Originally founded in 1869, the Chicago Cubs became a charter member of the National League in 1876. Over the next 150 seasons, the Cubs have played more than 22,000 games, scored over 103,000 runs and recorded more than 200,000 hits, more than any other team in baseball history. Nearly 2,300 players have worn a Cubs uniform, earning eight division titles, 17 NL pennants, and three World Series championships.
Fans have witnessed generations of unforgettable players, from historical heroes like Joe Tinker, Gabby Hartnett, Ernie Banks, and Billy Williams to more recent stars like Ryne Sandberg, Derrek Lee, Kerry Wood, and Anthony Rizzo. The team has called Wrigley Field home for 110 of those 150 seasons.
To celebrate this milestone, the Cubs are holding a fan vote to select the franchise’s anniversary team. Each week, we will go through the provided options for each position and declare who should, and, if different, who will, win the fan vote. We continue today with the eight selections for shortstop.
Javier Baez was drafted by the Cubs in the first round in 2011 and debuted with the big-league club in 2014. He became a starter in 2016, helping the Cubs end their 108-year championship drought by winning the World Series. His best season came in 2018, when he led the league in RBI and finished second in MVP voting. His tenure with the Cubs ended in 2021, traded to the Mets for a young prospect named Pete Crow-Armstrong. During his time on the north side, he was a two-time All-Star, the 2016 NLCS MVP, and won both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.
Ernie Banks played his entire 19-year career with the Cubs, earning back-to-back MVP honors in 1958 and 1959. At the time of his retirement following the 1971 season, he ranked ninth all-time in career home runs with 512. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977 and became a team ambassador, never seen without a smile on his face. Known as Mr. Cub, his #14 was retired by the team in 1982, making him the first Cub to receive that honor.
Bill Dahlen spent eight seasons with the Colts and Orphans through most of the 1890s. Playing in a dead ball era, he had a good amount of power, finishing among the NL’s top ten players in home runs four times and in slugging percentage three times. He set a new record with a 42-game hitting streak in 1894. He was traded away following the 1898 season. He is considered to have the most career WAR of any eligible player, except those tainted by scandal, to not be in the Hall of Fame.
Ivan de Jesus spent five seasons with the Cubs, coming over from the Dodgers along with Bill Buckner for the 1977 season. In his final season with the Cubs, he won the so-called anti-triple crown, finishing last among qualified batters in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. His greatest impact on the franchise came following that 1981 season, when he was traded to the Phillies for Larry Bowa and a throw-in prospect named Ryne Sandberg. He returned to the franchise as a coach for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Shawon Dunston was the first overall pick in the 1982 draft, joining the big-league club in 1985. After initial struggles led to him getting sent back to Triple A after just a month, he returned in August and became a mainstay of the Cubs lineup through 1995. After spending the 1996 season with the Giants, he returned to the Cubs in 1997 but was traded on August 31 to the Pirates. He was a two-time All-Star with the Cubs and was inducted to the team’s Hall of Fame in 2023.
Billy Jurges had two stints with the Cubs, from 1931-1938 and again from 1946-1947. A light hitter, he was known as a top defender, leading NL shortstops in fielding percentage four times. In July of 1932, he was shot by a jilted lover who was upset that he had broken up with her. He made one All-Star team during his first stint with the Cubs. During his second go-around with the club, he performed as a player-coach and continued as a coach after retiring as a player.
Don Kessinger debuted with the Cubs in September of 1964 and took over the starting shortstop position the following year. Known for his defensive prowess, he anchored the infield during his twelve seasons with the Cubs, leading the NL in games played at shortstop five times, putouts three times, assists four times, and double plays twice. He was a six‑time All‑Star, won two Gold Glove awards, and is a member of the Cubs Hall of Fame.
Joe Tinker spent fifteen seasons with the Cubs, joining the team in 1902. One of the premier defensive shortstops of his era, he was a cornerstone of the Cubs dominant run between 1906 and 1910, capturing four NL pennants and back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908. Tinker’s fame endures Franklin P. Adams’s 1910 poem Baseball’s Sad Lexicon, which immortalized the iconic “Tinker‑to‑Evers‑to‑Chance” double‑play combination. In 1946, he was elected to the Hall of Fame.
The two obvious choices here are Ernie Banks and Joe Tinker, two only two players to enshrined in Cooperstown on this list. I imagine Javy Baez will also see strong support due to recency bias and his role in ending the franchise’s 108-year championship drought.