...
was born, and the White Stockings, financed by businessman
William Hulbert
William Ambrose Hulbert (October 23, 1832 – April 10, 1882) was one of the founders of the National League, recognized as baseball's first major league, and was also the president of the Chicago White Stockings franchise.
Biography
Born in Bu ...
, became charter members of the new league. After their experiment with a race track in 1870, the White Stockings returned to the downtown for 1871, a decision that would prove fateful.
The club arranged with the city to build a ballpark in the northeast corner of the public park then known as Lake Park, later named
Grant Park. The venue was dubbed the
Union Base-Ball Grounds
Union Base-Ball Grounds was a baseball park located in Chicago. The park was "very visibly downtown", its small block bounded on the west by Michigan Avenue, on the north by Randolph Street, and on the east by railroad tracks and the lake shore, ...
, and the club was a close contender for the pennant until late in the season. On Sunday, October 8, the
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
erupted on the near south side and swept northward through the downtown. The wooden ballpark was right in the firestorm's path, and the grounds and all the team's equipment and uniforms were consumed.
Despite that disaster, the White Stockings played their 1871 season to completion, on the road, in borrowed uniforms. They managed to finish second, just 2 games short of the title that was won by Philadelphia. Despite the strong finish, the club was compelled to drop out of the league during the city's recovery period until ultimately being revived in 1874, and moving into the newly built
23rd Street Grounds on the near south side.
Although the original Red Stockings had disbanded after 1870, many of the players became members of a new club wearing similar uniforms, but now based in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. Over the next four seasons, the
Boston Red Stockings dominated the National Association and hoarded the game's best stars, even those under contract with other teams. Hulbert, the White Stockings club president, was disgusted by the lack of enforceable contracts (the most famous of these "contract jumpers" or "revolvers" was
Davy Force
David W. "Davy" Force (July 27, 1849 – June 21, 1918) was a shortstop in Major League Baseball. From 1871 through 1886, he played in the National Association with the Washington Olympics (1871), Troy Haymakers (1872), Baltimore Canaries (18 ...
) as well as the monopoly of the Boston club and the league's inability to enforce a mandatory schedule. Gambling and alcohol were also seen as serious problems, with games too often being suspected of being "thrown". As a result, Hulbert spearheaded the formation of a new, stronger, more ethical organization. During the last years of the NA, Hulbert worked behind the scenes, to convince the owners of the
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
,
Hartford Dark Blues
The Hartfords (more commonly called the Hartford Dark Blues because of their uniform color) were a 19th-century baseball team. The team was based in Hartford, Connecticut.
History
In 1874, baseball in Hartford, CT was being played in a fever pit ...
,
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
, and a few others to join the White Stockings in his new league, which would be known as the
National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs. The National League's formation meant the end of the NA, as its remaining clubs shut down or reverted to amateur or minor status.
1876–1900: The National League
After the 1875 season ended, Hulbert was principal in the acquisition of several key players, including Boston pitcher
Albert Spalding
Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised ...
and first baseman
Adrian Anson of the
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
. The club continued to play its home games at 23rd Street.
With the pieces in place, the Chicago National League Ball Club quickly established themselves as one of the new National League's top teams. Spalding won 47 games that season, and
James "Deacon" White and
Ross Barnes
Charles Roscoe Barnes (May 8, 1850 – February 5, 1915) was one of the stars of baseball's National Association (1871–1875) and the early National League (1876–1881), playing second base and shortstop. He played for the dominant Boston R ...
, also brought in by Hulbert, were major contributors as well, as Barnes hit .429 that season and White, one of the last great bare-handed catchers, led the league in RBI. The White Stockings cruised through the National League's inaugural season of 1876, winning the league's first championship.
Near the end of the season, Mutual of New York and Athletic of Philadelphia, who were remnants of the NA, dropped out of contention and refused to play the remainder of their respective schedules. Hulbert flexed his executive muscle, expelling both franchises from the league.
Despite Hulbert's attempt to make Chicago the overpowering team that Boston had been during the NA years, the next season found Chicago finishing a disappointing 5th in the 6 team league, behind a resurgent Boston entry (another NA carryover) in the 60-game season. In 1878, the club arranged with the city to build a new
Lake Park ballpark in essentially the same place as the 1871 ballpark. Chicago improved over the next two seasons as the schedules grew to around 75 or more games.
In 1880 the White Stockings won 67 and lost 17, for an all-time NL record .798 winning percentage.
Cap Anson and a Chicago dynasty
Adrian Anson, the team's best player and perhaps the greatest ballplayer in the early era of professional baseball, became the club's captain, and was so much identified as the face of the club he became better known as
Cap Anson
Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain") and "Pop", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association (NA), he played a record 27 c ...
. After the 1876 pennant, which at the time was the game's top prize, Anson led the team to a great amount of success in the early seasons of the National League, winning pennants in 1880 and 1881 as well. The length of the season and long travel times between games at the time was such that most teams got by with two principal starters, and Chicago had two very good ones in
Larry Corcoran
Lawrence J. Corcoran (August 10, 1859 – October 14, 1891) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.
Corcoran debuted in the 1880 season, where he won 43 games and led the Chicago team to the National ...
and
Fred Goldsmith. Corcoran, who won 43 games in 1880, threw three no-hitters in the early part of the decade, a record that would stand until being broken by
Sandy Koufax
Sanford Koufax (; born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. He has been hailed as one of t ...
in 1965. Goldsmith is one of two pitchers credited with the invention of the
curveball
In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
. The two were baseball's first true "pitching rotation."
In 1882, Hulbert died suddenly, and Al Spalding, who had retired a few years earlier to start
Spalding sporting goods, assumed ownership of the club, with Anson acting as first baseman and manager. That season was also the first for the
American Association American Association may refer to:
Baseball
* American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891
* American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997
* American Association of Profe ...
, the self-proclaimed "beer and whiskey league", which began play as a second "major league." The AA offered alcohol and Sunday games, moves which forced the more traditional NL into changes that likely would not have been made had Hulbert lived. Chicago played an (unauthorized) two-game post-season series against the AA champions, the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. Each team won one of the two games.
The White Stockings slipped a bit in 1883, finishing four games behind Boston. For 1884, the club made a ground rules change at their home ballpark. Its dimensions, especially right field, were very cozy, perhaps less than 200 feet from home plate. Fly balls hit over the right field fence were previously ruled doubles, but in 1884 they were to be ruled as home runs. The batters began aiming for right field, and set some very dubious home run records that would last for decades until the modern "lively ball" era began. This change hurt more than it helped, as the club finished 22 games off the pace.
For 1885, the city reclaimed its lakefront land, and the club went looking for a new home. They found a lot available on the near west side and began building, finally opening "
West Side Park I" in June. The White Stockings, despite being vagabonds for their first two months, played strong and won the NL pennant by two games over the New York Giants. Meanwhile, the
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
easily won the first of what would prove to be four consecutive pennants as they dominated the AA.
Chicago appeared ready to return to the top in 1885. The "Chicago Stone Wall", the greatest infield of its day, was in place, anchored by Anson and
Ned Williamson
Edward Nagle "Ned" Williamson (October 24, 1857 – March 3, 1894) was a professional baseball infielder in Major League Baseball. He played for three teams: the Indianapolis Blues of the National League (NL) for one season, the Chicago White S ...
, who hit 27 home runs in 1884 (25 at home, 2 on the road), a record which would stand until being broken by
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
in 1919.
King Kelly
Michael Joseph "King" Kelly (December 31, 1857 – November 8, 1894), also commonly known as "$10,000 Kelly", was an American outfielder, catcher, and manager in various professional American baseball leagues including the National League, Inter ...
was the best catcher in the league and Corcoran was primary pitcher, but
John Clarkson
John Gibson Clarkson (July 1, 1861 – February 4, 1909) was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played from 1882 to 1894. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Clarkson played for the Worcester Ruby Legs (1882), Chicago White Stocking ...
, a product of an Anson scouting trip, would lead Chicago to yet another pennant. Much has been written about
Old Hoss Radbourn
Charles Gardner Radbourn (December 11, 1854 – February 5, 1897), nicknamed "Old Hoss", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for Buffalo Bisons (NL), Buffalo (1880), Provid ...
's record 60 victories for the
Providence Grays
The Providence Grays were a Major League Baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island who played in the National League from until . The Grays played at the Messer Street Grounds in the Olneyville neighborhood. The team won the National Leagu ...
of 1884, but Clarkson won an amazing 53 games in 1885, despite being second to Corcoran in the rotation. Anson considered the '85-'86 teams the best he managed.
During this period, Anson became the first ballplayer credited with achieving 3,000 hits. Anson's actual number of hits varies depending on the source. MLB itself recognizes Anson as having over 3,000 hits. His run producing prowess led the
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
to propose a new stat,
runs-batted-in. It would take years t
become official but research would reveal that Anson led the N.L. in RBI eight times, still the major league record. Anson's influence on the team is likely greater than that of any other single player's influence on any professional sports team, perhaps only rivaled by what Ruth would eventually become to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
three decades later. Anson's mark was so deep that by the mid-1890s sportswriters had dropped the White Stockings name in favor of the Chicago Colts, or more commonly, Anson's Colts.
Anson is also given the credit, or the blame, for setting the stage for the longest-lasting version of the "
color line" barring African-Americans from major league baseball. In an August 10, 1883, exhibition game against the then-independent Toledo Blue Stockings, who would before the next season join the American Association, Anson refused to field his team as long as Toledo's catcher
Moses Walker
Moses Fleetwood Walker (October 7, 1856 – May 11, 1924) was an American professional baseball catcher who, historically, was credited with being the first black man to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). A native of Mount Pleasant, Ohio, an ...
, who was black, was in the lineup; Anson claimed that Walker was ineligible to play, because the rules then in effect permitted only gentlemen to play, and Walker as a black person was incapable of satisfying the definition of a "gentlem
." The umpires disagreed and threatened both to grant the Blue Stockings a
victory by forfeit and to deprive Anson and his team of their share of the day's ticket sales unless Anson and his team took the field.
Anson relented and the game went on with Walker in the Toledo lineup, but in an 1884 game against Toledo, by now affiliated with the AA and playing as the Mudhens, Anson held his line and insisted that the arrangements for the game include a provision excluding black players from both teams' lineups. By the 1897 season, the leagues adopted an agreement that neither they nor their minor-league affiliates would admit black players,
establishing a racial barrier in professional baseball for the next half-century.
A post-season "World's Championship Series" had been held in 1884 between the champions of the League (Providence) and the Association (Metropolitan), and the White Stockings and the Browns arranged to continue that new tradition in 1885. This was the first meeting between Chicago and the St. Louis franchise that would eventually join the NL and become known as the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
. The two clubs remain
perennial rivals.
The 1885 Series ended in dispute and with no clear resolution. Both clubs faced each other again in 1886, and this time around there was no question about the outcome, with the Browns winning the Series four games to two. This marked the only AA win in the 19th Century World Series contests.
Things changed with time for the White Stockings / Colts. Following Chicago's great run during the 1880s, the on-field fortunes of Anson's Colts dwindled during the mid-1890s, despite the emergence of
Bill Lange
William Alexander Lange (; June 6, 1871 – July 23, 1950), also known as "Little Eva",Robbins, p. 194 was an American Major League Baseball center fielder, who played his entire seven-year career for the Chicago Colts and Orphans from t ...
, who set the club record for steals with 84 in 1897, and was one of the league's best hitters for seven seasons. The club would have to await revival under new leadership, however, for in 1898, Spalding opted not to renew Anson's contract, and a year later Lange retired to become a professional scout.
Transition
Baseball's popularity in general faded somewhat during the 1890s. In an apparent effort to boost attendance, in 1891 the Colts began splitting their schedule between West Side Park and the recently built
South Side Park
South Side Park was the name used for three different baseball parks that formerly stood in Chicago, Illinois, at different times, and whose sites were all just a few blocks away from each other.
South Side Park I (1884)
The first South Side ...
. In 1892 they played their entire schedule on the south side, but decided to move more toward the city center again. Early in the 1893 season they opened "
West Side Park II", a wooden structure that would be their home for the next 23 seasons.
Anson's departure led to the team's nickname transitioning through the next few seasons. With the loss of their "Pop" as Anson had become known, at times the media referred to the club as the Remnants or the Orphans. The "Colts" name remained in circulation through the 1905 season, along with Orphans and Remnants, depending on which newspaper or fan one spoke to. The name "Cubs" first appeared in print in 1902 and gained popularity over the next four years, before becoming the sole nickname in 1906 and acknowledged by the team itself in its 1907 World Series programs; the Cub-in-the-C logo first appeared on uniforms in 1908 and the name "Cubs" the following year.
The old name, Chicago White Stockings, was adopted in 1900 by the new
American Base Ball League entry on Chicago's south side, initially as a minor league entry. The AL turned major in 1901, and the south siders' adopted nickname was soon shortened by the press to
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
.
Early MLB years (dead-ball era)
1901–1913: A new Cubs Dynasty
After the formation of the American League, Al Spalding gave up ownership of the club to concentrate on touring the country to promote his sporting goods company, selling the team to John Hart in 1902. Oddly, the team Spalding put together before he left was one of his grandest accomplishments.
Joe Tinker
Joseph Bert Tinker (July 27, 1880 – July 27, 1948) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played from 1902 through 1916 for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Chicago Whales of the ...
(
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
),
Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers (July 21, 1881 – March 28, 1947) was an American professional baseball second baseman and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1902 through 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, and Philadelphia Philli ...
(
second baseman), and
Frank Chance
Frank Leroy Chance (September 9, 1877 – September 15, 1924) was an American professional baseball player. A first baseman, Chance played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs (initially named the "Orphans") and New York Yankees from 18 ...
(
first baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
) were three Hall-of-Fame Cubs
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
s who played together from 1903 to 1912. They, along with third baseman
Harry Steinfeldt
Harry M. Steinfeldt (September 29, 1875 – August 17, 1914) was an American professional baseball player. A third baseman, Steinfeldt played in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Rustlers. He batted and thr ...
and
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
Johnny Kling
Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females.
Varian ...
, formed the infield on what would become one of the most dominant baseball teams of all time.
By 1905 the Cubs were owned by Charles Murphy, who purchased the franchise for $125,000. Chance took over as manager for the ailing
Frank Selee
Frank Gibson Selee (October 26, 1859 – July 5, 1909) was an American Major League Baseball manager in the National League (NL). In his 16-year Major League career, he managed the Boston Beaneaters (1890–1901) and Chicago Orphans / Cubs (1902 ...
in that year, and the Cubs responded by winning four pennants and two World Series titles over a five-year span. Their record of 116 victories (in a 154-game season) in 1906 has not been broken, though it was tied by the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
in 2001 in a 162-game season. The 1906 Cubs still hold the record for
best winning percentage of the modern era, with a .763 mark. However, they lost the
1906 World Series to their crosstown rival White Sox.
The Cubs again relied on dominant pitching during this period, featuring hurlers such as
Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown,
Jack Taylor,
Ed Reulbach
Edward Marvin "Big Ed" Reulbach (December 1, 1882 – July 17, 1961) was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs during their glory years of the early 1900s.
Career
Reulbach played college baseball at the University of Notre Dame ...
,
Jack Pfiester
John Albert Pfiester (May 24, 1878 – September 3, 1953) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs from 1903 to 1911 and helped the Cubs win two World Series ...
and
Orval Overall. The Cubs' pitchers posted a record for lowest staff
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
that still stands today. Reulbach threw a one-hitter in the 1906 World Series, one of a small handful of twirlers to pitch low-hit games in the post-season. Brown acquired his unique and indelicate nickname from having lost most of his index finger in farm machinery when he was a youngster. This gave him the ability to put a natural extra spin on his pitches, which often frustrated opposing batters.
In 1907, the Cubs won 107 games, dominating the National League once again. That year they met
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...
and the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
in the World Series, beating them soundly, 4–1, for the franchise's first World Series championship. At the time a tie was replayed the next day from the beginning but counted in the series score, so officially the series was not a sweep.
On September 23, 1908, the Cubs and
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, involved in a tight pennant race, were tied in the bottom of the ninth inning at the
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...
. The Giants had runners of first and third and two outs when
Al Bridwell
Albert Henry Bridwell (January 4, 1884 – January 23, 1969) was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for several MLB teams, most notably the New York Giants from 1908 to 1911, when the team was managed by John McGraw. ...
hit a single to center field, scoring
Moose McCormick
Harry Elwood "Moose" McCormick (February 28, 1881 – July 9, 1962) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball between 1904 and 1913 for the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pira ...
from third with the Giants’ apparent winning run, but the runner on first base, rookie
Fred Merkle
Carl Frederick Rudolf Merkle (also sometimes documented as Frederick Charles Merkle; December 20, 1888 – March 2, 1956), nicknamed "Bonehead", was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1907 to 1926. Although he had a lengthy c ...
, went half way to second and then sprinted to the clubhouse after McCormick touched home plate. As fans swarmed the field, Evers retrieved the ball and touched second. A forceout was called at second base and, since there were two outs, this ending the inning, negating McCormick's score from third. As the crowd was swarming the field and the players had decamped to their respective clubhouses, the umpires were unable to resume play and the game was declared a tie. The game went down in history as "
Merkle's Boner
Merkle's Boner refers to the notorious base-running mistake committed by rookie Fred Merkle of the New York Giants in a game against the Chicago Cubs on September 23, 1908. Merkle's failure to advance to second base on what should have been a ga ...
". Because of the tie, the Giants and Cubs ended up tied for first place. The Giants lost the league's first one-game playoff, and the Cubs went on to the World Series, where they defeated the Tigers once again, this time four games to one, for their second consecutive World Series championship. It would be their last World Series victory for 108 years.
Tinker to Evers to Chance
Some experts believe the Cubs could have been in the Series for five straight seasons had Johnny Kling not sat out the entire 1909 season. Kling temporarily retired to play professional
pocket billiards
Pool is a classification of cue sports played on a table with six pockets along the , into which balls are deposited. "Pool billiards" is sometimes hyphenated and/or spelled with a singular "billiard". The WPA itself uses "pool-billiard" in it ...
, but his primary reason for not playing was most likely a contract dispute. His absence obviously hurt the stability of the pitching staff, as when he returned in 1910 the Cubs won the pennant again, although the veteran club was unable to defeat the young Philadelphia Athletics in the Fall Classic.
During that 1910 season, the club's star infielders, Tinkers, Evers, and Chance, gained even more national acclaim after turning a critical
double play
In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs.
In Major Leag ...
against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in a July game. The trio was immortalized in
Franklin P. Adams' poem ''
Baseball's Sad Lexicon
"Baseball's Sad Lexicon," also known as "Tinker to Evers to Chance" after its refrain, is a 1910 baseball poem by Franklin Pierce Adams. The eight-line poem is presented as a single, rueful stanza from the point of view of a New York Giants fa ...
'', which first appeared in the July 18, 1910, edition of the ''
New York Evening Mail
The ''New York Evening Mail'' (1867–1924) was an American daily newspaper published in New York City. For a time the paper was the only evening newspaper to have a franchise in the Associated Press.
History Names
The paper was founded as the ' ...
'':
![Chicago Cubs team picture, 1906](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Chicago_Cubs_team_picture%2C_1906.jpg)
:These are the saddest of possible words:
:"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
:Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
:Tinker and Evers and Chance.
:Ruthlessly pricking our
gonfalon
The gonfalon, gonfanon, gonfalone (from the early Italian language, Italian ''confalone'') is a type of heraldic flag or banner, often pointed, swallow-tailed, or with several streamers, and suspended from a crossbar in an identical manner to t ...
bubble,
:Making a Giant hit into a double--
:Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
:"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
"Gonfalon" is a poetic way of referring to the
pennant that both clubs battled for. The expression "Tinker to Evers to Chance" is still used today and means "well-oiled routine" or a "sure thing."
Tinker and Evers reportedly could not stand each other and rarely spoke off the field. Evers, a high-strung, argumentative man, suffered a nervous breakdown in 1911 and rarely played that year. Chance suffered a near-fatal beaning the same year. The trio played together little after that. In 1913, Chance went to manage the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
and Tinker went to Cincinnati to manage the
Reds
Reds may refer to:
General
* Red (political adjective), supporters of Communism or socialism
* Reds (January Uprising), a faction of the Polish insurrectionists during the January Uprising in 1863
* USSR (or, to a lesser extent, China) during th ...
, and that was the end of one of the most notable infields in baseball. They were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame together in 1946. Tinker and Evers reportedly became amicable in their old age, with the baseball wars far behind them.
1914–1924: Lasker, Weeghman, and the double-Bills
The Cubs fell into a lengthy doldrum after the departure of their stars. In 1916, advertising executive
Albert Lasker
Albert Davis Lasker (May 1, 1880 – May 30, 1952) was an American businessman who played a major role in shaping modern advertising. He was raised in Galveston, Texas, where his father was the president of several banks. Moving to Chicago, he be ...
and his partner
Charles Phelps Taft
Charles Phelps Taft (December 21, 1843 – December 31, 1929) was an American lawyer and politician who served as editor of the ''Cincinnati Times-Star'' and owned both the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs baseball teams. From 1895 to 1897 ...
obtained a large block of shares and soon acquired majority ownership of the Cubs. In 1916 Taft was bought out by
Charlie Weeghman, who had owned the
Chicago Whales
The Chicago Whales were a professional baseball team based in Chicago. They played in the Federal League, a short-lived "third Major League", in 1914 and 1915. They originally lacked a formal nickname, and were known simply as the "Chicago Fed ...
of the short-lived
Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that played its first season as a minor league in 1913 and operated as a "third major league", in competition with the e ...
, and was proprietor of a popular chain of lunch counters.
Weeghman and Lasker moved the Cubs to the Whales' old home,
Weeghman Park
Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...
, in 1916. The club was soon playing competitively again, and won the NL
pennant in the war-shortened season of 1918, where they played a part in another team's curse,
Curse of the Bambino
The Curse of the Bambino was a superstitious sports curse in Major League Baseball (MLB) derived from the 86-year championship drought of the Boston Red Sox between and . The superstition was named after Babe Ruth, colloquially known as " Th ...
. In the
1918 World Series
The 1918 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1918 season. The 15th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Boston Red Sox against the National League champion Chicago Cubs. The ...
, the North Siders, led by pitcher
Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 – November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1911 through 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. He ...
, posted the majors' best record at 84–45 that year, and faced the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
.
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
won two games in the series, including a 1–0 complete-game
shutout
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
in the opener to start off what would be a six-game Boston triumph. At the time considered a star pitcher who "''just happened''" to hit 29 home runs, Ruth was sold to the Yankees a year later, starting the Red Sox' own tale of futility which lasted for 86 years. The 1918 Series was poorly attended and there were rumblings that it was "fixed", but with America's energy focused on World War I, nothing came of these suspicions.
Following the 1919
Black Sox Scandal
The Black Sox Scandal was a Major League Baseball game-fixing scandal in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money from a gambling syndicate l ...
, which led to yet another "curse" on the south side of Chicago, baseball in the city fell into very dark times and Lasker worked to create a new governing authority for Major League Baseball that led to Judge
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis (; November 20, 1866 – November 25, 1944) was an American jurist who served as a United States federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death. He is remembered for his ...
becoming the first
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as "organized baseball". Under the direction of the Commiss ...
. By then, Weeghman was out of the picture. His lunch counter business fell on hard times after the war, and he was forced to sell more and more stock to Lasker's friend, chewing gum magnate
William Wrigley Jr.
William Mills Wrigley Jr. (September 30, 1861 – January 26, 1932) was an American chewing gum industrialist. He was founder of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 1891.
Biography
William Mills Wrigley Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Penns ...
By 1918, Weeghman had sold his remaining stock to Wrigley. In 1921, Wrigley bought Lasker's controlling stake as well.
1925–1946: Early Wrigley years
Every three years
After buying the rest of Lasker's shares, Wrigley changed the name of the team's home ballpark to Wrigley Field in 1925 in order to generate more exposure for his brand of chewing gum. This is one of the earliest examples of corporate sponsorship. Wrigley also acquired the services of astute baseball man
William Veeck, Sr. William Louis Veeck Sr. (January 20, 1876 – October 5, 1933) was an American sportswriter and baseball executive. He was president of the Chicago Cubs from 1919 to his death in October, 1933. Under Veeck's leadership, the Cubs won two pennants, i ...
, appointing him as club president. Veeck had been a sportswriter, and had criticized Cubs management. In an unusual move, Wrigley challenged Veeck to see if he could do better. It proved to be a good move.
With Wrigley's money and Veeck's savvy, the Cubs were soon back in business in the National League, the front office having built a team that would be strong contenders for the next decade.
Hack Wilson
Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson (April 26, 1900 – November 23, 1948) was an American Major League Baseball player who played 12 seasons for the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. Despite his diminutive statur ...
,
Gabby Hartnett
Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett (December 20, 1900 – December 20, 1972), nicknamed "Old Tomato Face", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Chic ...
,
Billy Herman
William Jennings Bryan Herman (July 7, 1909 – September 5, 1992) was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 1930s and 1940s. Known for his stellar defense and consistent batting, Herman still holds many ...
,
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 1933 ...
, and many other stars donned Cub uniforms during that stretch, and they achieved the unusual accomplishment of winning a pennant every three years – 1929, 1932, 1935 and 1938. Unfortunately, their success did not extend to the post-season, as they fell to their
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
rivals each time, often in humiliating fashion. One example was in game 4 of the
1929 World Series when the Cubs, leading 8–0 at the time, yielded 10 runs to the
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
in the seventh inning. A key play in that inning was center fielder Hack Wilson losing a fly ball in the sun, resulting in a 3-run inside-the-park homer.
In the
1932 World Series, Babe Ruth again torched the North Siders, though this time with his bat, when he led New York in a series in which he hit his famous "
called shot" home run in Chicago during Game 3. The Yankees then went on to a four-game sweep of the Northsiders. There were some historic moments for the Cubs as well, as they won the 1935 pennant in thrilling fashion. Billy Herman hit a career best .341 and led the Cubs to 21 straight wins in September, which propelled the club to the
1935 World Series where they fell to
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...
's
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
in a hard-fought, 6-game series.
The 1938 season saw
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean (January 16, 1910 – July 17, 1974), also known as Jerome Herman Dean (both the 1910 and 1920 Censuses show his name as "Jay"), was an American professional baseball pitcher. During his Major League Baseball (MLB) career ...
lead the team's pitching staff and provided an historic moment when they won a crucial, late-season game with a "walk-off" home run by player-manager Gabby Hartnett, which became known in baseball
folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
as "
The Homer in the Gloamin'." However, Chicago fell to the Yankees again in the
1938 World Series. By this time, the 'double-Bills' had both died, and the front office, now under
P.K. Wrigley
Philip Knight Wrigley (December 5, 1894 – April 12, 1977), often called P. K. Wrigley, was an American chewing gum manufacturer and a Major League Baseball executive, inheriting both of those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant fa ...
, was unable to rekindle the success his father had created, and so the team would slip into its first period of mediocrity.
The Curse
The Cubs enjoyed one more pennant, at the close of another World War, led by outfielder
Andy Pafko
Andrew Pafko (February 25, 1921 – October 8, 2013) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs (1943–51), Brooklyn Dodgers (1951–52), and Milwaukee Braves (1953–59). He bat ...
and infielder
Phil Cavarretta
Philip Joseph Cavarretta (July 19, 1916 – December 18, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and manager. He was known to friends and family as "Phil" and was also called "Philibuck", a nickname bestowed by ...
. Due to the wartime travel restrictions, the first three games were played in Detroit, where the Cubs won two of them, and the last four were to be played at Wrigley. The Cubs won Game 1 9-0 and
Claude Passeau
Claude William Passeau (April 9, 1909 – August 30, 2003) was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1935 through 1947, Passeau played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1935), Philadelphia Phillies (1936–39) and Chicago Cu ...
tossed a one hitter in Game 3 to give the Northsiders a 2–1 advantage as the series shifted to Wrigley Field.
In Game 4, the
Curse of the Billy Goat
The Curse of the Billy Goat was a sports curse that was supposedly placed on the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in 1945, by Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis. The curse lasted 71 years, from 1945 to 2016. During game 4 of ...
was laid upon the Cubs when
Philip K. Wrigley ejected Billy Sianis, who had come to the game with two box seat tickets, one for him and one for his goat. They paraded around for a few innings, but ultimately Wrigley demanded the goat leave the park due to complaints about its
unpleasant odor
An odor (American English) or odour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds that are generally found in low concentrations that humans and animals can perceive via their sense ...
. Upon his ejection, an angry Sianis uttered, ''"the Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more."'', and his family said he then sent a telegram to the Cubs owner saying that they would never win another Pennant or World Series.
The Cubs lost game 4, and despite a heroic series by Cavarretta, lost the
1945 World Series in seven games. Although the Cubs occasionally appeared in post-season series since divisional play began in 1969, they did not appear in or win a World Series again until 2016.
The
1945 season actually followed five consecutive losing seasons, as if a curse had already started. From
1940 to
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
, over 53 seasons, the Cubs posted only 11 winning seasons, and six of them were consecutive from
1967 to
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
, during which the career of "Mr. Cub",
Ernie Banks
Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...
, ended.
Late Wrigley years (1947–1981)
1947–1981: The dark ages
After the
Curse of the Billy Goat
The Curse of the Billy Goat was a sports curse that was supposedly placed on the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in 1945, by Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis. The curse lasted 71 years, from 1945 to 2016. During game 4 of ...
, a few years into the post-World War II era, astute observers of the game began to suspect that something had gone wrong with the Cubs franchise, and that it might take them a long time to recover. In his 1950 book ''The World Series and Highlights of Baseball'', LaMont Buchanan wrote the following prose next to photos of Wrigley (apparently taken during the
1945 World Series) and of their newly hired manager:
''"From the sublime to last place!''
''Wrigley Field, the ivy of its walls still whispering of past greatness, ''
''Watches its Cubs grow less ferocious in '47, '48, '49. ''
''New doctor of the cure is smiling Frank Frisch, ''
''Veteran of previous baseball transfusions who thinks, ''
''It's nice to have the fans with you.' ''
''Chicago has a great baseball tradition. ''
''The fans remember glorious yesterdays as they wait for brighter tomorrows. ''
''And eventually their Cubs will bite again!"''
Little did anyone realize how long "eventually" would turn out to be. After losing the 1945 World Series, the Cubs finished 82–71, good for third place in 1946, but did not enter post-season play. The following year, however, the Cubs slumped to 69-85 and sixth place.
The Cubs would spend most of the next two decades buried deep in the bottom half of the National League. From 1947 to 1966, the Cubs only managed a .500 record twice. Many of those teams lost over 90 games, and in 1962 and 1966 they lost over 100. All this futility came despite the excellent play of shortstop
Ernie Banks
Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...
, who became known as ''"Mr. Cub"''. Finding help for Banks, however, turned out to be the team's downfall. Players such as
Hank Sauer
Henry John Sauer (March 17, 1917 – August 24, 2001) was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He appeared in 1,399 games, primarily as a left fielder, in Major League Baseball ( MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds (1941–1942, 194 ...
and
Ralph Kiner
Ralph McPherran Kiner (October 27, 1922 – February 6, 2014) was an American Major League Baseball player and broadcaster. An outfielder, Kiner played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and Cleveland Indians from 1946 through 1955. Follow ...
found only temporary homes in Chicago during the early 1950s, and
Phil Cavarretta
Philip Joseph Cavarretta (July 19, 1916 – December 18, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and manager. He was known to friends and family as "Phil" and was also called "Philibuck", a nickname bestowed by ...
's numbers tailed off late in his career. Incidentally, Cavarretta, who played 20 seasons for the Cubs and had been player/manager, was fired during spring training of 1954 after admitting the team was unlikely to finish above 5th place (they finished 7th).
One of Wrigley's attempts to right the ship actually set the team further back. In December 1960, he announced the Cubs would no longer have a manager. Instead, an eight-member "
College of Coaches
The College of Coaches was an unorthodox baseball organizational practice employed by the National League's Chicago Cubs in and . After the Cubs finished 60–94 in , their 14th straight NL second-division finish, Cubs owner P. K. Wrigley anno ...
" would run the club. The eight men would rotate all the way through the Cubs organization, so that every player from Class D (equivalent to today's Rookie Leagues) on up would learn a standard system of play. Each coach would serve as "head coach" of the Cubs during his tenure there.
This approach could be considered visionary in that it anticipated the coaching specialization that has evolved in the modern game. However, this experiment proved to be poorly executed. There was no real pattern to the rotation, and each coach brought a different playing style. Some talent finally returned to the North Side during this era, in the form of third baseman
Ron Santo and outfielder
Billy Williams (the 1961 National League
Rookie of the Year). However, without consistent leadership in the dugout, the Cubs remained buried in the second division. They only had one winning record during the four-year experiment, never finished higher than 7th, and got no closer than 17 games out of first. This stretch also saw some of the worst teams in Cubs history; the 1962 season, for instance, saw the team lose 103 games – the most in franchise history. There was also a racial factor in the rotation, as
Buck O'Neil
John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Jr. (November 13, 1911 – October 6, 2006) was a first baseman and manager in the Negro American League, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing days, he worked as a scout and became the first Afric ...
was one of the coaches but was never promoted to the "head coach" position. Wrigley finally relented and named one person as sole "head coach" in 1963, but did not completely scrap the experiment until
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher (French spelling Léo Ernest Durocher) (; July 27, 1905 – October 7, 1991), nicknamed "Leo the Lip" and "Lippy", was an American professional baseball player, manager (baseball), manager and coach (baseball), coach. He playe ...
took over in 1966 and emphatically declared himself manager, with Wrigley's support.
In the mid-1960s, the Cubs began showing signs of life, sparked by Banks, Williams, and Santo and the emergence of ace pitcher
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins CM (born December 13, 1942) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 to 1983 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and ...
. In 1967 and 1968 the club put together its first back-to-back winning seasons since 1945–1946, making fans hopeful for a spectacular 1969 season.
Fall of 1969
In 1969, the Cubs started out 11–1, building a substantial lead in the newly created
National League East
The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title.
The division was created when the National Leag ...
. Chicago surged through the All-Star break, led by the quartet of eventual Hall of Famers in Banks, Jenkins, Santo, and Williams. Jenkins ultimately won 21 games,
Bill Hands
William Alfred Hands, Jr. (May 6, 1940 – March 9, 2017) was an American professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from 1965 to 1975. His best season came in 1969 with the Chicago Cubs, when he won 20 games.
Early life
A ...
was also a 20-game winner, and
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman (born November 3, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Chicago Cubs for whom he pitche ...
won 17, which included a no-hitter on August 19. Chicago led the division by games over St. Louis and by games over the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
in late August, but the Cubs wilted under pressure, losing key games to the Mets, and finished at 92–70, eight games out of first. Many superstitious fans attribute this collapse to an incident at
Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.[black cat
A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...](_blank)
onto the field, thereby further cursing the club. Others have stated the sheer number of day games that the Cubs had to play contributed to the disaster. Chicago, being near
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
, boasts summers which are quite humid ( on average), and playing in this heat day after day might have taken its toll. From August 14 through the end of the season, the Mets, who played mostly night games, had an amazing 38–11 record, finishing with 100 wins while the second place Cubs slumped in September, going only 8–17.
1970–1981 – Bad teams & the June Swoon
![Wrigley Field - Cubs vs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Wrigley_Field_-_Cubs_vs._Reds_1970.jpg)
In the decade of the 1970s and through the 1983 season, the Cubs tasted few substantial successes. Following the disastrous 1969 campaign, the Cubs fell into mediocrity, finishing slightly over .500 in 1970, 1971 and 1972, while they still had most of the core players from the 1969 team in uniform, including the "Old Guard" of Santo and Williams on the field and Jenkins, Holtzman, and
Milt Pappas
Milton Steven Pappas (May 11, 1939 – April 19, 2016) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through . Nicknamed "Gimpy", the 17-year veteran pitched for the Baltimore Ori ...
, who tossed a no-hitter in 1972, on the mound. (No Cub would again pitch a no-hitter until Carlos Zambrano on September 15, 2008.) After 1973, however, the bulk of those core players either retired or were traded, and the Cubs sank to the bottom of the National League East pecking order. Between 1973 and 1983 they were a combined 165 games under .500. It was during this entire decade of poor baseball that the term ''"Loveable Losers"'' became a catch phrase, since the fans were still coming out to see the team despite the dreadful quality of the on-field product.
Phil Wrigley died in 1977, leaving the team to his son,
William Wrigley III
William A. Wrigley III (January 21, 1933 – March 8, 1999), known as William Wrigley, was president of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, founded by his grandfather William Wrigley Jr., from 1961 until his death from pneumonia in March 1999. His ...
. This year saw the Cubs' best finish in the 1970s, but even this was a testament to the team's futility during the "Dark Ages", as all star
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Ray Murcer (May 20, 1946 – July 12, 2008) was an American professional baseball outfielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1965 and 1983. He played the majority of his career for the New York Yankees, whom he later ...
led the baby blue pinstriped
'77 club into first place at 47–22 by June 28, and the team enjoyed an 8½ game lead in the N.L. East. After entering the all star break at 54–35, still an impressive 19 games above .500, the team started to crack as the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
picked up steam, cutting the Cubs division lead to only two games. As the summer progressed the Cubs spiraled out of contention, playing poorly in August and ending the season with a streak in which they lost 17 of 22 games, ultimately finishing at 81–81, a staggering 22 games behind Philadelphia.
Amazingly, the club then had similar, though not as exaggerated, falls in the two subsequent campaigns, despite the acquisition of slugger
Dave Kingman
David Arthur Kingman (born December 21, 1948), nicknamed "Kong," "King Kong," and "Sky King", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter who was a three-time MLB All-Star with 442 career hom ...
. The Cubs were as many as 11 games over .500 in '78 and peaked at 13 over in '79, but still finished with losing records both seasons. This trait of contending well into the beginning of the summer and then falling in the standings became known as ''"The June Swoon."'' Along with Kingman, Cub rosters in this period featured such players as
Rick Reuschel
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
, who won 20 games in the infamous '77 season, as well as
Bill Madlock
Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. (born January 12, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1973 to 1987. Madlock is notable for being a four-time National League b ...
,
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner (December 14, 1949 – May 27, 2019) was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams from through , most notably the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red ...
,
Keith Moreland
Bobby Keith Moreland (born May 2, 1954), nicknamed "Zonk", is a former outfielder, catcher and infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres. In 1989, the final year of his career, ...
,
José Cardenal
José Rosario Domec Cardenal (born October 7, 1943) is a Cuban American former professional baseball outfielder, who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants (1963–64), Los Angeles/California Angels (1965–67), Clevelan ...
, and
Iván DeJesús
Iván Alvarez DeJesús (born January 9, 1953), is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball shortstop and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, N ...
.
1981-2008: Tribune Company era
1984 and 1989 NL East Champs
William Wrigley's mother died within a few months of Phil Wrigley, saddling William with a massive estate tax bill. With most of his money tied up in either the Wrigley Company or the Cubs, William was forced to put the Cubs up for sale. In 1981, the
Tribune Company
Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Through Tribune Broadcasting, Tribune Media was one of the largest television broadcasting companies, owning 39 ...
purchased the Cubs from the Wrigley family for $20.5 million—a handsome return on William Wrigley Jr.'s purchase of a stake in the team 65 years earlier—in the middle of another losing season. In 1982, DeJesus, one of the team's better players, was traded to the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
for shortstop
Larry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa (born December 6, 1945) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets. Bowa went on to ma ...
and infielder
Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Dee Sandberg (born September 18, 1959), nicknamed "Ryno", is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies (19 ...
.
On Opening day of 1981 onl
10,672entered the gates. By 1983, thanks to the exposure of the Chicago Tribune and WGN, Rick Reuschel pitched in front of a crowd of 18,268, yet this was all about to change dramatically. In mid-1983, manager
Lee Elia
Lee Constantine Elia (born July 16, 1937) is an American former professional baseball infielder, who played only sparingly in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox () and Chicago Cubs (). Following his playing career, he managed t ...
was fired after a profanity-laced tirade against Cub fans and was replaced by
Charlie Fox
Charles Francis Fox (October 7, 1921 – February 16, 2004) was an American manager, general manager, scout, coach—and, briefly, a catcher—in Major League Baseball. As manager of the National League West Division champion San Francisco Giant ...
on an interim basis. In the offseason, the Cubs rebuilt the starting pitching staff through a series of trades by GM
Dallas Green, who started by dealing for
Bobby Dernier
Robert Eugene Dernier (born January 5, 1957), also known as "Bobby", is an American former professional baseball center fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, in the 1980s. The fleet-a ...
and
Gary ''"The Sarge"'' Matthews and inking pitcher
Scott Sanderson to complement what was already a good team, boasting players such as third baseman
Ron Cey
Ronald Charles Cey (; born February 15, 1948), nicknamed "Penguin", is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from through , most notably as an integral member of the Los Angeles Do ...
and catcher
Jody Davis. Green also hired
Jim Frey
James Gottfried Frey (May 26, 1931 – April 12, 2020) was an American professional baseball manager, coach, general manager, and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) outfielder. In , Frey led the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB) to ...
as their new manager.
1984 NL East Champs
The Cubs opened up the 1984 season going 12–8 in April, tied for first place. The race stayed tight through the first half of the season, and Green continued to deal for arms.
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner (December 14, 1949 – May 27, 2019) was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams from through , most notably the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red ...
was sent to the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
for
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American professional baseball pitcher and former color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...
and
Mike Brumley, and on June 13,
Mel Hall and
Joe Carter
Joseph Chris Carter (born March 7, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, ...
were sent to the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
for starter
Rick Sutcliffe
Richard Lee Sutcliffe (born June 21, 1956), nicknamed "The Red Baron", is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinals between 1976 and ...
. With the rotation set, the northsiders found themselves 42–34 at the end of June, tied with the Phillies and 1.5 games ahead of the Mets. In a game versus St. Louis, Ryne Sandberg captured the attention of the nation with two game-tying home runs off former Cub
Bruce Sutter, and eventually was named NL MVP. The second half of the '84 season was all Cubbies, as the northsiders posted a 54–31 record, and the city of Chicago was in pandemonium.
The end result was a league-best 96 victories and the NL East Championship, as the team clinched the division in Pittsburgh. In what was the team's first post-season appearance since the '45 pennant, Chicago met the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
. The Cubs' 96 wins earned them home field advantage for the series. However, Wrigley Field did not yet have lights.
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
television, which broadcast the League Championship Series, pressured the National League to award San Diego a third home game to allow for an additional prime-time broadcast. In the first game of the NLCS the Cubs won 13–0 behind two Gary Matthews home runs, and then took a 2–0 series lead with a 4–2 win in Game 2. With the City of Chicago in an uproar, the series headed west for the final three games, where the Cubs needed only one win to make it to the World Series. After being soundly beaten in Game 3, they lost Game 4 when All-Star closer
Lee Smith Lee Smith is the name of:
Arts, entertainment and media
*Lee Smith (fiction author) (born 1944), American author of fiction
* Lee Smith (film editor) (born 1960), Australian film editor
* Lee Smith (musician) (born 1983), American drummer
* Lee Sm ...
allowed a
walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not ...
to
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey (born December 22, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987.
Garvey was the National ...
. Many fans remember Garvey rounding first after his game-winning shot, pumping his fist into the air, as one of the lowest moments in Cubdom. Game 5 was just as bad; the Cubs took a 3–0 lead to the 6th inning with Sutcliffe, the 1984 NL Cy Young Award winner, on the mound, but a critical error by first baseman
Leon Durham
Leon "Bull" Durham (born July 31, 1957) is an American former first baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 10 seasons. Durham was a longtime minor league hitting coach, and most recently served as the assistant hitting coac ...
helped the Padres win the clinching game. The current era of Wrigley Field being a "hip" place to be has its roots in the success of the '84 club.
Most publications picked the Cubs to repeat as Division Champs in 1985, especially after adding
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American professional baseball pitcher and former color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...
to the rotation. The Cubs responded by starting out 35–19 by June 11, but swooned again, losing 13 in a row as the club's four top pitchers all hit the disabled list, and the Cardinals took the division crown as the North Siders ended up a disappointing 77–84.
Shawon Dunston
Shawon Donnell Dunston (born March 21, 1963) is an American retired professional baseball player. A shortstop, Dunston played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1985 through 2002.
Dunston was the first overall pick in the 1982 MLB draft by the ...
, the #1 overall pick in the '82 draft came up from the minors for good near the end of the season.
During the '86 season, Jim Frey was replaced at skipper with former Yankee
Gene Michael
Eugene Richard Michael (June 2, 1938 – September 7, 2017), known as Stick, was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout, manager and team executive. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1966 to 1975, most promine ...
, but the team went through two more years of poor baseball. Outfielder
Andre Dawson
Andre Nolan Dawson (born July 10, 1954), nicknamed "The Hawk" and "Awesome Dawson", is an American former professional baseball player and inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 21-year baseball career, he played for four different te ...
was signed as a free agent prior to the 1987 season. Dallas Green was initially reluctant to sign Dawson, as they planned to start
Brian Dayett
Brian Kelly Dayett (born January 22, 1957) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder who played five seasons between and for the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs. He also spent some time in Japan, playing for the Nippon-Ham Fighte ...
in right, but Dawson proved his worth as he hit 49 round-trippers and took home NL MVP honors for a last place Cub team that season, the only player to accomplish that feat in the last 20 seasons.
The 1988 team, under new skipper
Don Zimmer
Donald William Zimmer (January 17, 1931 – June 4, 2014) was an American infielder, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). Zimmer was involved in professional baseball from 1949 until his death, a span of 65 years, across 8 d ...
(who was promoted after Frey took the General Manager position), was the first of a new era in Cub history, as lights were installed at Wrigley Field and were first to be used for a night game on August 8. The game was rained out in the early innings, and the first official night game was the next day, as the Cubs beat the Mets 6–4. The Mets, however, had a 100 win season, and the Cubs, still anchored by Sutcliffe, "Ryno" Sandberg, and "Hawk" Dawson, finished in a distant fourth place. This was despite having what at the time was a franchise record six All-Stars as Dawson, Dunston, and Sandberg were joined by
Vance Law
Vance Aaron Law (born October 1, 1956) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1980–81), Chicago White Sox (1982–84), Montreal Expos (1985–87), Chic ...
,
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams. Maddux is best known for his accomplishments while playing for the Atlanta Braves ...
, and
Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro Corrales (born September 24, 1964) is a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985. H ...
.
In 1989, the club made some noise as they won the NL East once again, finishing up a 93 win season with a six-game lead over the Mets. Some young faces contributed to the '89 success, with 1B
Mark Grace
Mark Eugene Grace (born June 28, 1964) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who spent 12 seasons with the Chicago Cubs and three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks of the National League (NL). He was a member of the 2001 Worl ...
leading the team in hitting and fellow sophomore
Damon Berryhill providing stability behind the plate for Maddux and the other Cub hurlers. Speedy outfielder
Dwight Smith finished 2nd in the race for NL Rookie of the Year to fellow Cub outfielder
Jerome Walton
Jerome O'Terrell Walton (born July 8, 1965) is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder who played for the Chicago Cubs, California Angels, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, between 1989 a ...
, who set the current club record hitting streak at 30 games. This time, Chicago met the San Francisco Giants in the
NLCS. After splitting the first two games at home, the series headed to the Bay Area. The Cubs were heavy underdogs to the star-loaded Giants, who boasted players such as
Matt Williams,
Kevin Mitchell, and
Will Clark
William Nuschler Clark Jr. (born March 13, 1964) is an American professional baseball first baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 through 2000. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, an ...
. Despite an MVP caliber series from Grace, and although the team held a lead in each of the three games, they were unable to overcome bullpen letdowns and managerial blunders. This ultimately led to another early exit from the post season as the Giants eliminated the Cubs in five games (the NLCS had expanded from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven series in
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
). The Giants went on to lose to the
Oakland A's
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
in the famous "
Earthquake Series."
1990–2002: Ryno, Gracie, and Sammy
Between 1990 and 1997, a time-frame which coincided with the 6 championship dynasty of the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
's
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
, Cubs took a back seat in the headlines and also fell back into the doldrums of mediocrity. Most seasons in this period were basically over by the beginning of June. Despite their promise, Walton and Smith never regained the form they displayed as rookies in '89. Rick Sutcliffe retired and Greg Maddux, who won his first
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
in a Cub uniform, left for
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
via
free-agency, which greatly frustrated the fan base. Their replacements came and went as GM
Larry Himes
Lawrence Austin Himes (born October 7, 1940, in Riverside, California) is an American former general manager (GM) for two Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the Chicago White Sox (1986–1990); and the Chicago Cubs (1991–1994). Himes is likely b ...
struggled to find a proper mix. Slugger
George Bell George Bell may refer to:
Law and politics
* George Joseph Bell (1770–1843), Scottish jurist and legal author
* George Alexander Bell (1856–1927), Canadian pioneer and Saskatchewan politician
* George Bell (Canadian politician) (1869–1940) ...
was signed in 1991 and after a mediocre season was traded to the White Sox for
Sammy Sosa. Pitchers
Danny Jackson
Danny Lynn Jackson (born January 5, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1983 to 1997. He played for the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pi ...
,
Jaime Navarro
Jaime Navarro Cintrón (born March 27, 1967) is a former Puerto Rican baseball player and current pitching coach for the Uni-President Lions for the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan. Navarro was a 6-foot, 4-inch tall right-handed p ...
,
Randy Myers
Randall Kirk Myers (born September 19, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Bl ...
and
Mike Morgan brought initial hope to the
''Friendly Confines'' faithful but ultimately spawned no playoff berths.
Himes was fired and replaced with
Ed Lynch in 1995, but the club's much beleaguered farm system was unable to help produce any help on the mound as minor league products such as
Jim Bullinger
James Eric Bullinger (born August 21, 1965) is a former professional starting pitcher. He played for the Chicago Cubs (-), Montreal Expos () and Seattle Mariners () of Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted and threw right-handed. He is the broth ...
,
Kevin Foster,
Mike Harkey,
Jeff Pico
Jeffrey Mark Pico (born February 12, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current coach. He played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs.
Early life
Pico was born in Antioch, California, and attended Antioch High School. His teamm ...
, and
Frank Castillo
Frank Anthony Castillo (April 1, 1969 – July 28, 2013) was an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Castillo played for the Chicago Cubs (1991–1997), Colorado Rockies (1997), Detroit Tigers (1998), Toronto Blue Jays (2000), Bo ...
were unable to establish themselves in any significant fashion in the post-strike years.
Steve Trachsel
Stephen Christopher Trachsel (born October 31, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles between 1993 and 2008. He batted and t ...
, a career journeyman, was the only pitcher the system produced during this period that had any longevity. On the offensive side, things were a little better. Although much hyped prospects such as
Gary Scott and
Drew Hall
Andrew Clark "Drew" Hall is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs (–), Texas Rangers () and Montreal Expos (). He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but grew up in Ashland, Kentucky and attended Paul G. Blazer ...
eventually did not pan out, there was some success. Mark Grace, known for his glove and his bat, along with rifle-armed SS Shawon Dunston and reliable catcher Joe Girardi became fan-favorites as Dawson and Sandberg solidified themselves as annual starters in the All-Star game with ''Ryno'' eventually becoming the highest paid player in baseball, retiring and then making a
''Jordanesque'' comeback.
Brian McRae
Brian Wesley McRae (; born August 27, 1967) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays from to . McRae is the son of former major ...
,
José Hernández and
Glenallen Hill
Glenallen Hill (born March 22, 1965) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Hill played with the Toronto Blue Jays (1989–91), Cleveland Indians (1991–93), Chicago Cubs (1993–94, 1998–2000), San Francisco Giants (1995–97 ...
all found temporary homes in Chicago during the mid-1990s, (Hill is the only player to ever hit a home run to the rooftops across Waveland Ave) and Sammy Sosa started to establish himself as a power hitter, slugging 36 homers three times, but the teams themselves were quite poor. During the seven-year period following the '89 season they had just two winning seasons, an 84–78 mark in 1993 and a 73–71 mark in the
strike-shortened 1995 season. In 1997, the team signed lefty Terry Mulholland, but still hit rock bottom, losing their first 14 games to start the season and finishing in last place again with 94 losses. Near the end of the season Dunston was traded to
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
and Sandberg retired (this time for good) at season's end, so most figured 1998 would be another season of tempered expectations on the Windy City's north side.
The departure of many fan favorites, combined with what would be the sixth and final championship run of the Bulls as well as the death of popular
WGN broadcaster
Harry Caray
Harry Christopher Caray (; March 1, 1914 – February 18, 1998) was an American radio and television Sports commentator, sportscaster. During his career he called the play-by-play for five Major League Baseball teams, beginning with 25 years of ...
just before the season dominated much of the media coverage, so the Cubs on-field expectations were uncharacteristically out of the headlines heading into the season. This changed with the signing of left fielder
Henry RodrÃguez to complement Grace and Sosa in the lineup and inking closer
Rod Beck
Rodney Roy Beck (August 3, 1968 – June 23, 2007), nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants (–), Chicago Cubs (–), Boston Red Sox (1999–) and San Diego Padres (–). He batte ...
and starter
Kevin Tapani
Kevin Ray Tapani (born February 18, 1964) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs from 1989 to 2001.
Early life
Tapani was raised in Es ...
to bolster the pitching staff. The team also acquired infielders
Mickey ''"The Dandy Little Glove Man"'' Morandini and
Jeff Blauser
Jeff is a masculine name, often a short form (hypocorism) of the English given name Jefferson or Jeffrey, which comes from a medieval variant of Geoffrey.
Music
* DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ/turntablist record producer Jeffrey Allen Townes
* ...
. With the season dedicated to Caray (whose grandson
Chip Caray
Harry Christopher "Chip" Caray III (born February 27, 1965) is an American television broadcaster for Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast's coverage of the Atlanta Braves baseball. Chip is also known from his time as a broadcaster for ...
took over his duties alongside
Steve Stone in the Cub's TV booth) the Cubs found themselves involved in an intense Wild Card race with the Giants and Mets. The Cubs became media-darlings once again, paced by Sosa's amazing 66 HR, MVP season and
Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees.
Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rook ...
's dominating Rookie of the Year pitching, which included an MLB record-tying 20 strikeout game versus the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. On the last day of the season, the Cubs fell 4–3 to Houston after a throwing error by Mulholland, but the team's playoff hopes were saved when Colorado's
Neifi Pérez
Neifi Neftali Pérez (; ; born June 2, 1973) is a former Major League baseball player. He was a switch hitter who threw right-handed. During his career, he played with the Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cu ...
hit a walk-off home run to beat San Francisco later that night, and the Giants and Cubs finished tied for the Wild Card. The teams met in a one-game playoff in Chicago, in which
Gary Gaetti
Gary Joseph Gaetti (, ; born August 19, 1958), is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins (1981–1990), California Angels (1991–1993), Kansas City Royals (1993–1995), St. Louis Cardinals (1996–1998) ...
, claimed off waivers from St. Louis near the end of the season, hit a game-winning home run. Next up was Atlanta and Greg Maddux, but the North Siders played poorly, scoring only four runs as they were swept in 3 games.
Many credit the Sosa–McGwire home run chase with "saving baseball", by both bringing in new, younger fans and bringing back old fans soured by the
1994–95 Major League Baseball strike. After the season, GM
Ed Lynch and manager
Jim Riggleman
James David Riggleman (born November 9, 1952) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) manager and bench coach who coached with several teams between 1989 and 2019. He is currently the manager for the Billings Mustangs of the independent ...
unfortunately opted to keep many of the same players who had career years in '98 for the '99 season. Perhaps the most notable error was the club's failure to tender a contract offer to third baseman
Robin Ventura
Robin Mark Ventura (born July 14, 1967) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and manager. Ventura played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Do ...
, whose contract with the White Sox had expired and had expressed a desire to remain in Chicago. The Cubs, however, decided to give the position to Gaetti and Ventura signed with the Mets. Although the Cubs started well, at one point reaching nine games over .500, the June-swoon reappeared when they were swept by the crosstown rival White Sox in
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was a baseball park in Chicago, Illinois, located in the
Armour Square neighborhood on the near-southwest side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Buil ...
, which was the genesis of another epic tailspin, resulting in the club finishing in last place.
Jim Riggleman
James David Riggleman (born November 9, 1952) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) manager and bench coach who coached with several teams between 1989 and 2019. He is currently the manager for the Billings Mustangs of the independent ...
was fired after the disastrous '99 campaign, his fifth season in Chicago, and a few months later Team President
Andy MacPhail cut ties with Lynch as well, taking the reins as general manager and making
Jim Hendry
James Hendry (born July 27, 1955) is an American baseball coach and executive. He is a special assistant for New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, and is a former general manager of the Chicago Cubs.
Hendry was promoted to Cubs genera ...
assistant GM. MacPhail vowed to lead the team to success in the new century.
McPhail sent Hendry to work quickly, and his first move was trading reliever
Terry Adams to Los Angeles for
Eric Young and
Ismael Valdez Ismael may refer to:
People
* Ismael Balkhi, a political activist from Afghanistan
* Ismael Blanco (born 1983), an Argentine professional footballer
* Ismael Prego "Wismichu", a Spanish youtuber
* Ismael Villegas, a Puerto Rican Major League ...
, and hiring
Don Baylor
Don Edward Baylor (June 28, 1949 – August 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and manager. During his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), Baylor was a power hitter known for standing very close to home plate (" crowding ...
to succeed Riggleman as the Chicago skipper. During a forgettable 2000 season, Hendry also sent pitcher
Scott Downs
Scott may refer to:
Places Canada
* Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec
* Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380
* Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Sask ...
to Montreal and acquired
Rondell White
Rondell Bernard White (born February 23, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder and designated hitter. As well as being a solid defensive player, White also had a batting ave ...
. This laid the groundwork for the 2001 season, which saw the North Siders make another drive for the playoffs. They made a mid-June trade to acquire All-Star 1B
Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff (born October 31, 1963) is an American former first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for six teams from 1986 through 2004. He was one of the most consistently productive powers hitters of the 1990s, post ...
, though McGriff took over a month debating whether or not to approve the deal and leave his hometown
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home ve ...
, ultimately waiving his no-trade clause and allow himself to be dealt to Chicago on July 27. ''"The Crime Dog"'' hit a respectable .282 with 12 homers in 49 games with the Cubs, hitting cleanup behind Sammy Sosa, who had perhaps his best season, hitting 64 homers with career highs in batting average (.328) and RBI (160) for
Don Baylor
Don Edward Baylor (June 28, 1949 – August 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and manager. During his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), Baylor was a power hitter known for standing very close to home plate (" crowding ...
's club.
Jon Lieber
Jonathan Ray Lieber (born April 2, 1970) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1994–1998), Chicago Cubs (1999–2002 and 2008), ...
had a 20 win season, and along with Tapani and Wood made up a solid rotation. The Cubs led the eventual Wild Card winning Cardinals by 2.5 games in early September, but
Preston Wilson
Preston James Richard Wilson (born July 19, 1974) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played all or parts of ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2007 for the New York Mets, Florida Marlins, Colorado ...
's walk-off homer off of closer
Tom "Flash" Gordon took the wind out of the team's sails, failing to make another serious charge. The Cubs did manage to finish 88–74, only 5 games behind both St. Louis and Houston, who tied for first, but followed this up with a disastrous 2002 campaign, after which Baylor was fired and replaced by yet another new manager
2003-2006: The Dusty Baker years
The Cubs won their first NL Central crown in 2003. The team's success can be attributed mostly to its dominant starting rotation, which featured
Mark Prior
Mark William Prior (born September 7, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current coach. A onetime top prospect of the Chicago Cubs, he pitched for the team from 2002 to 2006 in a career that was marred by injuries. In ...
,
Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees.
Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rook ...
,
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos (born June 1, 1981), nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2012 for the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. Zambrano ...
, and
Matt Clement
Matthew Paul Clement (born August 12, 1974) is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Clement played for the San Diego Padres (–), Florida Marlins (), Chicago Cubs (–) and Boston Red Sox (–). While on the Red Sox active roster, he ...
, all of whom won at least 13 games. The pitching staff as a whole led the National League in Strikeouts with 1,404. At mid-season, the Cubs had overcome Sammy Sosa's corked bat incident, and found themselves in the thick of the pennant race, and were looking for a replacement for
Bill Mueller
William Richard Mueller ( ; born March 17, 1971) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Mueller's MLB playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants (1996–2000, 2002), Chic ...
, who was traded near the end of the '02 campaign. Initially, there was talk of a deal for Marlin's 3B
Mike Lowell
Michael Averett Lowell (born February 24, 1974) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees (1998), Florida Marlins (1999–2005), and the Boston Red Sox (2006&ndas ...
, which came very close to fruition. Eventually, the team hit paydirt after trading
Mark Bellhorn for Jose Hernandez and then trading Hernandez and
Bobby Hill to the Pirates for
Aramis RamÃrez
Aramis Nin RamÃrez (; born June 25, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball third baseman, who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Brewers. He was named an All-Sta ...
and center fielder
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. Lofton was a six-time All-Star (1994–1999), four-time Gold Glove Award winner (1993–1996), and at retirement, was ranked 15th amon ...
in what has proven to be a lopsided deal in the Cubbies favor.
Finishing up August at 69–66, the Cubs went on a tear in September, riding Sammy Sosa,
Moisés Alou
Moisés Rojas-Alou Beltré (; ; born July 3, 1966) is a Dominican-American former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, ...
, and their new teammates as they started the month by taking four of five games in a crucial series against St. Louis, and winning 19 out of 27 by months end. Prior and Wood both had good seasons, but were especially dominant after June, and were dubbed
Chicago Heat by
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
, a name that stuck on with the media. The two fireballers and their mates managed to beat out the charging Astros, clinching the division on September 27 against Pittsburgh, just as they had in 1984. The team charged into the playoffs, knocking off Greg Maddux and Atlanta in 5 games in the
NLDS
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
, the club's first post-season series win since 1908, and moved on to face Lowell and the eventual champion
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
in the
NLCS. After dropping game one, the Cubs proceeded to take a 3 games to 1 lead and it appeared the North Siders would reach the World Series at last. Marlins pitcher
Josh Beckett
Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A three-time MLB All-Star, he played for the Florida Marlins, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After ...
shut out the Cubs in Game 5, but most fans thought this a blessing, as with pocket aces Prior and Wood slated to start the next two games, victory seemed all but assured, and the team could "break the curse" at home.
Game 6, held on October 14, was a scene unlike anything seen before, as some estimated 200,000 screaming fans battled the chilly weather and packed the streets outside Wrigley Field, and thousands more packed into local bars around the park, in anticipation of witnessing a Cubs World Series berth. The Cubs gave Prior a 3–0 lead that night. The crowd pumped up with even more adrenalin when the 7th inning stretch was sung by comedian
Bernie Mac
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008), better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American comedian and actor. Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined fell ...
, who instead of replacing "home team" with "Cubbies", sang "Root, root, root for ''The Champs''." It was the eighth inning when the now-infamous incident took place in which a fan,
Steve Bartman, attempted to catch a foul ball hit by Florida's
Luis Castillo that Cub left fielder
Moisés Alou
Moisés Rojas-Alou Beltré (; ; born July 3, 1966) is a Dominican-American former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, ...
was also attempting to catch to record the second out. Alou was enraged and Castillo eventually drew a walk. The play was followed up with a booted ground ball by SS
Alex S. Gonzalez
Alexander Scott Gonzalez (born April 8, 1973) is a former Major League Baseball infielder, who spent the majority of his 13-year career with the Toronto Blue Jays. Gonzalez established a career-high with 20 home runs for the Chicago Cubs in 200 ...
, which potentially could have ended the inning via a double play. This apparently rattled the team and opened the door to 8 Florida runs and a Marlin victory. Ironically, Gonzalez led the National League in fielding percentage among all shortstops for the regular season. The next night, the Cubs rebounded to gain a lead twice in Game 7, with
Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees.
Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rook ...
(who homered in the game) on the mound, but lost a close, back and forth game, sealed by a game winning shot by Marlin slugger
Derrek Lee
Derrek Leon Lee (born September 6, 1975), nicknamed "D-Lee", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Lee played with the San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates ...
, and the North Siders were once again left on the outside of the World Series looking in.
In 2004, misfortune struck the North Side again. The team welcomed back prodigal son
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams. Maddux is best known for his accomplishments while playing for the Atlanta Braves ...
to fill the fourth spot in the rotation behind Wood, Prior, and
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos (born June 1, 1981), nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2012 for the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. Zambrano ...
, giving the Cubs what on paper was considered to be the strongest rotation in the league. In late July, GM
Jim Hendry
James Hendry (born July 27, 1955) is an American baseball coach and executive. He is a special assistant for New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, and is a former general manager of the Chicago Cubs.
Hendry was promoted to Cubs genera ...
pulled a blockbuster trade with eventual champion
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
for
Nomar Garciaparra
Anthony Nomar Garciaparra (; born July 23, 1973) is an American retired Major League Baseball player and current SportsNet LA analyst. After playing parts of nine seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played shortstop, third ...
, and the Cubs held the Wild Card lead by a game and a half on September 24, but suffered a late inning comeback from the Mets, and then proceeded to drop 7 of their last 9 games, five of them by one run, relinquishing the lead to the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. The season finale was a meaningless victory over the Braves, a game which team captain Sosa requested to sit out, but was then videotaped by security cameras as he left the ballpark in the second inning. When asked about the event by the media, Sosa denied leaving Wrigley early. Already a controversial figure in the clubhouse, Sammy alienated much of his fan base (and the few team members who still were on good terms with him) with this incident, leaving his place in Cubs' lore possibly tarnished for years to come.
Though
Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker Jr. (born June 15, 1949) is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in the MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the L ...
had led the team to 89 wins in 2004, a one-game improvement over 2003's near-pennant season, the expectations were loftier and the season was deemed a failure. This time, the fallout was decidedly unlovable. Questions were raised as to Baker's ability to handle the pitching staff, his constant juggling of the Cub lineup, and the vast number of costly injuries. Prior to the 2005 campaign, the Cubs finally managed to trade Sosa to the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
for
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Jerry Wayne Hairston Jr. (born May 29, 1976) is an American former professional baseball infielder and outfielder. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers ...
and
Mike Fontenot
Michael Eugene Fontenot Jr. (; born June 9, 1980) is an American former professional baseball infielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Philadelphia Phillies. He batted left-handed and ...
. Months later, Sammy was one of a group of players, (including
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardi ...
) who were asked to testify during an all-day, nationally televised hearing before the House Government Reform Committee about steroid use in baseball.
Hendry pulled yet another shrewd move in the offseason, acquiring 2003 villain
Derrek Lee
Derrek Leon Lee (born September 6, 1975), nicknamed "D-Lee", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Lee played with the San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates ...
for
Hee-seop Choi
Hee-seop Choi (; Hangul: 최í¬ì„; Hanja: 崔熙燮; ; born March 16, 1979) is a South Korean former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, and Los Angeles Dodgers ...
, and Lee went on to have his best season, hitting .335 with 46 home runs and 107 RBIs.
Ryan Dempster
Ryan Scott Dempster (born May 3, 1977), is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and Boston Red Sox. Dempster batted and t ...
also had a good season, establishing himself as the team's closer with 33 saves in 35 save opportunities, but the team finished a disappointing fourth place at 79–83. Many key players that were expected to contribute to the team's success missed extended time due to injury, including Ramirez, Prior, Wood, and Garciaparra. Though many felt Baker had done a great job leading the team to what was nearly a .500 season, most of the media and fan base started to call for Baker's head due to what they saw as nonchalance and a failure to hold his players accountable. The crosstown rival White Sox's victory in the World Series over then-divisional rival Houston that year only rubbed salt in the Cubs fans' wounds.
The Tribune gave Baker one last chance to turn things around, and Jim Hendry retooled the lineup for the 2006 campaign. During the off-season, the Cubs revamped the outfield, acquiring speedy center fielder
Juan Pierre
Juan D'Vaughn Pierre (born August 14, 1977) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2000–2013 for the Colorado Rockies, Florida/Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Ch ...
from the Marlins and inked free agent
Jacque Jones to fill the hole in right. Former blue-chip prospect
Corey Patterson
Donald Corey Patterson (born August 13, 1979) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. Currently, he is the manager of the Brookhaven Bucks in the Sunbelt Baseball League. He is the older brother of infielder Eric Patterson, a ...
, who had shown flashes of brilliance but never the ability to play consistently at a high level, was traded. Additionally, veteran relief pitchers
Bob Howry
Bobby Dean Howry (born August 4, 1973) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher.
Early life
Howry attended, and played baseball at Deer Valley High School in Arizona, then he attended McNeese State University and was drafted b ...
and
Scott Eyre
Scott Alan Eyre (born May 30, 1972), is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Ph ...
were brought in to shore up the bullpen. The North Siders came out of the gate hot in 2006, sweeping St. Louis en route to a 14–9 start, but an injury to superstar Derrek Lee sent the team into another tailspin. In early May, the team set a franchise record for offensive futility by scoring only 13 runs in 11 games.
Rich Hill came up from
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
and showed some flashes of brilliance, and Aramis RamÃrez had another great season, but Pierre, though stealing 52 bases, failed to live up to expectations and Jones lashed out at the Wrigley faithful for booing him after his initial poor play. Though Jones righted his ship by slugging 27 homers, the team was repeatedly unable to score runs for its pitching staff and finished the season at a pathetic 66–96. As rumors of the club's sale dominated the horizon,
Andy MacPhail resigned his position as team President following the season, and the team opted to let Baker, the former "Messiah's" contract expire.
2007–2008: Back to back
After finishing the '06 campaign in the NL Central cellar, the Boys in Blue went from worst to first in 2007. First, Chicago hired veteran skipper
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella ( usually ; born August 28, 1943) is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder, he played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals and ...
after a managerial search that included hometown favorite
Joe Girardi
Joseph Elliott Girardi (born October 14, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Girardi played the catcher position for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, and St. ...
. Soon afterward, the
Tribune Company
Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Through Tribune Broadcasting, Tribune Media was one of the largest television broadcasting companies, owning 39 ...
was sold, but still allowed several important pre-season moves. The team re-signed Aramis RamÃrez, and instead of waiting for Mark Prior to heal, Hendry signed
Ted Lilly
Theodore Roosevelt Lilly III (born January 4, 1976) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Lilly attended Yosemite High School in Oakhurst, California, and Fresno City College. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Mont ...
and
Jason Marquis
Jason Scott Marquis (; born August 21, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, Arizona ...
to join the rotation. He also inked free agent infielder
Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa (born February 26, 1975) is an American former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2013. He played for the Atlanta Braves (1998–2004), Texas Rangers (2005–2006), Chicago Cubs ...
and gave
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano (born January 7, 1976) is a Dominican former professional baseball left fielder and second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, and Chicago C ...
the richest contract in Cubs' history. The team started slowly, however, falling behind Milwaukee by as many as eight games. Zambrano and catcher
Michael Barrett were involved in a dugout brawl, Piniella was suspended for kicking dirt at an umpire, and the season was in jeopardy by June.
Then things started to change. Barrett was traded away, and the club survived injuries and suspensions, sparked by the play of rookie reliever
Carlos Mármol, and infielder
Ryan Theriot
Ryan may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
*Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
Places Australia
* Division of Ryan, an electo ...
. The Cubs won 19 games in July, and toward the end of the season staff ace Kerry Wood returned from the disabled list as a reliever. In September, the Northsiders won critical series, kicking off a 10–2 stretch that featured a pair of dramatic, late-inning wins against the Reds. In what some called th
most excitingMajor League Baseball season ever, the Cubs clinched the Central on September 28.
In the
NLDS
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
, they met the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
. Carlos Zambrano was dominant in Game 1, but was matched by D-Backs ace
Brandon Webb
Brandon Tyler Webb (born May 9, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Webb pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2003 through 2009, and, after multiple shoulder surgeries, signed with but ...
as the game was tied at one after six. In a move that has since com
under scrutiny Piniella called in ace reliever
Carlos Mármol to start the seventh, who uncharacteristically gave up two runs. Piniella pulled Zambrano because he was planning on bringing him back on short rest for Game 4. The next night, the Cubs jumped out 2–0 on a home run by rookie catcher
Geovany Soto
Geovany Soto (born January 20, 1983) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 2005 to 2017, most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs where he appeared in the MLB ...
, but Lilly, who was 9–1 following Cub losses, was touched for six runs. In the finale at home, the offense again squandered numerous opportunities, stranding 12 runners and falling victim to four double plays en route to another abrupt end to a once promising season.
Just before
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
in 2007, Sam Zell closed the sale of the
Tribune
Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs acted as a check on the ...
and promised the team would be sold prior to the season (which ultimately didn't happen), leading many to question whether the Cubs would be major players in the free-agent market. Those questions were answered when they inked the much-pursued Japanese superstar
Kosuke Fukudome
is a retired Japanese professional baseball outfielder. He previously played in Major League Baseball from 2008 to 2012, primarily with the Chicago Cubs and had a long spanning career in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Chunichi D ...
of the
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chūbu region of Japan. The team plays in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. They have won the Central League pennant nine times (most recently in 2011) ...
. Rumors of a 9-player deal with
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
for
Brian Roberts fizzled after trade talks that had dragged on from January until after Opening Day. Kerry Wood entered the season as closer and Ryan Dempster returned to the rotation.
The Cubbies started out hot, taking an early division lead, while recording the 10,000th franchise win in April.
Reed Johnson
Reed Cameron Johnson (born December 8, 1976) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, and Washingt ...
and later
Jim Edmonds
James Patrick Edmonds (born June 27, 1970) is an American former professional baseball center fielder and a broadcaster for Bally Sports Midwest. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, ...
were signed to platoon in center after sending prospect
Félix Pie
Félix Pie Dofen ( ; born February 8, 1985) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Wild Health Genomes of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, ...
back to
AAA Iowa. One highnote of the season came on May 30, after the Boys in Blue fell behind the Rockies 9–1, they ultimately surged back, winning 10–9 and by mid-June Chicago boasted their best record in baseball. Chicago set a team record with eight players being named as all stars with Zambrano, Soriano, Ramirez, Wood and Dempster being joined by first timers Fukudome, Geovany Soto, and late addition Carlos Mármol. On July 8,
Sean Gallagher, who had replaced a struggling Rich Hill as the club's fifth starter, was dealt to
Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
along with outfielders
Matt Murton
Matthew Henry Murton (born October 3, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and Colorado Rockies. Murton also played in Nippon Professional ...
and
Eric Patterson, as the Cubs netted star pitcher
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden (born November 30, 1981) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball.
Early years
Harden attended Claremont Secondary S ...
, and Chicago entered the break with an NL best 57 wins and a 4.5 game division lead.
The club overcame a seven-game losing streak to open September, and Carlos Zambrano pitched the clubs first no-hitter in three decades on September 14, against Houston in Milwaukee. That game was moved to
Miller Park
American Family Field is a retractable roof stadium used primarily for baseball. It is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just southwest of the intersection of Interstate 94 and Brewers Boulevard. It is the home of Major League Baseball's Milwauk ...
after
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike () was a powerful tropical cyclone that swept through portions of the Greater Antilles and Northern America in September 2008, wreaking havoc on infrastructure and agriculture, particularly in Cuba and Texas. Ike took a sim ...
forced the series to be moved from
Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 as the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. It has a seating capacity of 41,168, which includes 5,197 club seats and 63 ...
to the domed field in Wisconsin. The Cubs clinched their second straight N.L. Central crown on September 20 at home against rival St. Louis, clinching home field advantage. Unfortunately, the heavily favored Cubs were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of Cub Nation, as a potential "Dream Season" came to an abrupt end.
2009-present: The Ricketts family era
New Ownership
In July 2008,
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
owner and businessman
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, television personality, and media proprietor whose net worth is an estimated $4.8 billion, according to ''Forbes'', and ranked No. 177 on the 2020 ''Forbes'' 400 list ...
, bid $1.35 billion to purchase the Cubs and Wrigley Field from Tribune Company, the largest of three final bids. The next highest bids were in the $1.1 billion range and were submitted by the Ricketts family, who own
TD Ameritrade
TD Ameritrade is a stockbroker that offers an electronic trading platform for the trade of financial assets including common stocks, preferred stocks, futures contracts, exchange-traded funds, forex, options, mutual funds, fixed income investmen ...
, and a group led by former
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Vice-presidential candidate
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp (July 13, 1935 – May 2, 2009) was an American politician and a professional football player. A member of the Republican Party from New York, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bu ...
and Hall of Famer
Hank Aaron
Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. One of the gre ...
. MLB Commissioner
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig
(; born July 30, 1934) is an American baseball executive who currently serves as the Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball. Previously, he served as the ninth Commissioner of Baseball from 1998 to 2015. He initially served as ...
supported a fourth potential buyer, John Canning.
Zell's Tribunes Company filed for bankruptcy on December 8, 2008. This filing however did not alter the Cubs' for-sale situation. In December, 2008 the club announced that it expected a sale to culminate before spring training, and on January 22, 2009, Cubs.com announced that the group led by the Ricketts had their bid accepted by Zell.
Apparently handcuffed by Tribune's bankruptcy and the sale of the club to the Ricketts' family, the Cubs quest for a NL Central 3-peat started with notice that there would be less money invested into contracts than in previous years. Once again, trade speculation dominated the headlines at the winter meetings, this time surrounding Padres' ace
Jake Peavy
Jacob Edward Peavy (born May 31, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants. He batted and threw right- ...
, which, much like the Brian Roberts talks a year earlier, resulted in nothing. Piniella blamed the '08 post season failure on the lack of left-handed hitters, and a bevy of high caliber outfielders fit the bill. Ultimately, the club settled on inking oft-troubled switch hitter
Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley (November 8, 1836 – May 30, 1911) was an American business magnate, game pioneer and publisher, credited by many with launching the board game industry, with his eponymous enterprise, which was purchased by Hasbro in 1984, and ...
over
Adam Dunn,
Raúl Ibañez
Raúl Javier Ibañez (; born June 2, 1972) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) now serving as Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations for MLB. He played 11 of his 19 big league season ...
, and Bobby Abreu. The bench and bullpen were overhauled in a bevy of money saving moves, and fan favorites Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa both left for the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
. Kevin Gregg was acquired from the Marlins to replace Wood, and
Mike Fontenot
Michael Eugene Fontenot Jr. (; born June 9, 1980) is an American former professional baseball infielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Philadelphia Phillies. He batted left-handed and ...
was promoted to replace DeRosa.
Led by the strong play of Derrek Lee,
Ted Lilly
Theodore Roosevelt Lilly III (born January 4, 1976) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Lilly attended Yosemite High School in Oakhurst, California, and Fresno City College. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Mont ...
and rookie pitcher Randy Wells, the club played well early in the season, but fell on hard times as injuries began to take their toll. Nearly every key player either struggled or suffered injury and the Northsiders went into the All Star break with a disappointing .500 record.
Carlos Mármol replaced Gregg as closer and the team stayed in the race, but they were distracted by Bradley, whose poor hitting and even poorer attitude became a major issue as the season progressed. Bradley complained about being heckled, booed and "hated" by bleacher fans and expressed his overall unhappiness in Chicago, eventually leading to a season ending suspension. Despite this, the Boys in Blue engaged St. Louis in a see-saw battle for first place thru July, but the Cardinals played to a torrid 20-6 pace in August, designating their rivals to battle in a five-team Wild Card race, from which they were eliminated in the season's final week. On the bright side, the Cubs finished the season with their third straight winning record (83-78) for the first time since 1967–1972, and looked forward to a new era of ownership under the Ricketts' family.
Rich Harden, who spent a large amount of his tenure with the Cubs injured, signed with Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas and Bradley was traded for Carlos Silva (baseball), Carlos Silva before the 2010 season. Silva and Bradley's replacement, Marlon Byrd, were initially nice surprises for what was largely a forgettable season. Silva started out 8-0 and he and Byrd were both named to the NL All-Star team, and young prospect Starlin Castro made his major league debut, hitting a three-run home run in his first major league at-bat. However, as the team fell out of contention Derek Lee,
Ryan Theriot
Ryan may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
*Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
Places Australia
* Division of Ryan, an electo ...
, and Ted Lilly were traded away and skipper
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella ( usually ; born August 28, 1943) is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder, he played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals and ...
retired near the end of the season, in which the Cubs finished in 5th place at 75–87. Mike Quade was named interim manager and the Cubs finished the season nicely, at 25–13, which earned Quade the nod as manager for 2011. However, the 2011 club finished 20 games under .500, despite the acquisitions of slugger Carlos Peña and pitcher Matt Garza.
Under new management and the 2016 World Series Champions
Weeks after the season 2011 season came to an end, hope returned to the club in the form of a new club philosophy as owner Tom Ricketts fired GM Jim Hendry and signed Theo Epstein away from the Boston Red Sox, naming him club President and giving him a five-year contract worth over $18 million. Epstein, a proponent of sabremetrics and one of the architects of the 2004 and 2007 World Series championships in Boston, brought along Jed Hoyer to fill the role of GM and hired Dale Sveum as manager. Although the team had a dismal 2012 season, losing 101 games (the worst record since 1966) it was largely expected. The record included a 13-game losing streak in mid-May, the team's longest in 15 years. The youth movement ushered in by Epstein and Hoyer began as longtime fan favorite Kerry Wood retired, followed by
Ryan Dempster
Ryan Scott Dempster (born May 3, 1977), is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and Boston Red Sox. Dempster batted and t ...
and
Geovany Soto
Geovany Soto (born January 20, 1983) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 2005 to 2017, most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs where he appeared in the MLB ...
being traded to Texas at the All-Star break. The development of Castro, Anthony Rizzo (baseball), Anthony Rizzo, Darwin Barney, Brett Jackson and pitcher Jeff Samardzija as well as the replenishing of the minor-league system became the primary focus of the season, a philosophy which the new management said would carry over at least through the 2013 season. Manager Dale Sveum was fired on September 30, 2013. On November 7, 2013, Rick Renteria was hired as the manager.
After losing records in 2013 and 2014, and after firing Rick Renteria and after Joe Maddon opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays and was hired by Theo Epstein, Epstein late in 2014, the Cubs secured a playoff berth in 2015 with the third-best record in MLB. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2015 National League Wild Card Game, National League Wild Card Game and the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
in the 2015 National League Division Series, National League Division Series en route to the 2015 National League Championship Series, where they were eliminated by the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
. The club entered the 2016 season looking to advance deep into the playoffs again. This time, however, the Cubs won the National League Central, NL Central with the best record in MLB, 103–58. It was the club's first divisional title since 2008. The team's fortunes in the playoffs turned around as well. They defeated the San Francisco Giants in the 2016 National League Division Series, National League Division Series and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2016 National League Championship Series, National League Championship series, breaking the Curse of the Billy Goat, and securing the franchise's first National League pennant and World Series appearance since 1945. Once there, they fell to a 3–1 deficit in the series, but won games five and six to force a game seven. After ten innings, a rain delay, and a blown 5–1 lead, the Cubs finally emerged victorious in game seven, 8–7. The Cubs' historic win marked the end of the longest championship drought in American sports history, winning the franchise's third World Series trophy and first in 108 years.
2017–present: Post-Championship years
After winning their first championship in 108 years, the Cubs were trying to become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the 1998-2000 Yankees. They struggled all of the first half of the 2017 season, finishing two games under .500 before the All-Star break. The Cubs bounced back in the second half to finish 22 games over .500 and win the NL Central by six games over the Milwaukee Brewers. In the NLDS, the Cubs beat the Nationals in five games, advancing to their third straight NLCS. In the NLCS they faced the Dodgers for the second time in a row, and this time, the Dodgers eliminated the Cubs in five games to end the Cubs' quest to repeat.
During the offseason, the Cubs made several free agent signings to improve their pitching rotation and bullpen. They signed starting pitcher Yu Darvish, closer Brandon Morrow, and also Tyler Chatwood and Steve Cishek. The Cubs could not stay healthy during the season, Anthony Rizzo was out for most of April, Kris Bryant was injured multiple times the whole season. Yu Darvish only started eight games due to injuries. Morrow was also injured during the season and did not play at all in September. The Cubs still managed to stay in first place in the division throughout the season. Due to all the injuries for the Cubs, the Brewers managed to tie the Cubs with the same record to finish the season. The Brewers defeated the Cubs in a tie-breaker game to win the Central Division and to have the top seed in the National League playoffs. The Cubs then played in the Wild Card game versus the Colorado Rockies, the Cubs lost, it was the Cubs' earliest playoff exit in three years.
At the All-Star Break on July 9, 2019, the Cubs were leading the NL Central by a half-game over the Milwaukee Brewers. On September 25, 2019, an eighth consecutive loss eliminated the Cubs from any possibility of playing in the 2019 playoffs.
On October 24, 2019, the Cubs hired David Ross as their new manager. The 2020 Chicago Cubs season, 2020 season was shortened to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cubs finished first in the NL Central with a 34–26 record but were swept by the Miami Marlins in the 2020 National League Wild Card Series, Wild Card round.
In 2021, the Cubs finished fourth in the National League Central with a 71–91 record after trading away some of the core players from its 2016 World Series run, including Bryant, Rizzo, and Baez.
Retired numbers
The Chicago Cubs retired numbers are commemorated on pinstriped flags flying from the foul poles at Wrigley Field, with the exception of Jackie Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodgers player whose number was retired for all clubs:
There is a movement to retire the uniform shirt of
Gabby Hartnett
Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett (December 20, 1900 – December 20, 1972), nicknamed "Old Tomato Face", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Chic ...
. The Cubs first wore numbers on their shirts in 1932, and Hartnett wore three different numbers. Number 7 was initially assigned to Hartnett, but he was switched to #9 the next year. In 1937 he was switched to number 2, which he retained through his last season with the Cubs, 1940. There are also more recent movements to retire number 34 for
Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees.
Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rook ...
, number 21 for
Sammy Sosa, and number 17 for
Mark Grace
Mark Eugene Grace (born June 28, 1964) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who spent 12 seasons with the Chicago Cubs and three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks of the National League (NL). He was a member of the 2001 Worl ...
.
Memorable Events and Records
Merkle's Boner
![Cap Anson WSP 19080422](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Cap_Anson_WSP_19080422.JPG)
On September 23, 1908, the Cubs and 1908 New York Giants season, New York Giants were involved in a tight pennant race. The two clubs were tied in the bottom of the ninth inning at the
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...
, and N.Y. had runners on first and third and two outs when
Al Bridwell
Albert Henry Bridwell (January 4, 1884 – January 23, 1969) was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for several MLB teams, most notably the New York Giants from 1908 to 1911, when the team was managed by John McGraw. ...
singled, scoring
Moose McCormick
Harry Elwood "Moose" McCormick (February 28, 1881 – July 9, 1962) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball between 1904 and 1913 for the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pira ...
from third with the Giants' apparent winning run, but the runner on first base, rookie
Fred Merkle
Carl Frederick Rudolf Merkle (also sometimes documented as Frederick Charles Merkle; December 20, 1888 – March 2, 1956), nicknamed "Bonehead", was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1907 to 1926. Although he had a lengthy c ...
, left the field without touching second base. As fans swarmed the field, Cub infielder
Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers (July 21, 1881 – March 28, 1947) was an American professional baseball second baseman and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1902 through 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, and Philadelphia Philli ...
retrieved the ball and touched second. Since there were two outs, a forceout was called at second base, ending the inning and the game. Because of the tie the Giants and Cubs ended up tied for first place. The Giants lost the ensuing one-game playoff and the Cubs went on to the 1908 World Series, World Series.
Babe Ruth's called shot
On October 1, 1932, in game three of the World Series between the Cubs and the New York Yankees,
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
allegedly stepped to the plate, pointed his finger to Wrigley Field's center field bleachers and hit a long home run to center. There is speculation as to whether the "facts" surrounding the story are true or not, but nevertheless Ruth did help the Yankees secure a World Series win that year and the home run accounted for his 15th and last home run in the post season before he retired in 1935.
Riot at Wrigley
Slugger Hack Wilson had a combative streak and frequently initiated fights with opposing players and fans. On June 22, 1928, a riot broke out in the ninth inning at Wrigley Field against the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
when Wilson jumped into the box seats to attack a heckling fan. An estimated 5,000 spectators swarmed the field before police could separate the combatants and restore order. The fan sued Wilson for $20,000, but a jury ruled in Wilson's favor.
RBI record
Hack Wilson set a record of 56 home-runs and 190 runs-batted-in in 1930, breaking Lou Gehrig's MLB record of 176 RBI. (In 1999, a long-lost extra RBI mistakenly credited to Charlie Grimm had been found by Cooperstown researcher Cliff Kachline and verified by historian Jerome Holtzman, increasing the record number to 191.) As of 2014 the record still stands, with no serious threats coming since Gehrig (184) and Hank Greenberg (183) in the same era. The closest anyone has come to the mark in the last 75 years was Manny Ramirez's 165 RBI in 1999. In addition to the RBI record, Wilson 56 home-runs stood as the National League record until 1998, when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire hit 66 and 70, respectively. Wilson was named "Most Useful" player that year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, as the official N.L. Most Valuable Player Award was not awarded until the next season.
The Homer in the Gloamin'
On September 28, 1938, with the Cubs and Pirates tied at 5,
Gabby Hartnett
Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett (December 20, 1900 – December 20, 1972), nicknamed "Old Tomato Face", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Chic ...
stepped to the plate in a lightless Wrigley Field that was gradually being overcome by darkness and visibility was becoming difficult. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the umpires ready to end the game, Hartnett launched Pirate hurler Mace Brown's offering into the gloom and haze. This would be remembered as his "''Homer in the Gloamin.''" It was ranked by ESPN as the 47th greatest home run of all time.
Rick Monday and the U.S. flag
On April 25, 1976, at Dodger Stadium, father-and-son protestors ran into the outfield and tried to set fire to a American flag, U.S. flag. When Cubs outfielder Rick Monday noticed the flag on the ground and the man and boy fumbling with matches and lighter fluid, he dashed over and snatched the flag to thunderous applause. When he came up to bat in the next half-inning, he got a standing ovation from the crowd and the stadium titantron flashed the message, "RICK MONDAY... YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY..." Monday later said, "If you're going to burn the flag, don't do it around me. I've been to too many veterans' hospitals and seen too many broken bodies of guys who tried to protect it."
The Sandberg game
On June 23, 1984, 1984 Chicago Cubs season, Chicago trailed 1984 St. Louis Cardinals season, St. Louis 9–8 in the bottom of the ninth on NBC Sports, NBC's Major League Baseball Game of the Week, Game of the Week when
Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Dee Sandberg (born September 18, 1959), nicknamed "Ryno", is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies (19 ...
, known mostly for his glove, slugged a game-tying home run off ace closer
Bruce Sutter. Despite this, the Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the tenth. Sandberg came up again facing Sutter with one man on base, and hit yet another game tying home run, and ''Ryno'' became a household name. The Cubs won what has become known as "''The Sandberg Game''" in the 11th inning.
Most home-runs in a month
In June, 1998 Sammy Sosa exploded into the 1998 Major League Baseball home run record chase, pursuit of Roger Maris' home run record. Sosa had 13 home runs entering the month, representing less than half of Mark McGwire's total. Sosa had his first of four multi-home run games that month on June 1, and went on to break Rudy York's record with 20 home runs in the month, a record that still stands. By the end of his historic month, the outfielder's 33 home runs tied him with Ken Griffey Jr. and left him only four behind McGwire's 37. Sosa finished with 66 and won the NL MVP Award.
10,000th win
![10,000 Commemoration](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/10%2C000_Commemoration.jpg)
On April 23, 2008, against the Colorado Rockies, the Cubs recorded the 10,000th regular-season win in their franchise's history dating back to the beginning of the National League in 1876. The Cubs reached the milestone with an overall National League record of 10,000-9,465. Chicago was only the second club in Major League Baseball history to attain this milestone, the first having been the San Francisco Giants in mid-season 2005. The Cubs, however, hold the mark for victories for a team in a single city. The Chicago club's 77–77 record in the National Association (1871, 1874–1875) is not included in MLB record keeping. Post-season series are also not included in the totals. To honor the milestone, the Cubs flew an extra white flag displaying "10,000" in blue, along with the customary "W" flag.
Tape-measure home runs
On May 11, 2000,
Glenallen Hill
Glenallen Hill (born March 22, 1965) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Hill played with the Toronto Blue Jays (1989–91), Cleveland Indians (1991–93), Chicago Cubs (1993–94, 1998–2000), San Francisco Giants (1995–97 ...
, facing Brewers starter Steve Woodard, became the first, and thus far only player, to hit a pitched ball onto the roof of a five-story residential building across Waveland Ave, beyond Wrigley Field's left field wall. The shot was estimated at well over , but the Cubs fell to Milwaukee 12–8. No batted ball has ever hit the center field scoreboard, although the original "Slammin' Sammy", golfer Sam Snead, hit it with a golf ball in an exhibition in the 1950s. In 1948, Bill Nicholson (baseball), Bill Nicholson barely missed the scoreboard when he launched a home run ball onto Sheffield Avenue and in 1959, Roberto Clemente came even closer with a home run ball hit onto Waveland Avenue. In 2001, a Sammy Sosa shot landed across Waveland and bounced a block down Kenmore Avenue.
Dave Kingman
David Arthur Kingman (born December 21, 1948), nicknamed "Kong," "King Kong," and "Sky King", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter who was a three-time MLB All-Star with 442 career hom ...
hit a shot in 1979 that hit the third porch roof on the east side of Kenmore, estimated at , and is regarded as the longest home run in Wrigley Field history.
Individual awards
Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award, Rookie of the Year
* 1961 –
Billy Williams
* 1962 – Ken Hubbs
* 1989 –
Jerome Walton
Jerome O'Terrell Walton (born July 8, 1965) is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder who played for the Chicago Cubs, California Angels, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, between 1989 a ...
* 1998 –
Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees.
Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rook ...
* 2008 –
Geovany Soto
Geovany Soto (born January 20, 1983) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 2005 to 2017, most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs where he appeared in the MLB ...
* 2015 – Kris Bryant
Most Valuable Player
* 1935 –
Gabby Hartnett
Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett (December 20, 1900 – December 20, 1972), nicknamed "Old Tomato Face", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Chic ...
* 1945 –
Phil Cavarretta
Philip Joseph Cavarretta (July 19, 1916 – December 18, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and manager. He was known to friends and family as "Phil" and was also called "Philibuck", a nickname bestowed by ...
* 1952 –
Hank Sauer
Henry John Sauer (March 17, 1917 – August 24, 2001) was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He appeared in 1,399 games, primarily as a left fielder, in Major League Baseball ( MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds (1941–1942, 194 ...
* 1958 –
Ernie Banks
Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...
* 1959 – Ernie Banks
* 1984 –
Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Dee Sandberg (born September 18, 1959), nicknamed "Ryno", is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies (19 ...
* 1987 –
Andre Dawson
Andre Nolan Dawson (born July 10, 1954), nicknamed "The Hawk" and "Awesome Dawson", is an American former professional baseball player and inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 21-year baseball career, he played for four different te ...
* 1998 –
Sammy Sosa
* 2016 – Kris Bryant
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
* 1971 –
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins CM (born December 13, 1942) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 to 1983 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and ...
* 1979 –
Bruce Sutter
* 1984 –
Rick Sutcliffe
Richard Lee Sutcliffe (born June 21, 1956), nicknamed "The Red Baron", is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinals between 1976 and ...
* 1992 –
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams. Maddux is best known for his accomplishments while playing for the Atlanta Braves ...
* 2015 – Jake Arrieta
Rivalries
Crosstown Classic: Chicago White Sox
The terms "North Siders" and "South Siders" are synonymous with the respective teams and their fans, setting up an enduring rivalry. The White Sox currently lead the regular season series 49–41, winning the last 4 seasons in a row. The BP Crosstown Cup was introduced in 2010 and the White Sox have won the trophy each time. There have been seven series sweeps since interleague play began: four by the Cubs in 1998, 2004, 2007, and 2008, and three by the White Sox in 1999, 2008, and 2012.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers-Cubs rivalry is due mostly to the fact that the ballparks are located less than apart. However, this rivalry did not begin to grow until , when the Brewers moved from the American League Central Division to the NL Central. Until then, the Brewers had a rivalry with the Chicago White Sox, White Sox, which had become known as ''The I-94 Series'', as both teams are just a short drive from Interstate 94. Brewers-Cubs games are consistent sellouts or near-sellouts, as fans of both teams take advantage of the relative proximity of
Miller Park
American Family Field is a retractable roof stadium used primarily for baseball. It is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just southwest of the intersection of Interstate 94 and Brewers Boulevard. It is the home of Major League Baseball's Milwauk ...
and Wrigley Field. The two stadiums are roughly equidistant for Cubs fans living in north-suburban Chicago; hence, fans in this region take advantage of Miller Park's larger seating and parking capacity, more modern amenities, and the certainty that the game will not be weather-delayed (due to Miller Park's roof) to attend Cubs games in Milwaukee in large numbers, enhancing the rivalry's intensity. Due to the close proximity of the ball park, many Cub fans make the drive to Miller Park which coined the nickname "Wrigley North".
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals–Cubs rivalry refers to games between the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
and the Cubs. The Cubs lead the series 1,137–1,106 through ,
while the Cardinals lead in
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
pennants with 19 against the Cubs' 17. The Cubs have won 11 of those pennants in Major League Baseball's Modern Era (1901–present), while all 19 of the Cardinals' have been won since 1901. The Cardinals also have a clear edge when it comes to World Series successes, having won 11 championships to the Cubs' 3. The Cardinals have enjoyed an overwhelming advantage over their Chicago rivals in the regular season standings. In the 70 seasons from 1946 through 2016, the Cardinals have finished ahead of the Cubs 53 times. In that same span the Cardinals have had 50 seasons in which their winning percentage was over .500, while the Cubs have finished over that mark 21 times (they finished at an even .500 twice). Cardinals-Cubs games see numerous visiting fans in either St. Louis' Busch Stadium or Chicago's Wrigley Field. When the National League split into two, and then three divisions, the Cardinals and Cubs remained together. This has added excitement to several pennant races over the years, most recently in 1984, , , , 2015, and 2016; the first three times the division title was won by the Cubs, the fourth by the Cardinals, who went on to win the National League pennant as the Cubs faltered in the second half of the 2004 season. However, 2015 and 2016 were special years for the Cubs. In 2015, the Cubs finished in third place in the NL Central Division behind the Cardinals and Pirates, but they made the playoffs as the second National League Wild Card team. After defeating the Pirates 4–0 in the Wild Card game, they disposed of the Cardinals in the NLDS in four games (3-1); however, they later lost to the New York Mets in the NLCS (Mets 4- Cubs 0). In 2016, the tide really turned in a positive direction for the Chicago Cubs. They won the NL Central Division crown with a record of 103-58 which was 17.5 games ahead of the second place Cardinals (86-76). The Cubs then defeated the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS (3-1) followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS (4-2) to win the NL pennant for the first time since 1945. In an epic 2016 World Series, the Cubs ended their 108-year World Series Championship drought by defeating the Cleveland Indians in a thrilling seven-game series (4-3).
Ownership
List of Owners
*1876:
William Hulbert
William Ambrose Hulbert (October 23, 1832 – April 10, 1882) was one of the founders of the National League, recognized as baseball's first major league, and was also the president of the Chicago White Stockings franchise.
Biography
Born in Bu ...
*1882:
Albert Spalding
Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised ...
*1902: Jim Hart (manager), James Hart
*1905: Charles Murphy (baseball owner), Charles Murphy
*1914: Charles Phelps Taft, Charles Taft
*1916: Charles Weeghman/
Albert Lasker
Albert Davis Lasker (May 1, 1880 – May 30, 1952) was an American businessman who played a major role in shaping modern advertising. He was raised in Galveston, Texas, where his father was the president of several banks. Moving to Chicago, he be ...
(heads of an investment group with seven others including
William Wrigley Jr.
William Mills Wrigley Jr. (September 30, 1861 – January 26, 1932) was an American chewing gum industrialist. He was founder of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 1891.
Biography
William Mills Wrigley Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Penns ...
)
*1921: Wrigley and Company (Wrigley family owned Wrigley Chewing Gum)
*1981:
Tribune Company
Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Through Tribune Broadcasting, Tribune Media was one of the largest television broadcasting companies, owning 39 ...
*2007: Sam Zell
*2009: Family trust of J. Joseph Ricketts, Joe Ricketts; chairman Thomas S. Ricketts, Tom Ricketts (the elder Ricketts is the founder of
TD Ameritrade
TD Ameritrade is a stockbroker that offers an electronic trading platform for the trade of financial assets including common stocks, preferred stocks, futures contracts, exchange-traded funds, forex, options, mutual funds, fixed income investmen ...
)
Ownership History
Al Spalding, who also owned
Spalding sporting goods, played for the team for two seasons under club founder William Hulbert. After Hulbert's death Spalding owned the club for 21 years, after which the Cubs were purchased by Albert Lasker and Charles Weeghman. That pair were followed by the Wrigley family, owners of The Wrigley Company, Wrigley's chewing gum. In 1981, after 6 decades under the Wrigley family, the Cubs were purchased by
Tribune Company
Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Through Tribune Broadcasting, Tribune Media was one of the largest television broadcasting companies, owning 39 ...
for $20.5 million. Tribune, which also owned the ''Chicago Tribune'', ''Los Angeles Times'', ''WGN Television'', ''WGN Radio'' and many other media outlets, controlled the club until December 2007, when Sam Zell completed his purchase of the entire Tribune organization and announced his intention to sell the baseball team.
In 2008 Zell began what was basically a competition for a buyer. In late July, a long list was narrowed down to ten, and those ten prospective investors were then narrowed to three, all of whom offered over $1 billion for both the Cubs and Wrigley Field, with the presumptive fan favorites being outspoken
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
owner
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, television personality, and media proprietor whose net worth is an estimated $4.8 billion, according to ''Forbes'', and ranked No. 177 on the 2020 ''Forbes'' 400 list ...
and a group led by former announcer
Steve Stone and Hall-of-Famer
Hank Aaron
Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. One of the gre ...
. However, the list inflated back to five by August as private equity investor and Brewers minority owner John Canning Jr. and Tom Ricketts, the son of Ameritrade founder J. Joseph Ricketts, Joe Ricketts were added to the "contest." The Canning move was highly scrutinized, because when Zell originally trimmed the candidates down, Canning Jr. had been eliminated, but commissioner
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig
(; born July 30, 1934) is an American baseball executive who currently serves as the Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball. Previously, he served as the ninth Commissioner of Baseball from 1998 to 2015. He initially served as ...
had apparently picked him as a favorite of the fraternity of MLB owners. During a
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
-Dallas Mavericks telecast on October 9, 2008, Cuban, in a courtside interview with Comcast Sports Net, claimed he had made the highest bid, and although he did not know where he stood, noted that the state of the economy would likely affect the time frame of the eventual sale. Nonetheless, on January 8, 2009, the Chicago Tribune reported that a new group of three finalists, Thomas S. Ricketts, Tom Ricketts advised b
Salvatore Galatiotoo
Galatioto Sports PartnersHersch Klaffadvised b
Michael Levyo
Paragon Capital Partners and a partnership of private equity investors Marc Utay and Leo Hindery Jr., were expected to submit polished offers "within days", after which the winning bid would be accepted and, pending the winning bidders approval by of the current MLB owners, "would be final", with Zell holding on to a minor share of the team. The Ricketts family won that bidding process as the 2009 season came to a close. Ultimately, the sale was unanimously approved by MLB owners and the Ricketts family took control on October 27, 2009.
Media
Radio
The Cubs' flagship radio station is WSCR (AM), WSCR 670 AM. The Chicago Cubs Radio Network consists of 45 stations and covers at least 11 states.
Pat Hughes (sportscaster), Pat Hughes, who did play by play for the Milwaukee Brewers prior to coming to Chicago, hosts the program along with Ron Coomer, a member of the 2001 Cubs, who became Hughes's color man in January 2014. The pre and post game shows are hosted by Zack Zaidman. Hughes and
Ron Santo had a run as partners on WGN Radio, known as The ''Pat and Ron Show'', which began when Santo, a former Cubs star and a devout fan of the team (Hughes introduced Santo as "Cub legend Ron Santo" on a daily basis) joined the Cubs' broadcast booth in 1990 and the show ended with Santo's death on December 3, 2010. The show featured Santo as the "single biggest Cubs fan of all time", who was known for his emotional highs and lows during games. One example of a "low" was his "Noooo! Noooo!" when Brant Brown dropped a fly ball in a key game in 1998. A "high" for Santo was upon the retirement of his number on the last day of the 2003 season, in which he declared his #10 flag to be "my Hall of Fame." Because Santo was a Diabetes mellitus type 1, type 1 diabetic who had lost both his legs to the disease, most sponsors of the radio program centered their promotions around the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and other diabetes-based charities.
Print
The club also produced its own print media; the Cubs' official magazine, VineLine, which spotlighted players and events involving the club
''Vineline'' VineLine, which began its run in 1986, had 12 annual issues. After a three decade run, the magazine's last issue was December 2018. VineLine continues to have a presence online with a VineLine Blog and VineLine Twitter. The club also publishes a traditional media guide.
Television
Cubs telecasts are locally aired on three different outlets: Over broadcast television via the WGN television outlets (both the WGN-TV, local station on Channel 9 and the WGN America, superstation nationally, produced through the station's WGN Sports department), Weigel Broadcasting's WCIU-TV (Channel 26.1) and on cable television over Comcast SportsNet Chicago, CSN Chicago (of which the Ricketts family owns a 20% interest), with some games, mainly on Wednesday evenings, airing over the supplemental CSN+ channel. WCIU came into the fold in the early 2000s due to demands by The WB Television Network for WGN to devote more time to the network's programming, and later on the same has been expected by The CW Television Network, The CW, though WGN still does push back CW primetime programming to accommodate game broadcasts.
Len Kasper has been the Cubs' television play-by-play announcer since 2005. Bob Brenly, a former major league catcher and
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
manager, was the Cubs' color commentator from 2004 through the 2012 season. In October 2012, Brenly announced that he would not return to the Cubs' broadcast booth for another season. The Cubs did not announce Brenly's replacement until December 5, 2012. Jim Deshaies will become the Cubs' color commentator for the 2013–2016 seasons. WGN also produces the games shown on WCIU; for those games, the score bug changes the "WGN" logo to "WGN Sports on The U" (previously "CubsNet"). WCIU games additionally air over MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYS-LD (Channel 69) in the South Bend, Indiana market. WGN and CSN Chicago generally show an even number of Cubs games, while WCIU averages about 8 games per season.
In 2009, the Chicago Cubs expressed interest in creating their own regional cable network. Crane Kenney, the Cubs' president, said that a regional network owned by the Cubs would create additional revenue streams. The hope was that this would be similar to other successful regional sports networks such as the Yes network, YES Network and NESN. The only difference would be that the Cubs could not immediately broadcast Cubs games due to the existing contracts and/or ownership stakes in CSN Chicago, WGN-TV and WCIU-TV. According to Kenney, the new Cubs network would be like the MLB Network, but showing Cubs-only programming. Classic Cubs games from the past could be scheduled as well as in-depth specials. Live telecasts of the minor league affiliate Iowa Cubs games were also being considered (when there are no Cubs games scheduled or available due to contract agreements).
In the past, Wayne Larrivee,
Chip Caray
Harry Christopher "Chip" Caray III (born February 27, 1965) is an American television broadcaster for Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast's coverage of the Atlanta Braves baseball. Chip is also known from his time as a broadcaster for ...
, Thom Brennaman,
Joe Carter
Joseph Chris Carter (born March 7, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, ...
, and Dave Otto, among others, have announced the team's games on television.
Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray
Two broadcasters in particular have made their mark on the team. Jack Brickhouse manned the Cubs radio and especially the TV booth for parts of five decades, the 34-season span from 1948 to 1981. He covered the games with a level of enthusiasm that often seemed unjustified by the team's poor performance on the field for many of those years. His trademark call ''"Hey Hey!"'' always followed a home run. That expression is spelled out in large letters vertically on both foul pole screens at Wrigley Field. "Whoo-boy!" and "Wheeee!" and "Oh, brother!" were among his other pet expressions. When he approached retirement age, he personally recommended his successor.
Harry Caray
Harry Christopher Caray (; March 1, 1914 – February 18, 1998) was an American radio and television Sports commentator, sportscaster. During his career he called the play-by-play for five Major League Baseball teams, beginning with 25 years of ...
's stamp on the team is perhaps even deeper than that of Brickhouse, although his 17-year tenure, from 1982 to 1997, was half as long. First, Caray had already become a well-known Chicago figure by broadcasting White Sox games for a decade, after having been a St Louis Cardinals icon for 25 years. Caray also had the benefit of being in the booth during the NL East title run in 1984, which was widely seen due to WGN's status as a cable-TV superstation. His trademark call of ''"Holy Cow!"'' and his enthusiastic singing of "''Take me out to the ballgame''" during the 7th inning stretch (as he had done with the White Sox) made Caray a fan favorite both locally and nationally. Harry occasionally had problems pronouncing names, to comic effect, such as his attempt at saying "Héctor Villanueva" which was captured on WGN's memorial CD to Harry. He also continued his long-standing bit (dating back to the Cardinals years) of pronouncing names backwards. Caray had lively discussions with commentator
Steve Stone, who was hand-picked by Harry himself, and producer Arne Harris. Caray often playfully quarreled with Stone over Stone's cigar and why Stone was single, while Stone would counter with poking fun at Harry being "under the influence." Stone disclosed in his book "''Where's Harry''" that most of this "arguing" was staged, and usually a ploy developed by Harry himself to add flavor to the broadcast. Additionally, Harry once did a commercial for Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch), Budweiser, dressed as a "Blues Brother" and parodying "Soul Man", singing "I'm a Cub fan, I'm a Bud man", while dancing with models dressed as Cubs ball boy, ball girls.
The Cubs still have a "guest conductor", usually a celebrity, lead the crowd in singing "Take me out to the ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch to honor Caray's memory. The quality of their renditions and ability to sing in tune vary widely. Chicago icons often return annually, such as former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, who tends to sing the song very fast and worse than awful. Caray is also honored with a statue located at the corner of Sheffield and Addison street. During the 1998 season, a permanent window with Caray's caricature was installed in the Wrigley Field broadcast booth, and a patch with the same caricature along with Brickhouse's trademark ''"Hey Hey"'' were worn on the players sleeves to honor the passing of both commentators within a span of a few months. Harry's popularity also led to his grandson
Chip Caray
Harry Christopher "Chip" Caray III (born February 27, 1965) is an American television broadcaster for Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast's coverage of the Atlanta Braves baseball. Chip is also known from his time as a broadcaster for ...
joining the broadcast team in winter of 1997, shortly before Harry's death. Chip Caray worked the Cubs games alongside Stone until events that unfolded in 2004, when Stone became increasingly critical of management and players toward season's end. At one point, reliever Kent Mercker phoned the booth during a game and told Stone to "keep out of team business." Stone left the team, taking a position with Chicago-based WSCR, and is now an announcer for the south side team, the Chicago White Sox. Chip Caray also left, joining his father Skip Caray (who would die in 2008) on TBS (TV network), TBS, providing play-by-play for the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicago Cubs Franchise History
Chicago Cubs
History of Major League Baseball by team