The Cubs have played continuously in one city longer than any other franchise. Originally an amateur club, the team, then called the White Stockings, played in the National Association's inaugural season in 1871, but dropped out for two years after that. After rejoining in 1874, the franchise has continued to the present day. The National League was formed in 1876 by White Stockings president William Hulbert after four stars of the dynastic Boston club were lured to Chicago; Hulbert feared reprisals by the Red Stockings and the NA. The team won the pennant that year on the strength of the four Boston stars, especially the pitching of Al Spalding. Superstar Adrian Anson earned his nickname "Cap" when he was named manager in 1879. Often less than admirable (he was a major force in the creation of the color line), he was nonetheless one of the best players in the NL, winning three batting titles and leading in RBI four times. He spent 22 years playing in the NL, all for Chicago, and led the team to pennants in 1880-82 and 1885-86.

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After the elimination of competing leagues and the adoption of a 12-team structure in 1892, the team, now called the Colts for their young players, was frequently below .500. Anson was fired in 1898, his only non-playing year as a manager. The team was rebuilt by Frank Selee and came to fruition under playing manager Frank Chance, "The Peerless Leader." He led the club, finally called the Cubs, to a ML-record 116 victories in 1906 (against 36 losses) as they won the first of three straight NL pennants. Featured was the immortal double-play combination of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and leader Chance, with a pitching staff starring Three-Finger Brown. They beat the Tigers in the World Series in 1907 and 1908 and won another pennant in 1910. Contending for much of the following decade, the Cubs won again in 1918, mostly on the strength of a rotation of Hippo Vaughn, Lefty Tyler, Claude Hendrix, and Phil Douglas. The team had been invigorated by the absorption of much of the Chicago Whales' roster after the Federal League folded and by the purchase of the Cubs by Whales owner Charles Weeghman, who moved them into the Whales' ballpark. Chewing-gum mogul William Wrigley, Jr., already a shareholder, bought controlling ownership of the club in 1921 and renamed the park Wrigley Field.

The Cubs were again strong in the late 1920s, and won a pennant in 1929 under manager Joe McCarthy. A Hall of Famer himself, McCarthy had three other Hall of Famers on his roster: Rogers Hornsby, Hack Wilson, and Kiki Cuyler. Wilson set the NL RBI and HR records of 190 and 56 in 1930, but declined due to poor conditioning and was out of the majors four years later. Hornsby managed the club from the end of 1930 into the middle of 1932, but it took the relaxed leadership of "Jolly Cholly" Grimm, the team's first baseman, to bring another pennant in 1932. Wilson was gone and Hornsby semi-retired, but two other Hall of Famers took up the slack, Gabby Hartnett and Billy Herman. They were swept in an acrimonious World Series that featured Babe Ruth's "called shot" off Cub pitcher Charlie Root. That year, William Wrigley died and Philip Wrigley inherited the team. Another mid-season managerial change sparked the team to another pennant in 1935, as Hartnett took over the reins and the team won a NL-record 21 straight games (no ties). Hartnett won the NL MVP award, and Phil Cavaretta became a regular at the tender age of 18 and went on to become a Chicago institution, playing 20 seasons with the Cubs. Another pennant came in 1938, when Hartnett delivered his famous "Homer in the Gloamin' " off the Pirates' Mace Brown in a crucial late-season game. However, an ominous pattern developed as the club lost another World Series; they had not had a World Championship since 1908, despite their many pennants.

They would have far fewer chances from then on. A freak pennant in war-weakened 1945 led to another WS loss to Detroit, in a Series that led one reporter to express doubts that either team could win. The Cubs started building the losing reputation that is their latter-day heritage. From 1940 to 1966, the franchise had only three winning seasons (1945, 1946, and 1963) and finished last six times; they were lucky that first the Pirates and then the expansion Mets monopolized the cellar. Even Ernie Banks's consecutive MVP seasons in 1958 and 1959 could only lift them to sixth place. Banks took over from Cavaretta and Stan Hack as the fans' favorite and became known as Mr. Cub. His 47 HR in 1958 set the ML record for home runs by a shortstop and came among four straight seasons of 40 or more HR.

The Cubs' desperation led them to the infamous College of Coaches, a system of revolving managers. Used in 1961 and 1962, it "helped" them finish next-to-last both seasons. They went 82-80 in 1963, but blundered in June 1964 when they traded Lou Brock to the Cardinals in a six-player deal in which the best player they got was pitcher Ernie Broglio.

Leo Durocher took over in 1966, promising that "this is not a ninth-place club." He proved himself correct by finishing tenth, but the team contained the nucleus of a contender in regulars Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Don Kessinger, Randy Hundley, and Glenn Beckert. When Fergie Jenkins developed into a great pitcher in 1967, the Cubs moved up to third place for two years and looked like they'd win it all in 1969. Rooted on by the fanatical Bleacher Bums, they led the league for much of the season, but Durocher overworked his regulars and they wilted in the stretch, perhaps drained by being the only team that played all their home games in the day (when the temperature took more out of them than night games would). They finished second to the Miracle Mets that year, and second to the Pirates in 1970 and 1972; Durocher was replaced by Whitey Lockman in mid-1972. A fifth-place finish in 1973 signaled another era of losing ball. From 1973 through 1983 they had no winning seasons and finished last four times. Philip Wrigley died in 1977 and the Wrigley family sold the franchise to the Chicago Tribune in 1981.

GM Dallas Green, who came over from the Phillies, raided his old team for talent and came away with Ryne Sandberg as a throw-in in the swap of Larry Bowa for Ivan DeJesus. Just before the 1984 season, Green acquired outfielders Bob Dernier and Gary Matthews, and they combined with 90-RBI men Ron Cey, Jody Davis, and Leon Durham to put the club in contention. A mid-season trade brought pitcher Rick Sutcliffe, who went 16-1 for the Cubs and led them to a division title as the Cubs beat out the equally surprising Mets. But the Padres upset the Cubs in the LCS after Chicago had won the first two games, and Jim Frey's managing was criticized by many observers. The Cubs returned to their losing ways in 1985 and dropped to last place again in 1987. The 1988 season was brightened only by the installation of lights at Wrigley Field, which offended baseball purists but may have saved Wrigley as the venue for future Cubs games. The talent developed under Green's administration (Mark Grace, Damon Berryhill, Jerome Walton, Greg Maddux, Dwight Smith) combined with Frey's acquisition of Mitch Williams and Mike Bielecki and the unorthodox managerial style of Don Zimmer to bring an unexpected division title in 1989. (SFS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 19, 1902: Righthander Bob Ewing, 29, makes his ML debut with the Reds, and ties a NL record by walking seven batters in the 4th inning. The Chicago Cubs get five runs on one hit in the inning. Ewing adds another three walks en route to a 9-5 loss. » September 1, 1902: In today's split with the Phillies, Tinker, Evers, and Chance appear together in the Chicago Cubs lineup for the first time, but not in the positions that will earn them immortality. Johnny Evers, a New York State League rookie, starts at SS, with Joe Tinker at 3B, Frank Chance at 1B, and veteran Bobby Lowe at 2B. Philadelphia takes the opener, 11-3 behind White, while Chicago is victorious in the nitecap, 6-1, behind Jack Taylor's pitching. » September 4, 1902: Chicago Cubs rookie Alex Hardy debuts with a 1-0 shutout victory over Brooklyn, and becomes the first 20th century NL pitcher to toss a shutout in his first game. It's happened twice already in the AL. » July 2, 1903: Pitcher Jack Doscher, making his debut with the Chicago Cubs, is the first son of a former ML player to also play in the ML. Father Herm was a third baseman with Troy, Chicago, and Cleveland before the turn of the century. Jack loses today at Philadelphia, 7-2, and will end the season with the Brooklyn Superbas. » April 26, 1905: Jack McCarthy ties the major-league record when he becomes the 3rd OF to start three DPs (Jackson Nelson in 1887, started three DPs, but only two were completed at home) in one game, preserving the 2-1 Chicago Cubs victory over the Pirates. McCarthy will play just 37 games in the OF. The last throw three out at home was Jim Jones on June 30, 1902. » July 31, 1905: Charles P. Taft, owner of the Cincinnati Times-Star and brother of a future president, finances Charles W. Murphy's purchase of the Chicago Cubs for $125,000. » May 30, 1906: Chicago Cubs pitcher Jack Pfiester fans 17 Cardinals, but loses, 4-2, in 15 innings at St. Louis. Chicago also loses the nitecap, 6-1, to Carl Druhot. » March 5, 1916: The NL meeting of February 1916 announced that it had come to the league's attention that "some of the diamonds" didn't measure properly. On this day, John Heydler's office circulates to clubs the news of the Chicago Cubs pitching distance, and orders an engineer's certification. » September 20, 1925: In Cleveland, the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland old-timers play a 6–6, 8-inning tie. The lineups include Three Finger Brown, Jimmy Archer Artie Hofman, Mort Scanlan and Dutch Meier for Chicago; For Cleveland, Larry Nap Lajoie, Dode Paskert, Chief Zimmer, Cy Berger, Cy Young, and Joe Delahanty. The game benefits the Amateur and Old-timer's Baseball Association of Cleveland: "This association employs a doctor to look after the injuries of any boy hurt in baseball in that district." Before boarding the train for Cleveland, Brown throws batting practice for the Cubs at Chicago. » October 12, 1925: Louisville manager Joe McCarthy (American Association) is named to manage the Chicago Cubs. » July 27, 1930: Cincinnati hurler Ken Ash throws one pitch in relief against the Chicago Cubs and then is lifted for a pinch hitter. Ash's pitch to Charlie Grimm results in a triple play, and Ash receives credit for the 6-5 victory, his last in the ML. » April 24, 1931: Rogers Hornsby, player/manager of the Chicago Cubs, hits 3 consecutive HRs to beat the Pirates at Forbes Field 10-6. » August 2, 1932: Rogers Hornsby is fired as manager of the Chicago Cubs, and 1B Charlie Grimm is put in charge. » September 20, 1932: The Chicago Cubs clinch the NL pennant when Kiki Cuyler hits a triple with the bases loaded for a 5–2 win over Pittsburgh. Guy Bush wins his 19th game and rookie Billy Herman tops the 200 mark in hits for the season. Tomorrow the Cubs will snub ex-manager Rogers Hornsby on the split of World Series shares. » November 30, 1932: The Chicago Cubs get Babe Herman from the Cincinnati Reds for Rollie Hemsley and three others. » August 22, 1933: William Veeck, president of the Chicago Cubs, urges a midsummer series of inter-league games. He also proposes a split season. » September 30, 1933: In a 12–2 romp over the Cardinals, Babe Herman of the Chicago Cubs hits for the cycle, the 3rd time he has performed the feat. Guy Bush wins his 20th game, beating Dizzy Dean who finishes the season at 20–18. » October 7, 1933: Flags are at half staff to honor William L. Veeck, Chicago Cubs president who died suddenly. » November 21, 1933: Chuck Klein, who won the Triple Crown with the Phillies, is sold to the Chicago Cubs for $125,000 and veterans Mark Koenig, Harvey Hendrick, and rookie Ted Kleinhans. Hendrick will play one year in Philley, while the other two quickly go to the Reds. Klein, who also led the National League in total bases, hits, slugging, doubles, was second in runs, and 4th in steals, is the only player to be traded after a Triple Crown season. He will have two solid years at Wrigley before returning to the Phils. » October 15, 1937: The Yankees release Tony Lazzeri who later signs as a player-coach with the Chicago Cubs. » April 26, 1941: The Chicago Cubs are the first team to install an organ. With Roy Nelson at the keyboard, the Cubs hit sour notes, losing 6-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals. » July 8, 1941: At the All-Star Game at Briggs Stadium, Ted Williams, hitting .405 at the break, homers off Chicago Cubs P Claude Passeau with two out and two on in the ninth inning to give the AL a dramatic 7-5 victory. Williams's 4 RBI are matched by NL SS Arky Vaughan, who hits HRs in the seventh and eighth. » May 13, 1942: Pitcher Jim Tobin of the Boston Braves slams three successive home runs to beat the Chicago Cubs, 6–5, at Braves Field, the only ML pitcher ever to accomplish this. His last, in the 8th, breaks a 4–4 tie. Hi Bithorn takes the loss. Bill Nicholson returns the compliment, clouting a 2-run homer off Tobin in the 6th inning, » July 26, 1942: Clyde McCullough hits three consecutive HRs, but the Chicago Cubs lose 4-3 to Philadelphia Phillies. » August 9, 1942: The Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 10–8 in 18 innings at Cincinnati. The Reds tie the score in the 9th, 10th, and 12th innings before the Cubs hang on. Stan Hack collects five hits and three runs for Chicago. Both teams combine to notch 25 base on balls for the match, and the Cubs strand 23 runners, while the Reds leave 21, a major-league record until 1974. Each team uses six pitchers, a ML record. The Reds take game two by a 2–1 score. » August 22, 1942: Cubs catcher Clyde McCullough, SS Lennie Merullo, and 1B Phil Cavarretta combine on a triple play in the top of the 11th, and Bill Nicholson home runs in the bottom half of the inning, as the Chicago Cubs stun the Cincinnati Reds, 5–4. » July 23, 1944: After hitting four consecutive HRs in two games, Bill Nicholson of the Chicago Cubs is walked intentionally with the bases loaded in the seventh inning of the second game against the New York Giants. The Cubs rally to tie, but the Giants win 12-10. Nicholson has hit six HRs within 48 hours (one on Friday night, one on Saturday, and the 4 today). » July 12, 1945: The Chicago Cubs stop Tommy Holmes's modern-day NL hitting streak at 37 games, beating the Boston Braves 6-1 behind Hank Wyse for their 11th victory in a row. The Braves take game two 3-1, as Claude Passeau loses his first after nine straight wins. . Holmes hits .433 during the streak and will finish at .352, second in the NL. His nine strikeouts coupled with 28 HRs and 47 doubles is unparalleled for making contact and hitting for average and power. » July 27, 1945: The Chicago Cubs purchase P Hank Borowy from the New York Yankees in an unexpected waiver deal, confounding fans and the other AL teams. Borowy, 10-5 with the Yankees, was put on waivers, apparently to solve a roster problem, and was passed over by all 7 AL teams who assumed the Yanks would pull him back if claimed. The Cubs snatch him for $97,500, and he will help the Cubs win the pennant with an 11-2 record, including 3 wins over the Cardinals down the stretch. » October 5, 1945: Claude Passeau of the Chicago Cubs pitches a one-hitter, beating the Detroit Tigers 3-0 in the 3rd game of the WS. Rudy York's 2nd-inning single spoils Passeau's no-hit bid. Bill Nicholson drives in the first run. » October 8, 1945: Stan Hack's double takes a tricky bounce over LF Hank Greenberg's shoulder with 2 outs in the 12th inning to give the Chicago Cubs an 8-7 win in the 6th game of the WS. Borowy pitches 4 scoreless innings in relief. » October 10, 1945: The Tigers tally 5 runs in the first inning and rout the Chicago Cubs 9-3 behind Hal Newhouser, who strikes out 10, enabling Detroit to win baseball's most sloppy WS 4 games to 3. The winners get $6,433 a share, 2nd to the 1937 Yankees share. Each Cub gets $3,930. Total receipts of $1.6 million is a WS record. » May 20, 1946: Claude Passeau of the Chicago Cubs makes his first error since September 21, 1941, ending his streak with an all-time pitcher's fielding record of 273 consecutive errorless chances. Passeau set the mark using the small glove in the National League. He received permission from the commissioner to use a modified glove because the fingers on his left hand were affected by a gunshot wound incurred as a youngster. He wins the game, however, beating Boston's Mort Cooper, 6–4. » June 23, 1946: Eddie Waitkus and Marv Rickert of the Chicago Cubs hit back-to-back, inside-the-park HRs in the fourth inning, but the team loses 15-10 to the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. » September 15, 1946: After dropping the opener, the Brooklyn Dodgers are stinging the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in the 5th inning when a swarm of gnats descends upon Ebbets Field and causes the game to be postponed. » July 18, 1948: In the first of two before 39,623, the Chicago Cubs beat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 3–2. With two outs and the bases loaded in the 9th inning, rookie Robin Roberts hits Phil Cavarretta and Andy Pafko on the back with successive pitches to force home the winner. Chicago's Johnny Schmitz allows just four hits, three by Johnny Blatnik. The Jays (as they are still occasionally referred to in print) win the nitecap, 6–4, collecting 17 hits, including a homer by Del Ennis. Schoolboy Rowe evens his record at 5–5, beating Russ Meyer. » June 27, 1951: Former Cubs farmhand Boyd Tepler brings a $450,000 suit against baseball, the Chicago Cubs, and William Wrigley, citing an arm injury he suffered in 1944. His suit contends that "negligent" coaching allowed him to continue with flaws in his pitching motion that resulted in damage to his arm and the end of his promising career. » November 25, 1958: The BBWAA names Chicago Cubs slugger Ernie Banks the 1958 MVP. Willie Mays is the runner-up. » March 25, 1962: Elvin Tappe will be this season's first head coach for the Chicago Cubs, who have operated without a manager since 1960. » August 29, 1966: Chicago Cubs veteran Robin Roberts, acquired recently from Houston, wins the final victory of his career, beating the Atlanta Braves, 4–2. Roberts has now beaten the Braves in all three locations: 12–6 vs. Boston: 21–24 vs. Milwaukee: 1–0 vs. Atlanta (as noted by Joe Mackay). Roberts will retire having giving up 505 home runs, the only one above 500. » April 12, 1977: Phillip K. Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, dies at the age of 82. He had just started his 42nd season with the Cubs. William Wrigley succeeds his father as chairman of the executive committee of the team. » June 5, 1985: Rafael Ramirez has a two run double in the 3rd and a 2-run homer in the 11th to drive in all the runs in Atlanta's 4–2 win over the Chicago Cubs. » October 18, 1991: Jim Essian is fired as manager of the Chicago Cubs. » June 8, 1992: Chicago Cubs rookie pitcher Jim Bullinger becomes the 10th pitcher in history to hit a home run in his 1st major league at bat, doing so on the 1st pitch thrown to him by Rheal Cormier of the Cardinals. The Cubs win the game , 5–2. » April 5, 1993: Greg Maddux, signed by the Braves as a free agent, allows five hits in eight 1/3 innings to beat his old team, the Chicago Cubs, 1–0. » October 21, 1994: The Chicago Cubs name Jim Riggleman as manager and the San Diego Padres name Bruce Bochy as manager. » May 15, 1997: The Chicago Cubs hit four triples—three in the same inning—to beat the visiting Padres, 8-2. The Cubs score four runs in the 7th off Tim Scott as Brian McRae, Doug Glanville and Sammy Sosa all triple. » July 22, 1997: Greg Maddux parcels out just 78 pitches as the Atlanta Braves defeat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 in the opener of a doubleheader Tuesday. It is the lowest pitch total for a 9-inning complete game since Bob Tewksbury threw 76 for the Cardinals against the Reds on August 29, 1990. Chicago takes the second game 5-4. » February 18, 1998: Chicago Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray dies four days after collapsing at a Valentine's Day supper. Caray, age 84, was known, among other things, for leading the fans in a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th–inning stretch at Wrigley Field. He previously broadcast the games of the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox in a career that spanned half a century. » June 28, 1999: Hack Wilson ups his RBI total for the 1930 season to 191. 69 years after the season, an RBI is added by the commissioner's office, which also gives Babe Ruth six additional walks, raising his career-record total to 2,062. "There is no doubt that Hack Wilson's RBI total should be 191," commissioner Bud Selig said. "I am sensitive to the historical significance that accompanies the correction of such a prestigious record, especially after so many years have passed, but it is important to get it right." The missing RBI came from the 2nd game of a doubleheader between Wilson's Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds on July 28, 1930 where Charlie Grimm was credited with two RBIs in the game and Wilson with none. Ruth's walks total is now 2,062. Ted Williams is second, trailing by 43, and Rickey Henderson of the New York Mets is third, 134 behind Ruth. » July 4, 1999: The Royals defeat the Indians, 10-9, as C Mike Sweeney ties an American League record by recording an RBI in his 13th straight game. Taffy Wright of the White Sox set the mark in 1941. The major league standard is 17 games, set by Oscar Grimes of the Chicago Cubs in 1922. OF Jermaine Dye brings home six of Kansas City's runs with four hits, including a pair of homers. » July 19, 2000: Chicago Cubs general manager Ed Lynch resigns. His job will be taken over by team president Andy MacPhail. » June 8, 2002: At Seattle, Mark Prior pitches seven strong innings to give the Chicago Cubs a 2–0 interleague victory over the Mariners. Prior gives up just four hits and a walk while striking out 11, including the last five batters he faces. Sammy Sosa hits his major league–leading 21st homer in the sixth inning and Fred McGriff hits his 10th in the eighth.