Every baseball lover has heard about the famous American baseball team, “The Chicago Cubs”. Some people recognize this team as “The Loveable Losers” while others admire the team’s great success. This is all based on what they have heard about the team.
The Chicago Cubs is one of the oldest baseball teams in the world and thus has a lot of history related to them. There are so many stories about The Chicago Cubs that formed their image in the public and attracted millions of fans.
As with every sports team, the Cubs also have many ups and downs on the road to their success. Sometimes they win matches unexpectedly and sometimes they lose even with their greatest efforts. There are stories of their victories as well as their failure.
Here we will go through all the ups and downs, all the good times and the bad ones, that the Cubs have faced in their journey. As one of the biggest fans of the team, you must be aware of the highs and lows of your favorite team.
The Ups and Downs of the Chicago Cubs
Ups and downs are a part of life and you can not control them. The Chicago Cubs have also gone through many highs and lows, ups and downs in their lifetime that have led them to the current fame and fandom they have. Let’s move on to the beautiful journey behind all the fame that the Cubs have got.
The Formation
Your favorite baseball team “The Chicago Cubs” was named “The Chicago White Stockings” at the time of its formation in 1870. When the team was first formed it used to play at the “West Side Grounds” instead of their current ballpark “The Wrigley Field”.
In 1876, the team became a part of the “National League” as a charter member. This was the time when the owner, William Hulbert, hired some top players such as Albert Spalding, Adrian Anson, Ross Barnes, and Deacon White to play for the team.
This new joining led to great victories for the team and made it one of the most renowned teams of that time. These players increased the popularity and confidence of the entire team.
The Anson’s Colts Era
Around the early 1880s, when William Hulbert died and Albert Spalding retired from playing, Adrian Anson took the command. He became the player-manager and led the team to win their third consecutive pennant in 1882.
In the span of ten years, from 1876 to 1886, the team won six National League pennants in total under the leadership of Anson. In no time, the team began to be known as “The Chicago Colts” and due to Anson’s huge influence, “Anson’s Colts”.
When Anson departed after serving 22 years with the team, the “Colts” became the “Orphans”. The Chicago baseball team has not only lost a great leader but also their guardian. The feeling was like they had lost their only family member, hence the name “The Orphans”.
The Beginning of a Lifetime Rivalry
During the 1900s, a rival association originated named the “American Base-Ball League”. The team that joined this association was also a new one formed in Chicago city. This team became one of the biggest rivals of The Chicago Cubs due to its origin in the same city.
Other than the same city, this newly formed team named itself “The White Sox” which was a nickname for none other than “The White Stockings” (the former Cubs). Such reasons led to one of the biggest rivalries of all time between The Chicago Cubs and The Chicago White Sox.
The “Cubs” and World Series
Soon after the rivalry, the Chicago Daily News used the term “Cubs” referring to the new young roster of the team. This thing happened in 1902 and later in around 1907, the team adopted this loveable name “The Chicago Cubs” and thus originated your favorite American baseball team.
It was during this time that the Cubs made a record by winning 116 games out of 154 in 1906. The Cubs also won the World Series Championship for two consecutive years in 1907 and 1908. These outstanding victories made the team one of the top American baseball teams all over the world.
The only unhappy thing about this amazing victory is that the Cubs won’t get this pennant until 2016. This is a very long time of more than a century. However, during this time, the team won many National League pennants and millions of hearts.
The Double Bills
The ownership of the team changed from one person to another. It began with William Hulbert and by this time had reached Bill Wrigley. Around 1916, Bill Wrigley had a great number of Cubs stocks and by 1921 he became the majority owner.
During this time, Bill Veeck Sr. began his tenure as the team President. He retained the post throughout the 1920s as well as the 1930s. The management of the team at that time included Bill Wrigely and Bill Veeck, thus they began to be known as the “Double Bills”.
The Loveable Losers
Following the 1940s, came the World War era which restricted travel and affected many sports. From 1947 to 1966 the Cubs only had one winning season on their side. However, in 1967 and 1968, the Cubs brought victories in two consecutive years.
After this short happiness, began the losing streak of the Chicago Cubs. Despite their great efforts, the team was not able to score any victory. During the 1970s, they began to be known as the “Loveable Losers”. This nickname stuck to the team for so long that even today, the team is known by it.
A Little Way Down the Road
The Cubs had a bad fortune that made them keep the “Loveable Losers” tag for so long. Even after the 1970s, the team didn’t win any National League championship. They may win several games but did not score a win in the National League championship.
Many players of the team got various titles and awards for their outstanding performance on the field such as the NL Rookie of the Year and National League MVP Award. It was the year 2016 that changed the game for the team. That was the year when the team would not only win the National League but also the World Series Title.
Another Downfall
For a long time, things didn’t go well for the Cubs. In 2003, when the Cubs were playing against the Florida Martins during the Major League Baseball postseason, several spectators tried to catch the ball off Luis Castillo’s bat. One such spectator and a Chicago Cubs fan was Steve Bartman who changed the course of the game due to his attempt to catch the ball.
As Steve Bartman reached for the ball, he, unfortunately, deflected it away from Moisés Alou’s glove which led him to react angrily. This unexpected interruption cost the Cubs a win and they failed to reach the World Series in 2003.
This incident became so famous, or should we say infamous, that it came to be known as the Steve Bartman incident. This point is considered a turning point in the Cubs’ journey which led to many failures. The Cubs did not win any playoff game for the next eleven baseball seasons.
The Ricketts Era
In 2009, the ownership of the team passed on from the Tribune Company to the Ricketts family. In 2013 the team drafted Kris Bryant, the future Rookie of the Year, while in 2015, the Hall of Famer baseball player, Ernie Banks died of a heart attack.
The most important and fortunate thing that happened during this time was the Cubs’ win in the 2016 World Series championship. It was a remarkable comeback by the team to their outstanding game.
Since then the team has won certain division championships but neither the National League nor the World Series. Despite their low winning scores, the team is one of the most popular American baseball teams of all time.
Summary
With the former name “The White Stockings” the Cubs formed in 1870 and joined the National League in 1876 as a charter member. They soon gained popularity because of their amazing performance in the field. With the leadership of Adrian Anson, they began to be called “Anson’s Colts” and after his departure, they became “The Orphans”.
Soon after they gained fame, their rivals began to arise such as “The White Sox” in their own city. This rivalry is one of the biggest ones in the baseball world. Soon after this rivalry, the team got a new name “The Chicago Cubs” given by the Chicago Daily News.
The team’s ownership changed many times beginning with William Hulbert and ending with the current Ricketts family by going through the Wrigley family and the Tribune company.
The team’s constant efforts to win but the bad fortune of failure led them to be called the “Loveable Losers” which also got them to win many hearts. The Cubs won the World Series championship in 1907, 1908, and 2016. Other than that, they only won the National League pennants and the division championships.
Despite many failures and fewer victories, the Chicago Cubs is one of the most loveable American baseball teams. They have millions of fans who support them through thick and thin.
