| In 1876, the Chicago White
Stockings become one of eight charter members of the National League led by
their president William A. Hulbert, who was also the owner of the Chicago
club. A.G. Spalding is the manager when the team plays its first game in the
history of the Chicago National League Ball Club that takes place on April
25. Spalding doubles as the pitcher and records the first NL shutout, a 4-0
win over Louisville. The first run in team history is scored by center
fielder Paul Hines on a throwing error in the second inning.
The White Stockings go on to win the inaugural National League
championship. Using nicknames such as the "White Stockings," "Colts," and
Orphans," the team plays in five different locations in the 1800s. The
fledgling league thrived, as did the Chicago organization, becoming one of
the sport's first dynasties, winning six of the first 11 titles.
There were many players worthy of recognition, but the most enduring
fixture from this era is Adrian "Cap" Anson, who set the franchise record
for career hits (2,995) and managed the club for 19 years, earning him the
nick name "Cap," which was short for captain.
April 25, 1876: Chicago wins
its first NL game, beating Louisville 4-0. Five months later the
organization won their first NL pennant.
May 30, 1884: Ned Williamson
becomes the first player to hit three home runs in a single game, vs.
Detroit.
June 29, 1897: Chicago beats
Louisville 36-7, setting the club record for runs scored.
April 29, 1898: First baseman
Frank Chance debuts in 16-2 win vs. Louisville.
What a decade for Cubs baseball,
which is exactly what it was. In 1902, noting the youth movement lead by new
manager Frank Selee, a local newspaper penned the nickname Cubs for
the first time. The moniker prevailed over time and was officially adopted
by the club in 1907. It is currently one of the longest running-and most
beloved-alias' in all of sports. The team, after moving around to different
parks during the previous century, found a home at the West Side Grounds,
their home from 1893-1915.
The organization enjoyed the most successful decade in its history,
posting in 1906 all-time major league records for wins in a season (116) and
winning percentage (.763) en route to their first pennant of the 20th
century. The only all-Chicago World Series was played; the White Sox winning
four games to two. Spurned on by this loss, the team, in 1907, wins its
second consecutive National League pennant -- by 17 games -- under
player-manager Frank Chance.
The Cubs won their first World Series, defeating the Detroit Tigers and
Ty Cobb, four games to two. They followed this up the next year by winning
their second consecutive World Championship, repeating their World Series
victory over Detroit, this time four games to one. In 1908 pitcher
Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown wins 29 games, setting a team record
(since 1900) that stands today. He finished the decade with 135 victories,
716 strikeouts and a 1.51 ERA. The double-play combination of Joe Tinker,
Johnny Evers and Frank Chance is on its way to baseball immortality,
inspiring a "sad lexicon" written by Franklin Pierce, a writer with the New
York Times:
"These are the saddest of possible words ... Tinker to Evers to Chance
... A trio of bear Cubs and fleeter than birds ... Tinker to Evers to Chance
... Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble ... Making a Giant hit into a
double ... Words that are weighty with nothing but trouble ... Tinker to
Evers to Chance."
March 27, 1902: Chicago Daily News
becomes first-known entity to pen "Cubs" nickname as team moniker.
September 15, 1902: Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance trio records first double
play in 6-3 win vs. Reds.
July 1, 1905: Cubs win 13-5 vs. Reds
in Frank Chance's first official game as manager.
June 2, 1906: Cubs acquire
Cincinnati's Orval Overall, who goes 12-3 down stretch to lead Cubs to NL
pennant.
October 12, 1907: Cubs claim first
World Series title, beating Tigers 2-0 behind pitching of Mordecai Brown.
September 26, 1908: Ed Reulbach
becomes only pitcher to toss two complete-game shutouts on same day, vs.
Dodgers. A few weeks later, on October 14, the Cubs become the first team to
win back-to-back World Series when they defeat Detroit, four games to one.
October 14, 1908: Cubs become first team to win back-to-back World
Series, beating Detroit.
The team began this decade much like
they concluded the previous one — by winning. The Cubs win their fourth
National League pennant in five seasons. Despite wining 104 games and
capturing the flag by 13 games, they lose the 1910 World Series to the
Philadelphia A's, four games to one. During this time period the team would
finish in the top three in six of the years and appeared in two World Series
— in 1910 and 1918 — losing both times. In 1916, after the rival Federal
League had folded, the former owner from the upstart league, Charles
Weeghman, purchased the Cubs and immediately moved them into the park that
he had built in 1914 for his now defunct organization. The edifice at the
corner of Clark and Addison St. was then known as Weeghman Park houses the
current team under the name Wrigley Field. It is the second oldest ballpark
in the major leagues, behind Boston's Fenway Park. On a sad note, Albert
Goodwill Spalding, who had been so instrumental in getting the Chicago
National League Ball Club, and baseball in general off the ground, died on
Sept. 9, 1915.
June 11, 1911: Heinie Zimmerman
tallies Cubs-record nine RBIs in 20-2 win vs. Braves.
December 31, 1913: Charles Weeghman
signs deal to lease property for ballpark at Clark and Addison streets.
June 17, 1915: Zip Zabel pitches
18.1 relief innings in 19-inning 4-3 win vs. Brooklyn.
October 3, 1915: Cubs play their last game at West Side Grounds, beating
St. Louis 7-2.
January 20, 1916: Charles Weeghman
and nine investors purchase Cubs from Charles Taft. Three months later, on
April 20, the Cubs beat the Reds, 7-6, in the first NL game at Weeghman
Park, which was renamed Cubs Park in 1920 and eventually Wrigley Field in
1926.
May 2, 1917: Cubs' Hippo Vaughn
combines with Fred Toney for baseball's only nine-inning double no-hit game,
eventually won by Reds 1-0 in 10th inning.
September 11, 1918: The Cubs lose
the World Series to the Boston Red Sox four games to two behind pitching
sensation Babe Ruth.
In 1920, Weeghman Park becomes known
as Cubs Park, after chewing gum magnet William Wrigley buys out the
remainder of Charles Weeghman's share of the club. The park would undergo
yet another name change in 1926 when it becomes Wrigley Field. That same
year, plans are revealed to add a second tier to The Friendly Confines,
which increases capacity to 40,000. In 1929, under Hall-of-Fame manager Joe
McCarthy, the Cubs win the National League pennant by more than 10 games.
Nearly 1.5 million people pack Wrigley Field to marvel at the hitting
exploits of future Hall of Famers Rogers Hornsby (the year's NL MVP), Hack
Wilson, Gabby Hartnett and Kiki Cuyler. Despite all of the firepower, the
Cubs lose the World Series to the Philadelphia A's, four games to one.
During the decade, Wilson and Grover Alexander lead the team at the plate
and on the mound. Wilson finished the period with 121 home runs and 517 RBIs
while the right-hander Alexander lead with 110 Ws and a 3.02 ERA.
August 25, 1922: Cubs beat Phillies
26-23 in highest-scoring game in major-league history.
April 14, 1925: With Quin Ryan at
the mike, WGN Radio broadcasts its first regular-season Cubs game, as
Chicago defeats Pittsburgh by an 8-2 margin in Charlie Grimm's Cubs debut.
November 16, 1926: Plans announced
to double-deck Wrigley Field, increasing seating to 40,000.
October 8, 1929: Cubs fall 3-1 to
Philadelphia in first World Series game at Wrigley Field.
In 1930, outfielder Hack Wilson puts
together one of the greatest hitting seasons in baseball history, pounding
56 homers and driving in 191 runs-a mark has never been bettered in Major
League Baseball. On June 27, the largest crowd ever to see a game at Wrigley
Field — 51,556 — is on hand as the Cubs play the Brooklyn Dodgers. But paid
attendance is only 19,748, due to the Ladies Day promotion.
In 1932, Manager Charlie Grimm leads the Cubs to the National League
pennant, the team's second in four years. Cub pitcher Lon Warneke posts a
22-6 record. The Cubs face the vaunted New York Yankees in the World Series
— a series marked by Babe Ruth's mythical "called shot" during the 5th
inning of Game 3 at Wrigley Field. The Yankees sweep the Cubs, four games to
none.
This same year, former owner Charles Weeghman and owner William Wrigley
pass away, leaving the organization to Wrigley's son, Philip Knight. P.K.
then began remodeling the park to fit his vision of a backyard family
playground. He hired Bill Veeck, who, in 1937, plants the now-famous ivy on
the outfield wall.
That same year, the bleachers are constructed and a new scoreboard is
installed, both of which have remained virtually untouched over the years.
In 1938, one of the most dramatic moments in team history occurs when
catcher Gabby Hartnett hits the legendary "Homer in the Gloamin'" at Wrigley
Field. Hartnett's round-tripper off Pittsburgh's Mace Brown gives the Cubs
their third NL pennant of the decade. Hartnett replaces Charlie Grimm as
manager during the season, and lead the Cubs to the 1938 World Series
against the New York Yankees, where the Cubs are swept four games to none.
For the decade, Hartnett slugged 777 RBI, Riggs Stephenson hit .329 and Lon
Warneke posted a 2.85 ERA.
September 28, 1930: Hack Wilson
records RBIs Nos. 190 and 191-a major-league mark that still stands-in Cubs'
13-11 win vs. Reds.
June 30, 1932: Cubs become last to
add numbers to their uniforms.
October 1, 1932: Yankee Babe Ruth hits alleged "called shot" off Charlie
Root in Game 3 of World Series.
September 27, 1935: Cubs sweep
doubleheader from St. Louis to win 21st consecutive game.
June 25, 1937: Augie Galan becomes
first Cub to homer from both sides of plate in same game in 11-2 win vs.
Dodgers.
July 9, 1937: Construction begins on Wrigley Field bleachers and
centerfield scoreboard.
September 28, 1938: Gabby Hartnett's
"Homer in the Gloamin'" gives Cubs 6-5 win vs. Pittsburgh en route to
pennant.
Instead of becoming one of the first
teams to install lights, the Cubs went on to become one of the last when,
after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, P.K. Wrigley donates the lighting
equipment that he had recently purchased to the War Department in 1941. The
team's final World Series appearance of the 20th century occurred in 1945,
the last World War II-affected season. The team lost the Fall Classic to
Detroit in heartbreaking fashion, four games to three. In 1947, Jackie
Robinson made his major-league debut. When the Dodgers came to town in the
middle of May, with Robinson at first base, the stands were packed with the
largest single-game attendance at Wrigley Field ever-46,572.
April 26, 1941: Cubs become first
team to play organ music in ballpark.
December 8, 1941: Cubs donate their recently purchased lighting materials
to War Department in wake of Pearl Harbor bombing.
October 8, 1945: Stan Hack reaches
safely in six of seven plate appearances and drives in winning run in 12th
inning as Cubs beat Tigers 8-7 to force World Series Game 7, which the team
loses two days later, 9-3.
May 18, 1947: Jackie Robinson makes
his Chicago debut before largest single-game paid attendance in Wrigley
Field history (46,572), but Dodgers beat Cubs 4-2.
April 16, 1948: WGN-TV broadcasts
its first big-league game, with Jack Brickhouse calling White Sox's 4-1 win
vs. Cubs at Wrigley Field.
With the country in the middle of
the Cold War, the Cubs as a team are in the middle of a frigid decade. After
experiencing success for the majority of their existence, the Cubs finish
the 50s without a postseason appearance, the first decade of a drought that
would last until 1984. Individual team members found success of their own.
In 1952, outfielder Hank Sauer wins the NL Most Valuable Player award after
he hit a major league leading 37 home runs and 121 RBI. In 1955, Sam Jones
becomes the first Cubs pitcher to throw a no-hitter in nearly 40 seasons,
blanking Pittsburgh 4-0 on May 12 at Wrigley Field. And in 1959 Ernie Banks
becomes the first National Leaguer to win the MVP trophy in back-to-back
seasons. The previous year he hit .313, 47 homers and 129 RBI, while '59 saw
him go .304 with 45 home runs and a major-league leading 143 RBI.
April 17, 1951: Prior to Cubs'
home-opening 8-3 win vs. Cincinnati, Sam Snead becomes the first swinger
ever to hit the centerfield scoreboard-albeit with a golf ball.
April 20, 1952: NL office orders
centerfield hitter's background at Wrigley Field off-limits to fans, and it
remains so with exception of 1962 All-Star Game.
September 20, 1953: Ernie Banks
slugs first career home run in 11-6 loss to St. Louis.
May 12, 1955: Sam Jones closes out
4-0 no-hitter by walking bases loaded before fanning final three Pirates
batters.
May 26, 1957: Rookie Dick Drott
strikes out 15 Braves-including famed slugger Hank Aaron three times-in 7-5
win.
August 20, 1958: Cubs run out of
catchers in eventual 4-2 loss to Pirates, and first baseman Dale Long
becomes major's first left-handed receiver since 1905.
June 30, 1959: Infamous "two balls
in play" game: Cardinal Stan Musial draws walk on wild pitch and attempts to
advance an extra base as Cubs third baseman Alvin Dark (original ball) and
pitcher Bob Anderson (umpire-issued new ball) both fire balls toward second
base in St. Louis' eventual 4-1 win.
Sport imitated life in the 60s. A
period mostly remembered for rebelling against the norm and untimely deaths
of promising young leaders could describe the nation's or the organization's
history during this time. In 1960 owner P.K. Wrigley experimented with
manager position, implementing a "College of Coaches." The system was meant
to be a blending of ideas from several individuals instead of the
traditional one skipper ended without success five years later when Leo "The
Lip" Durocher took the helm. 1961 brought more individual success as future
Hall-of-Famer Billy Williams is voted the National League Rookie of the
Year. The next year the name of his teammate Ken Hubbs was engraved on the
trophy. The promising young second baseman played a record 78 games without
an error during his freshman campaign and was the first rookie to win a Gold
Glove Award. His life was cut short two years later when the plane that he
was piloting crashed into an icy Utah lake. 1969 began the disdain that most
Cubs fans feel for the Mets. The Wrigley faithful shatter The Friendly
Confines attendance records, as Ron Santo, Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins
lead the Cubs to one of their most memorable seasons. A tremendous
late-season pennant drive by the Mets left the Cubs in second place, despite
a 92-win season. For the decade, Fergie Jenkins leads the squad on the mound
with 917 Ks and a 2.95 ERA while Ron Santo drove in 937 runs and Ernie Banks
hit 269 homers.
May 15, 1960: Don Cardwell no-hits
Cardinals in his Cubs debut, with Moose Moryn's shoestring catch preserving
4-0 win.
December 21, 1960: P.K. Wrigley announces that Cubs will not have a
manager, opting instead for "College of Coaches."
September 30, 1962: Cubs hand Mets
their major-league record 120th loss in 5-1 contest that includes Ken Hubbs
(second base)— to-Ernie Banks (first base)-to-Andre Rodgers (shortstop)
triple play.
September 9, 1965: Pitcher Bob Hendley tosses one-hitter but is hard-luck loser by 1-0 score to Dodgers and
Sandy Koufax, who throws a perfect game.
October 25, 1965: Leo Durocher is named Cubs manager, officially ending
five-year "College of Coaches" run.
April 23, 1966: Fergie Jenkins
homers and picks up first win as Cub in 2-0 victory vs. Dodgers.
June 29, 1969: Cubs sweep two from
Cardinals on "Billy Williams Day" at Wrigley Field, as Chicago outfielder
sets NL record for most consecutive games played.
August 19, 1969: Ken Holtzman tosses first of two no-hitters, blanking
Braves 3-0.
During the 1970s, the Cubs saw many
of their greats ride off into the sunset. Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks retires from
the game in 1971 with 512 home runs. Three years later he and his familiar
greeting of, "Let's play two!" are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Billy
Williams, who in 1971 becomes the first player in NL history to play in
1,000 consecutive games, is traded to Oakland on October 23, 1974. Ron
Santo, who personified the hot corner for the second half of the
century-even long after he retired from the game-is traded to the White Sox
in 1973. Fireballer Fergie Jenkins is shuttled off to the Texas Rangers. In
return the Cubs received two infielders, one of which was Bill Madlock.
Names synonymous with Cubs baseball-Charlie Root, Gabby Hartnett, Stan Hack
and owner Philip Knight Wrigley all passed away in this decade, with the
reins of the team being passed to Wrigley's only son, William.
July 6, 1970: Ron Santo tallies 10
RBIs as Cubs take two from Expos.
August 24, 1971: Ernie Banks hits
his 512th and final career home run in Cubs' 5-4 loss vs. Cincinnati.
April 16, 1972: Burt Hooton no-hits
Phillies 4-0 in just fourth major-league start.
September 2, 1972: Milt Pappas no-hits Padres 8-0, having come within one
strike of perfect game (two-out ninth-inning walk).
August 21, 1975: Rick and Paul Reuschel become first brothers to combine on shutout in Cubs' 7-0 win vs.
Dodgers.
April 25, 1976: Outfielder Rick
Monday rescues an American flag from two protesters attempting to burn
nation's symbol in centerfield at Dodger Stadium.
October 3, 1976: Bill Madlock goes 4-for-4 against Expos on final day of
season to clinch NL batting title with .339 mark.
May 17, 1979: Philadelphia beats
Cubs 23-22 in 10 innings.
Ch-ch-changes are in store
for the Cubs in the 1980s in regards to ownership, postseason play
and the park. In 1981 the Wrigley family ends their 65-year
ownership of the team when William Wrigley sells the team to the
Tribune Company for $20.5 million.
In 1982, Fergie Jenkins -- having been picked up as a free agent
the previous November -- becomes the seventh player in baseball
history to hurl a record 3,000 strikeouts. That season Ernie Banks
becomes the first Cub to have his number retire. The fabled No. 14
now flies from the left-field foul pole at Wrigley Field while Billy
Williams' No. 26-retired in 1987-flies from the right-field pole.
In 1984, the organization wins their first NL Eastern Division
championship, and return to post-season play for the first time
since 1945. Under manager Jim Frey, the Cubs post a 96 and 65
record, breaking the 2 million-attendance mark. Second baseman Ryne
Sandberg wins the NL Most Valuable Player award. Acquired in
mid-June, pitcher Rick Sutcliffe went 16-1 with the Cubs to win the
NL Cy Young award. After winning the first two games at Wrigley
Field, the Cubs lost the N. L. championship series to the San Diego
Padres, three games to two. In 1987, outfielder Andre Dawson wins
the NL Most Valuable Player award after hitting 49 home runs and
driving in 143 runs.
On August 8, 1988, in a contest against the Phillies, the Cubs
play their first night game in Wrigley Field history on August 8.
The night debut was rained out after 3 1/2 innings, and the first
official night game occurred the next night, when the Cubs defeated
the New York Mets, 6-4. After the season, the North Siders announce
plans for $14 million renovation of park, including construction of
67 mezzanine suites and a new press box.
The team wins their second NL Eastern Division championship in
1989. Led by manager Don Zimmer, the Cubs enjoyed All-Star seasons
from Sandberg, Dawson, Sutcliffe along with relief pitcher Mitch
Williams, and Rookie-of-the-Year performance by outfielder Jerome
Walton. The San Francisco Giants defeated the Cubs in the 1989 NLCS,
four games to one.
December 9, 1980: Cubs trade
Bruce Sutter to St. Louis for Leon Durham.
June 16, 1981: William
Wrigley announces sale of club to Tribune Company for $20.5 million.
April 5, 1982: Third baseman Ryne Sandberg makes his Cubs debut Opening Day in 3-2 win in
Cincinnati.
May 25, 1982: Fergie Jenkins becomes seventh pitcher to eclipse
3,000 strikeouts, in 2-1 loss to Padres.
June 23, 1984: Ryne Sandberg
goes 5-for-6 and hits two late-inning game-tying home runs off St.
Louis' Bruce Sutter in Cubs' 11-inning 12-11 win.
September 24, 1984: Cubs clinch NL East title with 4-1 win in
Pittsburgh. Eight days later on October 2, the Cubs crush the Padres
13-0 in the North Sider's first postseason game since 1945.
November 19, 1987: Andre
Dawson named NL MVP.
February 25, 1988: Chicago
City Council passes ordinance permitting limited night baseball at
Wrigley Field. On August 8, 1988 (8/8/88) the first night game in
Wrigley Field history is rained out after three-and-a-half innings,
with the Cubs leading the Phillies 3-1.
October 25, 1988: Cubs announce plans for $14 million renovation
of park, including construction of 67 mezzanine suites and a new
press box.
September 26, 1989: Cubs
clinch NL East title with 3-2 win in Montreal.
Home runs, strikeouts and the
passing of two legendary voices of the Cubs are the items of note from this
decade. In 1990, Ryne Sandberg leads the NL with 40 home runs, the
third-highest total ever for a second baseman. Sandberg also established a
major-league record by playing errorless ball for 123 straight games. Cub
pitcher Greg Maddux wins the NL Cy Young award in 1992, after posting a
20-and-11 record. The next season, Randy Myers sets an NL record with 53
saves. Setting the stage for greater things to come, in 1993 Sammy Sosa
becomes the first player in Cubs history to post a "30/30" season, finishing
the year with 33 homers and 36 steals. He duplicates the milestone the next
full season and along the way, hits the organization's 10,000th home run.
Also in 1995, the club wins the 9,000th game in franchise history. The Cubs
have won more games than any other one-city professional sports franchise.
1997 brings the end of an era when Sandberg announces his retirement,
effective at the end of the season. His 277 home runs hit by a second
basemen is a major-league record. 1998 saw a return to the postseason. In
the first-ever tiebreaker for a wild-card spot, Steve Trachsel takes a
no-hitter into the seventh inning and leads the Cubs to a 5-3 victory over
the San Francisco Giants. Sosa slugs 66 home runs and captured the NL MVP,
as he battles St. Louis Cardinals' slugger Mark McGwire in a home run race
that captivated the nation. Sosa becomes only the fourth player ever to hit
more than 60 home runs in a year, as his 66 were the second most in
major-league history to McGwire's 70. Kerry Wood, in just his fifth
major-league start, strikes out 20 Astros in the complete-game victory,
tying a major-league record for most strikeouts in a game. Wood became just
the fourth Cubs player--and the club's first pitcher — to earn Rookie of the
Year honors. Wood goes 13-6 with 233 strikeouts and a 3.40 ERA for the Cubs
in his first 26 major-league starts. While the team could not repeat the
previous season's glory, Sosa, in 1999, becomes the first player in
major-league history to reach the 60-homer mark twice. Mark Grace becomes
the first Cubs during the 1900s to lead a decade in hits. The first baseman
also was the 1990s doubles leader and finished 2nd in singles behind the
Padres Tony Gwynn. Coming off the Wild Card season, the club establishes
single-year marks for home, road and total attendance. Sadly, the Cubs also
experience the loss of two Hall-of-Fame broadcasters, Harry Caray and Jack
Brickhouse, both in 1998.
March 30, 1992: Cubs acquire Sammy
Sosa in trade with White Sox for George Bell.
May 9, 1993: Mark Grace becomes 14th
(and most recent) Cub to hit for cycle in Padres' 5-4 win.
September 25, 1995: Frank Castillo
tosses 8.2 no-hit innings before surrendering an opposite-field triple to
Bernard Gilkey in 7-0 victory vs. St. Louis.
May 6, 1998: Rookie Kerry Wood ties
major-league record by fanning 20 batters in Cubs' 2-0 win vs. Astros.
September 13, 1998: In Cubs' 10-inning 11-10 win vs. Milwaukee, Sammy
Sosa hits home runs Nos. 61 and 62 to tie and then surpass Roger Maris on
single-season home run list.
September 28, 1998: Cubs capture NL wild-card postseason berth with 5-3
win vs. Giants in one-game playoff.
September 18, 1999: Sammy Sosa
becomes first player in major-league history to reach 60-homer mark in
back-to-back seasons.
The new millennium began as a tale
of two seasons. In 2000, the team finished with a 65-97 record and
established a club record when 51 players appeared in at least one game --
breaking the old mark of 49, set in 1966. The club also said goodbye to Mark
Grace, who was a fixture at first base for the North Siders for 13 seasons.
There were also many moments to celebrate, such as when Eric Young became
the first Cub since the first season of Chicago National League baseball to
steal five bases in a single game.
In 2001, the organization's fortunes
reversed direction. In addition to finishing 88-74 -- 23-games better than
they had the previous year (and only the sixth time since 1972 that the Cubs
finished a season with a plus .500 record) -- they battled for a playoff
spot until the final week of the season. The Cubs became the only team in
Major League history to go an entire season without allowing an opposing
pitcher to go the distance against them. Their pitching staff established a
Major League record 1,344 strikeouts, besting the mark of 1,245 set by
Atlanta in 1996. And with 2,889,454 fans attending home games, the Cubs
closed out the 2001 season with the second-highest home attendance figure in
park history.
Sammy Sosa also concluded 2001 with one of the most memorable four-season
offensive stretches in Major League history. During that span, the Cubs
resident slugger hit at least 50 home runs each year, joining Babe Ruth and
Mark McGwire as the only players with more than two 50-roundtripper
campaigns. He also established the total base record for a four-year period
with 1,621 and his RBI total of 597 was the most in the Majors since Lou
Gehrig drove in 639 from 1931-34. Sosa also set the big-league record for
most homers over a six-year period with 319.
The 2001 season also saw Sammy Sosa tag 425 total bases for his second
400-plus campaign, setting club marks for extra-base hits (103) and slugging
percentage (737), topping the records set by Hack Wilson. In addition, Sosa
recorded just the seventh 50-homer/150 RBI season in Major League history.
Sosa is the only player since World War II to accomplish this feat, having
previously reached it in 1998 as well.
And those spikes were apparently made for walking. Sosa was intentionally
walked 37 times in 2001, breaking the big league mark for a right-handed
batter.
Sosa wasn't the only Cub in 2001 to post impressive numbers.
Jon Lieber became the first Cub since Greg Maddux in 1992 to win 20
games, posting a 20-6 record and a 3.80 ERA in 34 starts and earning his
first trip to the All-Star Game.
Kerry Wood fanned 217 batters in 2001, reaching the 200-K plateau for the
second time in his career. Wood is the first Cub since Fergie Jenkins to
record multiple 200-strikeout seasons.
In 2002, the Cubs struggled to a
67-95 record and fifth place finish, 30 games back. The pitching staff did
lead the Major Leagues in strikeouts with 1,333 but Cubs batters also
whiffed the most with 1,269. Don Baylor was fired in July and Triple-A Iowa
coach Bruce Kimm promoted to manage the big league club. However, Kimm was
not retained for 2003 and in November, Dusty Baker was named the Cubs
manager.
Among the bright spots: Sammy Sosa led the National League in home runs
(49) for the second time in three years and also runs scored (122). He
belted his 499th career homer in the last game of the regular season and was
one swing away from joining the 500 club.
Kerry Wood and Matt Clement ranked third and fourth in the NL in
strikeouts with 217 and 215, respectively. The only other time the Cubs had
two pitchers with 200 strikeouts was 1970 when Fergie Jenkins and Ken
Holtzman did so. Wood made a career-high 33 starts and topped 200 innings
pitched for the first time.
One of the highlights of the 2002 season was the emergence of rookie
right-hander Mark Prior, the Cubs' 2001 No. 1 draft pick who made his Major
League debut on May 22 against Pittsburgh. He fanned 10 in his first start,
the highest total by a Cubs pitcher in his debut since 1969.
New Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker
wanted to see improvement in 2003. He never imagined the team would be five
outs away from the World Series.
The Cubs won their first NL Central Division title, posting an 88-74
record in Baker's first season at the helm. It wasn't exactly a smooth ride
as superstar Sammy Sosa missed a month with a sore big toe and was suspended
seven games for using a corked bat. Corey Patterson was the first half MVP,
then suffered a season-ending knee injury July 6.
Starting pitchers Kerry Wood and Mark Prior were both named to the NL
All-Star team and finished 1-2 in the NL in strikeouts. Joe Borowski calmly
handled the closer duties, saving 33 games. He'd started the season with two
saves in his career.
General manager Jim Hendry was aggressive and found players to fill
voids, acquiring Kenny Lofton, Aramis Ramirez and Randall Simon in the
second half. The Cubs won the division title in the second-to-last game with
a doubleheader sweep against Pittsburgh. The team then saluted one of its
legends, Ron Santo, by retiring his No. 10 on the last day.
The Cubs upset the East Division champion Atlanta Braves, 3-2, in the
five-game NL Division Series. It marked the first postseason series win for
the franchise since 1908. The Cubs were five outs away from advancing to the
World Series for the first time since 1945 but lost Games 6 and 7 of the NL
Championship Series at home and were eliminated by the Florida Marlins. It
was a wild ride.
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