Cubs History

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. Moreover they started losing their fan support, when they put up dark netting over the fence in back of the bleachers, to stop the fans from watching the game from the terrace of apartment buildings neighboring the Wrigley Field. Manager Don Baylor was replaced by Bruce Kimm, under the guidance of new manager finished the season in 5th place with a woeful 67-95 record. The following season, the Cubs again changed their manager and hired Dusty Baker, who had just guided the San Francisco Giants to the World Series.

In 2003, Sammy Sosa achieved his 500th career Homer on the 4th day of the season in the Cincinnati Reds new ballpark. In the 1st half of the season, Kerry Wood and Mark established themselves as the finest pitching sensation in the NL. Sammy Sosa earned a notorious name for using a corked bat, which broke in an interlegaue game against the Tamp Bay Devil Rays. For this notoriety he was handed over an 8-game suspension. In an anticipation to get back in the race, the Cubs acquired Armais Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, and Randall Simon from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The trade somehow improved the Cubs performance on the offvensive front, putting them in a chase for the NL Central Division title, where they finished the season in first place and won their first division title in 14 years with an 88-74 record. In the NLDS, the Cubs bested the Atlanta Braves Cubs to win their first postseason series in 95 years with a 5-1 win. In the NLCS, the Marlins stole the show by 9-6 and went on to play in the World Series leaving Cubs dejected and crestfallen. In 2004, duo of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior was highlighted with the joining of Greg Maddux who returned to the Cubs playing for 11 years with the Atlanta Braves. In August Maddox, registered his 300th career win against the San Francisco Giants. Until the end of the season the Cubs remained in the Wild Card race.

Unfortunately the Cubs missed the Wild Card spot by just 3 games and finished the season in 3rd place with an 89-73 record. The Chicago Cubs came into existence in the 1870s as the White Stockings to throw a professional challenge to the Cincinnati's Red Stockings. The Cubs since its inception are based in Chicago, Illinois and are one of the original teams of the Central Division of the National League. The Cubs hold the distinction of representing the same city longer than any other major league club. In 1871, the Cubs became the certified member of the game’s first professional league “The National Association.” After the disastrous fire that took place on 8th October 1871, the Cubs didn’t participate in the National Association for the next two years since their ballpark, uniforms and records totally devastated. After their comeback in 1875, the Cubs found themselves to be a mediocre team. The team’s constant failure led William Hulbert, president of White Stockings found the National League. He also procured the key players of the Boston Red Stockings, pitcher Al Spalding and first baseman Cap Anson in 1876. Spalding also became the team’s leader and manager for almost twenty years. After his rustication from the team, he took care of his recently opened sporting goods firm. In 1882, he returned as the club’s president from 1882 and enjoyed the designation until 1891. In the first decade of the 20th century, the Cubs became one of the best teams of the professional baseball winning a record of 116 games in 1906, 107 games in 1907, 99 games in 1908, and 104 games in 1909 and 1910. The team became famous as the Cubs in 1902 when a sports journalist remarked that the team played like bear cubs. With the change in name, the Cubs won four NL Championships and two World Series victories from 1902 to 1912. Infielders Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance along with Harry Steinfeldt formed the core of the team. The Cubs World Series loss in 1911, led to the resignation of Frank Chance and John Evers suffered a nervous breakdown, which marked the end of his career. With the new ownership in 1916, the Cubs received an opportunity to play at Weegham's ballpark, which is now known as Wrigley Field.

The strong batting skills of Hornsby and Wilson, led the Cubs to win the NL pennant in 1929. The Cubs also went on to win four more pennants in 1932, 1935, 1938, and 1945, but every time they were swept off. The Cubs after losing the 1945 World Series, fell to the bottom of the NL. Ernie Banks joined the team in 1953, and went on to become one of the greatest power-hitting shortstops in the history of major league. Although he never played in a postseason game, in 1958 he became the first player of the team to be named the NL’s most valuable player (MVP) with a losing record. A year later he became the first NL player to win back-to-back MVP awards. Ferguson Jenkins led the Cub’s pitching staff during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1981, the Cubs were bought by the Chicago Tribune Company and three years later the Cubs made a postseason appearance after 39 years. In 1989 they won the division championship. 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 Sosa, Wood and Beck contributed to make it a significant year. The Cubs have faced the longest stretch of failure by not winning a World Series since 1908 but still they are among the Top 10 teams which are permanent in the league in attendance. The logo of the team has red "C" hemmed in a blue circle.