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Chicago Cubs,
professional baseball team and one of six teams in the Central
Division of the National League (NL). Formerly called the White
Stockings, Colts, and Orphans, the team plays at Wrigley Field in
Chicago, Illinois. The club is owned by Tribune Company and wears
uniforms of red, white, and blue.
No major league team has continuously represented the same city
longer than the Chicago Cubs and their predecessors, who date back
to 1870. Chicago’s first star was Cap Anson, one of the premier
batsman of the 19th century, who led the team to the first
championship of the National League in 1876.
Chicago fielded many powerful teams from 1876 to 1910. In 1907 and
1908 the Cubs won consecutive World Series titles, but since then
the team has established the longest championship drought in major
league baseball. Through the decades many standouts have played in
Chicago, including Hall of Fame members Ernie Banks, Kiki Cuyler,
Rogers Hornsby, Ferguson Jenkins, Hack Wilson, and Billy Williams.
Later stars included Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg, and Sammy Sosa.
The Chicago White Stockings club, the predecessor of the Cubs, was
formed in 1870 to challenge the Cincinnati Red Stockings (now the
Reds), baseball’s first professional team. The first professional
league, the National Association, was founded the next year.
Frustrated by players jumping from one team to another in search of
higher pay, White Stockings president William Hulbert founded the
National League in 1876 to provide regularly scheduled games,
professional umpires, and better relations between players and
owners. The team’s first manager was Albert Spalding, a star pitcher
who left the game in 1878 to build his sporting goods company. Anson
replaced Spalding and led the White Stockings to five NL titles
during his first seven years as manager.
With young, inexperienced players Chicago’s record remained
unimpressive during the late 1890s. Two name changes—to the Colts in
1890 and the Orphans in 1898—reflected the roster. After a
sportswriter noted that the team played like bear cubs, the team
adopted the name Cubs in 1902. The change marked the beginning of
Chicago’s second dynasty. Under managers Frank Selee and Frank
Chance, the Cubs earned four NL pennants and two World Series
victories from 1902 to 1912. Chicago’s pitching ace during this
period was Three Finger Brown. In 1906 the Cubs captured the NL
pennant after winning 116 games to set an all-time major league
record, although they lost to the Chicago White Sox in the World
Series.
With great pitching and powerful hitting, the Cubs continued to
dominate the NL. Led by first baseman-manager Chance, the team won
two more NL pennants and defeated the Detroit Tigers for two World
Series championships in 1907 and 1908. Chicago won two more pennants
in 1910 and 1918.
In 1921 the team was purchased by William Wrigley, a Chicago chewing
gum manufacturer. Wrigley invested thousands of dollars in the team,
bringing together infielder Hornsby and outfielders Wilson and
Cuyler under manager Joe McCarthy. Led by the strong batting skills
of Hornsby and Wilson, Chicago won the NL pennant in 1929 before
falling to the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series. Chicago
went on to capture four more pennants in 1932, 1935, 1938, and 1945
but was defeated each time in the World Series.
After the 1945 defeat, Chicago fell to the bottom of the NL despite
the contributions of several future Hall of Fame players. Ernie
Banks, who joined the team in 1953, became one of the greatest
power-hitting shortstops in major league history, although he never
played in a postseason game. Known simply as Mr. Cub, Banks in 1958
became the first member of a team with a losing record to be named
the NL’s most valuable player (MVP). A year later he became the
first NL player to win back-to-back MVP awards.
Playing alongside Banks for many years were outfielder Billy
Williams and third baseman Ron Santo. During a seven-season stretch
in the 1960s, Williams set an NL record by appearing in 1117
consecutive games. (Steve Garvey of the San Diego Padres set a new
record in 1983 with 1207). Santo, a five-time Gold Glove Award
winner for fielding excellence, ranks among Chicago’s all-time
leaders in hits, home runs, runs batted in (RBIs), and extra-base
hits. Leading the Cub’s pitching staff during the late 1960s and
early 1970s was Ferguson Jenkins. He recorded six consecutive 20-win
seasons from 1967 to 1972, capturing the NL Cy Young Award in 1971.
In 1984 the Cubs made their first postseason appearance in 39 years,
although they lost in the NL Championship Series to the San Diego
Padres. Second baseman Ryne Sandberg was named NL MVP, pitcher Rick
Sutcliffe won the Cy Young Award, and Jim Frey was named the
league’s manager of the year.
In 1987 outfielder Andre Dawson was named NL MVP in his first season
with the Cubs. Don Zimmer took over as manager in 1989 and led the
Cubs to another division title, assisted by pitcher Greg Maddux. The
team lost in the playoffs to the San Francisco Giants, although
Zimmer was named manager of the year and outfielder Jerome Walton
was named rookie of the year. Maddux won the Cy Young Award in 1992.
Through the mid-1990s, the Cubs failed to lead their division. In
1997 the Cubs lost the first 14 games of the season to set a record
for the worst start in NL history.
In 1998 the Cubs won 90 games, led by the hitting of Sammy Sosa and
the pitching of rookie Kerry Wood. Throughout the season Sosa and
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire chased the
37-year-old single-season home run record of 61 set by Roger Maris
in 1961. Sosa finished the season with 66 home runs and McGwire
finished with 70. Wood was named rookie of the year. In one game, he
struck out 20 batters, tying the major league record. The Cubs lost
in the first round of the playoffs to the Atlanta Braves.CHAMPIONSHIPS
1907 - d. Detroit in 5 games
1908 - d. Detroit in 5 games
Won the NL Pennant in 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882,
1885, 1886, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938,
1945TOP MANAGER
Cap Anson was manager from 1879-1897 and finished with a 1238-932
record. Frank Chance managed from 1905-1912 and finished with a
768-389 record. Jim Frey (1984) and Don Zimmer (1989) were named NL
Manager of the Year.
MVPS
Gabby Hartnett (1935), Phil Cavarretta (1945), Hank Sauer (1952),
Ernie Banks (1958, 1959), Ryan Sandberg (1984), Andre Dawson (1987),
Sammy Sosa (1998)
CY YOUNG
Ferguson Jenkins (1971), Bruce Sutter (1979), Rick Sutcliffe (1984),
Greg Maddux (1992)
ROOKIE OF YEAR
Billy Williams (1961), Ken Hubbs (1962), Jerome Walton (1989), Kerry
Wood (1998)
RETIRED NUMBERS
14 - Ernie Banks (SS)
23 - Ryan Sandberg (2B)
26 - Billy Williams (OF)
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