CHICAGO CUBS

The History of the Chicago Cubs | Baseball Almanac

If you were to draw up the perfect baseball franchise, chances are you might come up with the Chicago Cubs. Here you have a long-established team in a large city with a fanatical fan base, an impressive roster of Hall of Fame players, and a beautiful, timeless ball park that revels in its unique traditions and is actually part of the personality of the team and the city.

Alas, nothing is perfect and the blemish that prevents the Cubs from being that perfect franchise is the interminable lack of success they have suffered on the playing field. Still, they embody much of what makes baseball uniquely great and magical.

No baseball team in any city has the length of lineage the Cubs have in Chicago. They were originally formed as an amateur team less than a decade after the Civil War (1874) and joined the National League for its initial season. Playing their first professional game on April 25, 1876, exactly two months before Custer's Last Stand and while Ulysses S. Grant was President of the United States, they defeated the Louisville Greys 4-0.

Ironically, at this time they were known as the White Stockings. Their star player was Hall of Famer Adrian "Cap" Anson, the first player to accumulate three-thousand hits. He played and managed in Chicago for twenty-two years, leaving the Cubs in 1897, due to his declining prowess and a typo error in his contract that he'd overlooked.

Chicago greeted the 20th century by changing the team name to the Cubs and developing a whole new cast of superstar players. Frank Chance, considered the best first baseman of his time, became player-manager of the club in 1905. Known as the "Peerless Leader" for his ability to manage and motivate players, Chance began guiding the Cubs down a road that would lead them to one of the greatest seasons of all time.

The 1906 Cubs had it all: a great manager, first baseman and hitter in Chance, the immortal Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance infield and a virtually unhittable pitching staff with Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown (26-6, 1.04), Jack Pfeister (20-8, 1.56), Ed Reulbach (19-4, 1.65) and Carl Lundgren (17-6, 2.21). The team won 116 games, a National League record that still stands, and finished 20 games ahead of the competition. The only thing the Cubs did wrong in 1906, was (somehow) lose the World Series. They were upset by their cross-town rival White Sox in six games in what remains the only all-Chicago World Series ever played.

Undeterred, Chance led the Cubs back to the World Series in 1907, and 1908, both times against Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers. The Cubs won both series, and these back to back championships were the only two the franchise won until the next century! The 1908 Cubs were involved in the famous "Merkle's Boner" incident, in which Fred Merkle, the Giants' baserunner on first base, failed to touch second after the Giants' hitter had singled home the winning run from third. Johnny Evers retrieved the ball from the crowd (which had flooded the field) and got an ump to call Merkle out at second. Merkle's mental lapsus ended up costing the Giants the pennant.

The Cubs won one more pennant for Chance in 1910, and another in 1918 behind new manager Fred Mitchell and twenty game winners Hippo Vaughn and Claude Hendrix. They lost both World Series.

In 1921, Phillip Wrigley of chewing gum fame bought the team from Charles Weeghman. Weeghman had originally owned the Federal League"s Chicago Whales (the Federal League was a third Major League that played in 1914-15). Weeghman built the Whales a handsome ballpark on the north side and called it Weeghman Park. After Wrigley bought the team, he changed the name of the park to Cubs Park in 1920, and then to Wrigley Field in 1926.

The Cubs roared back to the top of the National League in 1929 and began a pattern of winning the pennant every three years (1929-1932-1935-1938), losing all four World Series — though the '35 Cubs set a still-standing major league record of 21 straight wins. Those teams had their share of great players during this decade, including Hall of Famer Hack Wilson, who, in the prime of his short career, set the then National League home run record (56) and the still-standing record of 191 RBIs in 1930; other Cubs Hall-of-Famers from that period included Rogers Hornsby, Kiki Cuyler, Billy Herman, Gabby Hartnett, Dizzy Dean and Chuck Klein. They also had solid performing veterans like Stan Hack, Ripper Collins, and a young Phil Cavarretta.

The Cubs under Charlie Grimm garnered one more pennant, winning in a war-year (1945) when many teams had lost their best players to military service and the Cubs were lucky enough to lose fewer than most. The Cubs did not fail to disappoint again in the World Series, losing to the Tigers in 7. Nonetheless, ten pennants in the first half of the century was a respectable showing. But the Cubs were about to plunge into an abyss at the beginning of the second half of the century: In a 20-year stretch from 1947 to 1966, they finished last five times and only managed to finish above .500 once.

Under veteran manager Leo Durocher, the Cubs rebounded in the late 1960's. Ernie Banks had been the heart and soul of the Cubs for the previous decade. He was called Mr. Cub for his loyalty to the franchise and optimistic disposition ("Let's Play Two!"). His 512 career home runs and two Most Valuable Player Awards helped cement his reputation. Banks was finally surrounded by strong supporting talent including Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Don Kessinger, Glenn Beckert and Randy Hundley. A veteran pitching staff led by Fergie Jenkins, Ken Holtzman, and Bill Hands made the Cubs a contender, but never a winner. The 1969 campaign was the toughest of all for Cubs fans, as the team blew a nine game lead in August to the Miracle Mets.

The Cubs returned to their losing ways until Dallas Green came on board and rode the offensive talents of Ryne Sandberg, Jody Davis, Ron Cey and Gary Matthews to the 1984 National League East title. What put the Cubs over the top that year was the in-season acquisition of pitcher Rick Sutcliffe who won 16 of his 17 decisions. This magical Cubs season ended on a sour note when they lost the NL Championship Series to the Padres in five games after winning the first two. The Cubs first-baseman, Leon Durham, committed an error in the seventh inning of the decisive game that opened the way to the Padres' victory — almost identical in effect and imagery (a ground ball dribbling through his legs) to the error first-baseman Bill Buckner (a former Cub) was to commit two years later in the tenth inning of Game 6 of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets.

In 1988, the Cubs brightened Wrigley Field with the installation of lights and enjoyed some success afterwards with division titles in 1989, and 2003, and a wild card berth in 1998. The '89 and '98 teams exited the playoffs quickly, but the 2003 team went down especially hard, with one particular play summing up life as a Cubs player and fan.

The Cubs were leading 3-0 in the eighth inning of the sixth game, just five outs away from a win against the Florida Marlins that would take them to their first World Series in almost sixty years. The Marlins' Luis Castillo lofted a foul ball down the left field line and a fan named Steve Bartman reached for the ball, deflecting it from the outstretched glove of Cubs left-fielder Moises Alou, and preventing him from registering what would have been the second out of the inning.

The Cubs fans were furious with Bartman, and their anger continued unabated well after Bartman had touched the foul ball. The Cubs ace, Mark Prior, was to give up a walk and a single and shortstop Alex Gonzalez was to boot a double play ball that would have gotten the Cubs out of the inning without allowing a run. Before the Cubs could close out the inning, the Marlins had scored eight runs, won the game and won Game 7 the next night.

For Bartman, a lifelong and loyal Cubs fan, life became a nightmare. A half-century of fan frustration poured out on him like venom. He had to be escorted out of the stadium by security guards and go into seclusion for months.

In desperation, Cubs fans ceremoniously destroyed the Bartman foul ball before the beginning of the following season, hoping it would change the karma of a team that had suffered through a half century of abject misery punctuated by occasional near-miss heartbreaks. No sign yet that it's worked, though there are some glimmerings. The arrival of Theo Epstein on the scene in 2011 may have begun to pay dividends, as the Cubs, led by Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and a slew of talented rookies, managed to reach the Championship Series again in 2015 — though no further, for they were swept by the Mets in 4 games.

2016 proved to be the year that the Fall Classic drought ended for the Cubs. With key moves at the trade deadline, Chicago was ready to make a championship run, and did so! Third baseman Kris Bryant won the NL MVP in 2016. Not only did the Cubs see individual success, but this was the season where everything came together — again. They won the World Series in seven games against the Cleveland Indians, their first World Series championship in one-hundred eight years!

In a potential repeat year, the Cubs won 92 games in the 2017 regular season. Chicago managed to make it out of the NLDS, and they reached the NLCS for the third consecutive season. The Cubs fell to the Dodgers in 5 games. The Cubs reached the postseason in 2018 and 2020, but failed to advance beyond the Wild Card games.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"Chicago Cubs fans are the greatest fans in baseball. They've got to be." - Cubs Manager Herman Franks (1978)

Chicago Cubs History

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Chicago Cubs Franchise Facts

Chicago White Stockings Rosters | 1876 - 1889
            1876 1877 1878 1879
1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889
Chicago Colts Rosters | 1890 - 1897
1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897    
Chicago Orphans Rosters | 1898 - 1901
                1898 1899
1900 1901                
Chicago Cubs Rosters | 1902 - Current
    1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023            
Bold Seasons : Uniform Numbers Worn
Chicago White Stockings Schedules | 1876 - 1889
            1876 1877 1878 1879
1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889
Chicago Colts Schedules | 1890 - 1897
1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897    
Chicago Orphans Schedules | 1898 - 1901
                1898 1899
1900 1901                
Chicago Cubs Schedules | 1902 - Current
    1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023            
Bold Seasons : Box Scores Online
Chicago Cubs 100-Win Seasons
Year Record Manager
1906 116-36 Frank Chance
1907 107-45 Frank Chance
1909 104-49 Frank Chance
1910 104-50 Frank Chance
1935 100-54 Charlie Grimm
2016 103-58 Joe Maddon
Chicago Cubs 100 Loss Seasons
Year Record Manager
1962 59-103 Charlie Metro
" " " El Tappe
" " " Lou Klein
1966 59-103 Leo Durocher
2012 61-101 Dale Sveum
Chicago Cubs No-Hitters
Name IP Date
Larry Corcoran 9.0 08-19-1880
Larry Corcoran 9.0 09-20-1882
Larry Corcoran 9.0 06-27-1884
John Clarkson 9.0 07-27-1885
Walter Thornton 9.0 08-21-1898
Jimmy Lavender 9.0 08-31-1915
Sam Jones 9.0 05-12-1955
Don Cardwell 9.0 05-15-1960
Ken Holtzman 9.0 08-19-1969
Ken Holtzman 9.0 06-03-1971
Burt Hooton 9.0 04-16-1972
Milt Pappas 9.0 09-02-1972
Carlos Zambrano 9.0 09-14-2008
Jake Arrieta 9.0 08-30-2015
Jake Arrieta 9.0 04-21-2016
Alec Mills 9.0 09-13-2020
Zach Davies 6.0 06-24-2021
  Ryan Tepera 1.0   "        "
  Andrew Chafin 1.0   "        "
  Craig Kimbrel 1.0   "        "
Bold = Perfect Game
Chicago Cubs Cycle Hitters
Name Inn. Date
Jimmy Ryan 9.0 07-28-1888
Jimmy Ryan 9.0 07-01-1891
Hack Wilson 9.0 06-23-1930
Babe Herman 9.0 09-30-1933
Roy Smalley 9.0 06-28-1950
Lee Walls 10.0 07-02-1957
Billy Williams 9.0 07-17-1966
Randy Hundley 11.0 08-11-1966
Ivan DeJesus 9.0 04-22-1980
Andre Dawson 9.0 04-29-1987
Mark Grace 9.0 05-09-1993
Bold = Natural Cycle
Chicago Cubs Cy Young Winners
Year Name Position
1971 Fergie Jenkins RHP
1979 Bruce Sutter RHP
1984 Rick Sutcliffe RHP
1992 Greg Maddux RHP
2015 Jake Arrieta RHP
Chicago Cubs MVP Winners
Year Name Position
1935 Gabby Hartnett C
1945 Phil Cavarretta 1B
1952 Hank Sauer OF
1958 Ernie Banks SS
1959 Ernie Banks SS
1984 Ryne Sandberg 2B
1987 Andre Dawson OF
1998 Sammy Sosa OF
2016 Kris Bryant 3B
Chicago Cubs Rookies of the Year
Year Name Position
1961 Billy Williams OF
1962 Ken Hubbs 2B
1989 Jerome Walton OF
1998 Kerry Wood P
2008 Geovany Soto C
2015 Kris Bryant 3B
Chicago Cubs Retired Numbers
# Name Position
10 Ron Santo 3B
14 Ernie Banks SS
23 Ryne Sandberg 2B
26 Billy Williams OF
31 Fergie Jenkins P
31 Greg Maddux P
42 Jackie Robinson 2B
Chicago Cubs Batting Champions
Year Name #
1876 Ross Barnes .429
1880 George Gore .360
1881 Cap Anson .399
1884 King Kelly .354
1886 King Kelly .388
1912 Heinie Zimmerman .372
1945 Phil Cavarretta .355
1972 Billy Williams .333
1975 Bill Madlock .354
1976 Bill Madlock .339
1980 Bill Buckner .324
2005 Derrek Lee .335
Chicago Cubs ERA Champions
Year Name #
1902 Jack Taylor 1.33
1906 Mordecai Brown 1.04
1907 Jack Pfiester 1.15
1918 Hippo Vaughn 1.74
1919 Grover Alexander 1.72
1920 Grover Alexander 1.91
1932 Lon Warneke 2.37
1938 Bill Lee 2.66
1945 Hank Borowy 2.13
2016 Kyle Hendricks 2.13
Chicago Cubs Home Run Champions
Year Name #
1884 Ned Williamson 27
1885 Abner Dalrymple 11
1888 Jimmy Ryan 16
1890 Walt Wilmot 13
1910 Frank Schulte 10
1911 Frank Schulte 21
1912 Heinie Zimmerman 14
1916 Cy Williams 12
1926 Hack Wilson 21
1927 Hack Wilson 30
1928 Hack Wilson 31
1930 Hack Wilson 56
1943 Bill Nicholson 29
1944 Bill Nicholson 33
1952 Hank Sauer 37
1958 Ernie Banks 47
1960 Ernie Banks 41
1979 Dave Kingman 48
1987 Andre Dawson 49
1990 Ryne Sandberg 40
2000 Sammy Sosa 50
2002 Sammy Sosa 49
Chicago Cubs Strikeout Champions
Year Name #
1880 Larry Corcoran 268
1885 John Clarkson 308
1887 John Clarkson 237
1892 Bill Hutchison 316
1909 Orval Overall 205
1918 Hippo Vaughn 148
1919 Hippo Vaughn 141
1920 Grover Alexander 173
1929 Pat Malone 166
1938 Clay Bryant 135
1946 Johnny Schmitz 135
1955 Sam Jones 198
1956 Sam Jones 176
1969 Fergie Jenkins 273
2003 Kerry Wood 266
Chicago Cubs Wild Cards
Year Record Manager
1998 90-73 Jim Riggleman
2015 97-65 Joe Maddon
2018 95-68 Joe Maddon
Chicago Cubs East Division Titles
Year Record Manager
1984 96-65 Jim Frey
1989 93-69 Don Zimmer
Chicago Cubs Central Division Titles
Year Record Manager
2003 88-74 Dusty Baker
2007 85-77 Lou Piniella
2008 97-64 Lou Piniella
2016 103-58 Joe Maddon
2017 92-70 Joe Maddon
2020 34-26 David Ross
Chicago Cubs N.L. Pennants
Year Record Manager
1876 52-14 Al Spalding
1880 67-17 Cap Anson
1881 56-28 Cap Anson
1882 55-29 Cap Anson
1885 87-25 Cap Anson
1886 90-34 Cap Anson
1906 116-36 Frank Chance
1907 107-45 Frank Chance
1908 99-55 Frank Chance
1910 104-50 Frank Chance
1918 84-45 Fred Mitchell
1929 98-54 Joe McCarthy
1932 90-64 Rogers Hornsby
" " Charlie Grimm
1935 100-54 Charlie Grimm
1938 89-63 Charlie Grimm
" " Gabby Hartnett
1945 98-56 Charlie Grimm
2016 103-58 Joe Maddon
Chicago Cubs World Championships
WS Opponent M.V.P.
1907 Detroit n/a
1908 Detroit n/a
2016 Cleveland Ben Zobrist
Chicago White Stockings Statmaster
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Chicago Colts Team Statistics Tool
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Chicago Cubs Team Statistics Tool
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Chicago Cubs Forum
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Chicago Cubs History | Research by Baseball Almanac
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The Chicago Cubs (White Stockings) played their first Major League baseball game on April 25, 1876. Their opponent that day was Louisville and they shutout the Grays 4-0.

Chicago Cubs World Series Appearances
1906 World Series 1918 World Series 1938 World Series
1907 World Series 1929 World Series 1945 World Series
1908 World Series 1932 World Series 2016 World Series
1910 World Series 1935 World Series
Bold = Chicago Cubs World Series Wins

Did you know that the Chicago Cubs (who were the White Stockings at the time) won the first pennant in National League history? The 1908 World Series was their last World Championship and life-long Cubbie fan / author / pulisher / poet David D. Horowitz included the baseball epigram below in his most recent book:

LOSS

Though I'm a Cubbies fan, I will not castigate and blame.
Five soldiers lost their lives today. The Cubs just lost a game.

Source: Wildfire, Candleflame (2005, David D. Horowitz)

During the 1894 season Bill Dahlen set the Chicago Cubs franchise record for longest hitting streak when he connected successfully in forty-two consecutive games.