Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs are a Major League Baseball team, who presently belong to the Central Division of the National League. Chicago , Illinois is home to Chicago Cubs. Cubs were highly successful before 2005 season; they were victorious in back-to-back seasons in 2003 and 2004. The Chicago Cubs took a tremendous step back in 2005, finishing four games under .500 and 21 games out of first in the NL Central. Besides the persistent troubles with the starting rotation, Chicago had problems at the pinnacle of its streak, which was addressed with the heisting of speedy Juan Pierre from the Marlins. Most of the players of the starting rotation were plagued with injuries, Kerry Wood went through arthroscopic shoulder surgery in late August and Mark Prior has a stressed muscle in his right shoulder. Miller was also enduring injuries, he had shoulder surgery in September and is still haven't recovered. Strengths of the team were Carlos Zambrano who is as fast as a stallion. Though Greg Maddux has entered the 40 th year of his life but he is still astute at game.

General manager Jim Hendry also reinforced a weedy bullpen by drafting free agents Scott Eyre and Bobby Howry. That eased the load on the starting rotation, especially early in the season. Starters had to get to through the sixth inning only and after that they could have handed things over to the bullpen with poise. The Cubs strengthened their array and their defense by signing Pierre . They filled the empty holes in the bullpen. But their pitching staff is off to yet another atrocious start, and until that gets situated, the Cubs will have trouble overtaking either the Astros or Cardinals in the NL Central. Cubs should drift around the .500 mark most of the season as the curse of the Billy Goat prolongs. If Maddux sustains with a consistent performance and Neifi steps away for an inanimate carbon rod then the team can win 84 games. The rationalized bullpen should help improve the pitching in 2006. Hendry took a wise decision when he picked up Pierre and Jones. Pierre perks up the defense and leadoff position and should spell more RBI opportunities for Lee and Ramirez. The prime non-pitching question remains at shortstop, where veteran Neifi Perez and 23-year-old Ronny Cedeno will be anticipated to help, give the answer. Lee and Ramierez will need to maintain the mass supply of the offense in 2006. it is suggested to fans of the team to be serene in 2006 – if the team is close at the all star break expect a midseason trade or two to perhaps make the variation.

The Cubs finished the 2000 season in last place with a 65-97 record, despite of Sammy Sosa’s league-highest 50 HRs. In 2001 he established a club record for extra-base hits (103) and slugging percentage (737),and recorded just the seventh 50-homer/150 RBI season in Major League history becoming the only player after the break out of World War II to achieve this feat twice. Until late August, the Cubs were in first place. However, the fantasy soon ended when the Cubs finished the season in 3rd place with a solid 88-74 record. In 2002, the Cubs hopes were high since they ended the previous season they contended for NL Central. But to their utter disappointment, they found themselves below .500 all season.

When Wrigley Field was inaugurated, it was called Weeghman Field and was primarily built to house the short lived "Federal League", and the Chicago Whales, which dissolved after 2 seasons. The stadium was built on the grounds once occupied by a seminary. Named after the Whales' club owner, Charles Weeghman, the park became the home of the Chicago Cubs after the 1915 season when the Federal League collapsed. The Cubs played their first National League game at the ballpark on April 20, 1916 , when the Cubs bested the Cincinnati Reds by 7-6 in 11 innings. Weeghman successfully gained a part of the ownership of the Cubs, and moved the club to his new north side facility, abandoning legendary (and wooden) West Side Park .