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History of the Chicago Cubs 1
History of the Chicago Cubs
The following is a franchise history of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball, a charter member of the
National League 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. They are the earliest formed active professional sports club in North America. In their
history, they have also been known as the White Stockings, Orphans, Colts, Panamas, Rainmakers, Spuds, Trojans,
Microbes, and Zephyrs.
Chicago White Stockings/Chicago Colts
1870: The Chicago White Stockings Base Ball Club
The success and fame of the Brooklyn Atlantics, organized baseball's first true dynasty, and the Cincinnati Red
Stockings (c. 1867-1870) baseball's first openly all-professional team, 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 hadaccumulated an unparalleled 89-game winning streak. A number of them adopted variants on basing the team name
on the team colors, and it happens that Chicago's club, which was officially known as The Chicago Base Ball Club,
adopted white. On April 29, 1870, the Chicago White Stockings played their first game against the St. Louis
Unions, and soundly defeated the Unions 47-1. The White Stockings divided their games between their downtown
practice field, Ogden Park, 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, 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 baseballclubs from the New York 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.
18711875: William Hulbert and the National Association
West Side Grounds served as the club's home for
nearly 30 years
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 was born, and the White Stockings,
financed by businessman William Hulbert, 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, and the
club was a close contender for the pennant until late in the season. On
Sunday, October 8, the Great Chicago Fire 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
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History of the Chicago Cubs 2
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
by the same name, but now based in Boston. 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) 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, Hartford Dark Blues, Philadelphia Athletics, and a few others to join the White Stockings in
his new league, which would be known as the National Base Ball League. The National League's formation meant
the end of the NA, as its remaining clubs shut down or reverted to amateur or minor status.
18761900: The National League
The 1876 White Stockings won the N.L.'s first
pennant
After the 1875 season ended, Hulbert was principal in the acquisition of
several key players, including Boston pitcher Albert Spalding and first
baseman Adrian Anson of the Philadelphia Athletics. 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, 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 cruisedthrough 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 Parkballpark 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. Extrapolating an 84-game season
onto a 162-game season is a dubious proposition, but a similar percentage achieved in modern times would yield 129
wins. A more suitable comparison would be to that of a modern NBA or NHL franchise, who play a similar-length
82 game schedule. Only four teams in NBA history have won more than 67 games in a season and the most wins in
NHL history is 62.
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History of the Chicago Cubs 3
"Cap" Anson and a Chicago dynasty
Cap Anson, who played a record 27 straight
seasons was inducted into the HOF in 1939
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. 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 earlyseasons 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 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 in 1965. Goldsmith is one of two pitchers credited with the
invention of the curveball. 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, the self-proclaimed "beer and whiskey
league", which began play as a second "major league." The A.A. 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) 2-game post-season series against the AA champions, the Cincinnati Reds. This was not
considered a "World's Championship Series" at the time, but is often included in volumes that discuss the 19th
century version of the World Series. Each team won 1 game and then the series was ended.
The White Stockings slipped a bit in 1883, finishing 4 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 2 games over the New York
Giants. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Browns 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 `85. The "Chicago Stone Wall", the greatest infield of its day, was in
place, anchored by Anson and Ned Williamson, 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 in 1919. King Kelly was the best catcher in the league and
Corcoran was primary pitcher, but John Clarkson, a product of an Anson scouting trip, would lead Chicago to yet
another pennant. Much has been written about Old Hoss Radbourn's record 60 victories for the Providence Grays 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 to propose a new stat,
runs-batted-in. It would take years to become official
[1]
, but research would reveal that Anson led the N.L. in RBIeight 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
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History of the Chicago Cubs 4
the New York Yankees three decades later. Anson's mark was so deep that by the mid-1890s the team 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 baseball drawing the infamous "color line", resulting in
African-Americans being barred from organized baseball. This came about in an exhibition game with Toledo of the
AA, in which the highly bigoted Anson refused to field his team as long as Toledo's black player was in the lineup.
Such was Anson's prowess that this triggered an apartheid that would continue for over 60 years.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 a St. Louis franchise which would eventually
join the NL and become known as the St. Louis Cardinals. The two clubs remain perennial rivals to this day.
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. The Browns won the Series 4 games to 2, 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, 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. 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 Remnantsor 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. 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.
Early MLB years (a.k.a. dead-ball era)
19011913: A new Cubs Dynasty
19081914 team logo
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 (shortstop), Johnny Evers (second baseman),
and Frank Chance (first baseman) were three Hall-of-Fame Cubs infielders
who played together from 1903 to 1912. They, along with third baseman
Harry Steinfeldt and catcher Johnny Kling, formed the infield on whatwould become one of the most dominant baseball teams of all time.
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History of the Chicago Cubs 5
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 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 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, Jack Pfiester and Orval Overall. The Cubs' pitchers posted a record for lowest
staff earned run average 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 and the
Detroit Tigers 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, involved in a tight pennant race, were tied in the bottom of
the ninth inning at the Polo Grounds. The Giants had runners of first and third and two outs when Al Bridwell hit a
single to center field, scoring Moose McCormick from third with the Giants apparent winning run, but the runner on
first base, rookie Fred Merkle, 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. Since there were two outs, a
forceout was called at second base, ending the inning and the game. The game went down in history as "Merkle's
Boner". 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.
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, 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 against the New York Giants in a July game. The trio was immortalized in
Franklin P. Adams' poemBaseball's Sad Lexicon, which first appeared in the July 18, 1910, edition of the New YorkEvening Mail:
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History of the Chicago Cubs 6
Chicago reached the World Series four times between 1906
and 1910, winning twice.
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 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 YorkYankees and Tinker went to Cincinnati to manage the Reds, 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.
19141924: Lasker, Weeghman, & the double-Bills
The Cubs fell into a lengthy doldrum after the departure of their stars. In 1916, advertising executive Albert Lasker
and his partner Charles Phelps Taft 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 of the short-lived
Federal League, and was proprietor of a popular chain of lunch counters.
Cubs right fielder Max Flack, c. 1920. Note the Doublemint "elves"
atop the scoreboard, and the Wilson Sporting Goods sign on the right
field wall.
As owner, Albert Lasker moved the club to the Whales
old home, Weeghman Park, 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. In
the 1918 World Series, the North Siders, led by pitcher
Grover Cleveland Alexander, posted the majors' best
record at 8445 that year, and faced the Boston Red
Sox. Babe Ruth won two games in the series, including
a 10 complete-game shutout 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, Boston sold Ruth to the Yankees a year
later, starting their 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, 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 becoming the first Commissioner of Baseball. During this time, Weeghman
filed for bankruptcy and Lasker's friend, chewing gum manufacturer William Wrigley, Jr. acquired his controlling
interest in 1921.[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Wrigley%2C_Jr.http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chewing_gumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commissioner_of_Baseballhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenesaw_Mountain_Landishttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_Sox_Scandalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shutouthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babe_Ruthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boston_Red_Soxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boston_Red_Soxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grover_Cleveland_Alexanderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1918_World_Serieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Curse_of_the_Bambinohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pennant_%28sports%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Weeghman_Parkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AMax_Flack_Cubs_1920.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wilson_Sporting_Goodshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Doubleminthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Max_Flackhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Federal_Leaguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chicago_Whaleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Weeghmanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Phelps_Tafthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Albert_Laskerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cincinnati_Redshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_York_Yankeeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_York_Yankeeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pennant_%28sports%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gonfalonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AChicago_Cubs_team_picture%2C_1906.jpg8/14/2019 History of the Chicago Cubs.pdf
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History of the Chicago Cubs 7
19251946: Early Wrigley years
Every three years
Cub logo in the 1920s and 1930s
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., 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, Gabby Hartnett, Billy Herman, Rogers Hornsby, 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 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 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's Detroit Tigers in
a hard fought, 6 game series.
The 1938 season saw Dizzy Dean 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 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, 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 and infielder
Phil Cavarretta. Due to the wartime travel restrictions, the first three games were played in Detroit, where the Cubswon two of them, and the last four were to be played at Wrigley. The Cubs won Game 1 9-0 and Claude Passeau
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 was laid upon the Cubs when P.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 Mr. Wrigley demanded the goat leave the park due to complaints about its unpleasant odor. Upon his
ejection, an angry Mr. Sianis uttered, "the Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." The Cubs lost game 4, and despite a
heroic series by Cavarretta, lost the 1945 World Series in seven games. Although the Cubs have occasionally
appeared in post-season series since divisional play began in 1969, they have not appeared in a World Series since
Sianis put his "curse" on the Cubs.
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History of the Chicago Cubs 9
Fall of '69
In 1969, the Cubs started out 111, building a substantial lead in the newly created National League East. Chicago
surged through the All-Star break, led by the quarted of eventual Hall of Famers in Banks, Williams, Santo and
Jenkins.. Jenkins ultimately won 21 games, Bill Hands was also a 20-game winner, and Ken Holtzman won 17,
which included a no-hitter on August 19. Chicago led the division by 81
2games over St. Louis and by 9
1
2games
over the New York Mets in late August, but the Cubs wilted under pressure, losing key games to the Mets, andfinished at 9270, eight games out of first. Many superstitious fans attribute this collapse to an incident at Shea
Stadium on September 9, when a fan released a black cat 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, boasts summers which are quite humid (8590 degrees Fahrenheit 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 3911 record, finishing with 100 wins while the second place Cubs slumped in
September, going only 817.
19701981 - Bad teams & the June Swoon
The Cubs play at Wrigley Field, May 1970
In the decade of the 1970s and through the 1983
season, the Cubs rarely tasted any substantial success.
Following the disastrous fall to the Mets in 1969, the
Cubs finished slightly over .500 in 1970, 1971 and
1972, while most of the core players from the 1969
team were still in uniform, including the "Old Guard"
of Santo and Williams on the field as well as Jenkins,
Holtzman, and Milt Pappas on the mound. Pappas
tossed a no-hitter in 1972. No Cub would again pitch a
no-hitter until Carlos Zambrano on September 15,
2008. After 1973, however, many of those players
either retired or were traded, and the Cubs fell into
mediocrity at best. Between 1973 and 1983 there were a combined 165 games under .500.[3]
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 but the team was just plain bad.
Phil Wrigley died in 1977, leaving the team to his son, William Wrigley III. 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 led
the baby blue pinstriped '77 club into first place at 4722 on June 28, and the team enjoyed an 8.5 game lead in the
N.L. East. After entering the all star break at 54-35, still 19 games above .500, the team started to crack as the
Phillies picked up steam, cutting the lead to two games. Eventually the Cubbies 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
8181, 22 games behind Philadelphia.
Amazingly, the club then had similar (though not as exaggerated) falls the next two seasons as well, despite the
acquisition of slugger Dave Kingman. The Cubs were 11 over .500 in '78 and 13 over in '79, but still finished with
losing records both seasons. This trait was dubbed "The June Swoon." Along with Kingman, Cub rosters in this
period featured such players as Rick Reuschel, who won 20 games in the infamous '77 season, as well as Bill
Madlock, Bill Buckner, Keith Moreland, Jos Cardenal, and Ivn DeJess.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Reuschelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Madlockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Bucknerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keith_Morelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jos%C3%A9_Cardenalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iv%C3%A1n_DeJes%C3%BAshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iv%C3%A1n_DeJes%C3%BAshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jos%C3%A9_Cardenalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keith_Morelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Bucknerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Madlockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Madlockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Reuschelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dave_Kingmanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1977_Chicago_Cubs_seasonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobby_Murcerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Wrigley_IIIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Milt_Pappashttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AWrigley_Field_-_Cubs_vs._Reds_1970.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_Michiganhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_Michiganhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_cathttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shea_Stadiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shea_Stadiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_York_Metshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ken_Holtzmanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Handshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_League_East8/14/2019 History of the Chicago Cubs.pdf
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History of the Chicago Cubs 10
Tribune era -It's cool to be a Cub fan again!
1984 & 1989 NL East Champs
William Wrigley's mother died within a few months of Phil Wrigley. With most of his money tied up in the Wrigley
Company, William was forced to put the Cubs up for sale in order to pay estate taxes. In 1981, the Tribune Company
purchased the Cubs from the Wrigley family for $20.5 million in the middle of another losing season. In 1982,DeJesus, one of the team's better players, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for shortstop Larry Bowa and
infielder Ryne Sandberg.
On Opening day of 1981 only 10,672[4]
entered 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 was fired after a profanity-laced tirade against Cub fans and was replaced by Jim Frey.
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 and Gary "The Sarge" Matthews and inking pitcher Scott Sanderson to
complement a what was already a good team, boasting players such as third baseman Ron Cey and catcher Jody
Davis.
The Cubs opened up the season going 128 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 was sent to the Boston Red Sox for Dennis Eckersley
and Mike Brumley, and on June 13, Mel Hall and Joe Carter were sent to the Cleveland Indians for starter Rick
Sutcliffe. 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 5431 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. In the first game of the NLCS the Cubs won 13
0 behind two Gary Matthews home runs, and then took a20 series lead with a 42 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 a heartbreaker when All-Star closer Lee Smith allowed a walk-off home run to Steve Garvey in
Game 4. 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 30 lead to the sixth inning with
Sutcliffe, the 1984 NL Cy Young Award winner, on the mound, but a critical error by first baseman Leon Durham
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.
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History of the Chicago Cubs 11
Andre Dawson meeting a young fan at in 1988.
Most publications picked the Cubs to repeat as Division Champs in
1985, especially after adding Dennis Eckersley to the rotation. The
Cubs responded by starting out 3519 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 7784. Shawon Dunston, the #1 overall pick in the '82draft came up from the minors for good near the end of the season.
During '86 season, Jim Frey was replaced at skipper with former
Yankee Gene Michael, but the team went through two more years of
poor baseball. Outfielder Andre Dawson 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 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 (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 64. 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, Greg Maddux, and Rafael
Palmeiro.
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 sophomore 1B Mark Grace leading
the team in hitting and rookie catcher JoeGirardi from local Northwestern University provided stability behind the
plate for Maddux and the other Cub hurlers. Speedy outfielder Dwight Smith finished 2nd in the racefor NL Rookie
of the Year to fellow Cub outfielder Jerome Walton, who set the current club record hitting streak at 30 games. This
time, Chicago met the SanFrancisco Giants in the NLCS. After splitting the first twogames 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. 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,
which ultimately led to another early exit from the post season. The Giants went on to lose to the Oakland A's in the
famous "Earthquake Series."
19902002: Ryno, Gracie, and Sammy
Between 1990 and 1997, a time-frame which coincided with the 6 championship dynasty of the NBA's Chicago
Bulls, Cubs took a back seat in the headlines and also fell back into the doldrums of mediocrity. Most seasons in this
period were basically overby 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
in a Cub uniform, left for Atlanta via free-agency, which greatly frustrated the fan base. Their replacements came
and went as GM Larry Himes struggled to find a proper mix. Slugger George Bell was signed in 1991 and after amediocre season was traded to the White Sox for Sammy Sosa. Pitchers Danny Jackson, Jaime Navarro, Randy
Myers and Mike Morgan brought initial hope to the Friendly Confines faithful but ultimately spawned no playoff
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History of the Chicago Cubs 12
berths.
Shawon Dunston was a Cub for over a decade
and inspired the Shawon-O-Meter, with which
fans tracked his batting average
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, Kevin
Foster, Mike Harkey, Jeff Pico, and Frank Castillo were unable to
establish themselves in any significant fashion in the post-strike years.Steve Trachsel, 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 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 withRyno eventually becoming the
highest paid player in baseball, retiring and then making aJordanesque
comeback.
Brian McRae, Jos Hernndez and Glenallen Hill 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 8478 mark in 1993 and a 7371 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 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 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 Rodrguez to complement Grace and Sosa in the lineup and
inking closer Rod Beck and starter Kevin Tapani to bolster the pitching staff. The team also acquired infielders
Mickey "The Dandy Little Glove Man" Morandini and Jeff Blauser. With the season dedicated to Caray (who's
grandson Chip Caray 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's dominating Rookie of the Year pitching, which included
an MLB record-tying 20 strikeout game versus the Houston Astros. On the last day of the season, the Cubs fell 43
to Houston after a throwing error by Mulholland, but the team's playoff hopes were saved when Colorado's Neifi
Prez 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, 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 SosaMcGwire home run chase with "saving baseball", by both bringing in new, younger fans and
bringing back old fans soured by the 199495 Major League Baseball strike. After the season, GM Ed Lynch and
manager Jim Riggleman 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 clubs failure to tender a contract offer to third baseman Robin
Ventura, who's contract with the White Sox had expired and had expressed a desire to remain in Chicago. The Cubs,
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History of the Chicago Cubs 13
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, which was the genesis of another epic tailspin, resulting in the club finishing in last
place. Jim Riggleman 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 assistant GM. MacPhail vowed to lead the team to success in the new century.
Kerry Wood, aka "Kid K" owns a share of the MLB single-game
strikeout record
McPhail sent Hendry to work quickly, and his first move
was trading reliever Terry Adams to Los Angeles for Eric
Young and Ismael Valdez, and hiring Don Baylor to
succeed Riggleman as the Chicago skipper. During a
forgettable 2000 season, Hendry also sent pitcher Scott
Downs to Montreal and acquired Rondell White. 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,
though McGriff took over a month debating whether ornot to approve the deal and leave his hometown Tampa
Bay Devil Rays, 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's club. Jon Lieber 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'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 8874, only 5 games behind both St. Louis and Houston, who tied forfirst, but followed this up with a disastrous 2002 campaign, after which Baylor was fired and replaced by yet another
new manager
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History of the Chicago Cubs 14
The Dusty Baker years
3B Aramis Ramrez was acquired in 2003 in a lopsided deal
with the Pittsburgh Pirates
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, Kerry Wood,
Carlos Zambrano, and Matt Clement, 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, who was traded near the
end of the '02 campaign. Initially, there was talk of a deal for
Marlin's 3B Mike Lowell, 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 Ramrez and center fielder
Kenny Lofton in what has proven to be a lopsided deal in the
Cubbies favor.
Finishing up August at 6966, the Cubs went on a tear in
September, riding Sammy Sosa, Moiss Alou, 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[5]
" by Sports Illustrated, 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, the club's first post-season series win since 1908, and moved on to face Lowell and the eventual championFlorida Marlins 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 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 30 lead that night.
The crowd pumped up with even more adrenalin when the 7th inning stretch was sung by comedian Bernie Mac,
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 Moiss Alou 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, which potentially could have ended the inning v ia 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 (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, 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 to fill thefourth spot in the rotation behind Wood, Prior, and Carlos Zambrano, giving the Cubs what on paper was considered
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History of the Chicago Cubs 15
to be the strongest rotation in the league. In late July, GM Jim Hendry pulled a blockbuster trade with eventual
champion Boston for Nomar Garciaparra, 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 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.
Derrek Lee, Moiss Alou and A-Ram led the Chicago Cubs offense in
2005
Though Dusty Baker 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 thevast number of costly injuries. Prior to the 2005
campaign, the Cubs finally managed to trade Sosa to
the Baltimore Orioles for Jerry Hairston, Jr. and
Mike Fontenot. Months later, Sammy was one of a
group of players, (including Mark McGwire) 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 for Hee-seop Choi, and
Lee went on to have his best season, hitting .335 with 46 home runs and 107 RBIs. Ryan Dempster 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 7983. 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 fromthe Marlins and inked free agent Jacque Jones to fill the hole in right. Former blue-chip prospect Corey Patterson,
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 and Scott Eyre 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 149 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 and showed some flashes of brilliance, and Aramis Ramrez
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
6696. As rumors of the club's sale dominated the horizon, Andy MacPhail resigned his position as team Presidentfollowing the season, and the team opted to let Baker, the former "Messiah's" contract expire.
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History of the Chicago Cubs 16
20072008: Back to Back
Alfonso Soriano, who signed the richest deal in
franchise history in 2007, toys with fans at the Friendly
Confines
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 after a managerial search that
included hometown favorite Joe Girardi. Soon afterward, the
Tribune Company was sold, but still allowed several important
pre-season moves. The team re-signed Aramis Ramrez, and
instead of waiting for Mark Prior to heal, Hendry signed Ted Lilly
and Jason Marquis to join the rotation. He also inked free agent
infielder Mark DeRosa and gave Alfonso Soriano 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 Mrmol, and infielder Ryan Theriot. 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 102
streach that featured a pair of dramatic, late-inning wins against the Reds. In what some called the most exciting[6]
Major League Baseball season ever, the Cubs clinched the Central on September 28.
In the NLDS, they met the Arizona Diamondbacks. Carlos Zambrano was dominant in Game 1, but was matched by
D-Backs ace Brandon Webb as the game was tied at one after six. In a move that has since come under scrutiny [7],
Piniella called in ace reliever Carlos Mrmol 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 20 on a home run by rookie catcher Geovany Soto, but Lilly, who was 91 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.
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History of the Chicago Cubs 17
Lines can become very long outside Gate N, the entrance to the Bud Light
Bleachers. Lines often start forming as early as 9 a.m. for a 1:20 p.m. first
pitch.
Just before Christmas in 2007, Sam Zell closed
the sale of the Tribune 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 questionswere answered when they inked the
much-pursued Japanese superstar Kosuke
Fukudome of the Chunichi Dragons. Rumors of
a nine player deal with Baltimore 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 and later Jim Edmonds were signed to platoon in center after sending prospect
Flix Pie back to AAA Iowa. One highnote of the season came on May 30, after the Boys in Blue fell behind the
Rockies 91, they ultimately surged back, winning 109 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 Mrmol. On
July 8, Sean Gallagher, who had replaced a struggling Rich Hill as the clubs fifth starter, was dealt to Oakland along
with outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson, as the Cubs netted star pitcher Rich Harden, 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 firstno-hitter in three decades on September 14, against Houston in Milwaukee. That game was moved to Miller Park
after Hurricane Ike forced the series to be moved from Minute Maid Park 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, cliching home
field advantatge. 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 era begins
In July 2008, Dallas Mavericks owner, businessman Mark Cuban, 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 and a group led by former Republican
Vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp and Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is supporting
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
begins, and on January 22, 2009, Cubs.com announced that the group led by the Ricketts had their bid accepted by
Zell.[8]
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 JakePeavy, which, much like the Brian Roberts talks a year earlier, resulted in nothing. Piniella blamed the '08 post
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History of the Chicago Cubs 18
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 over Adam Dunn, Ral Ibez, 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. Kevin Gregg was acquired from the Marlins to replace Wood, and Mike
Fontenot was promoted to replac