Tag / 2016 World Series

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150 Years Of Cubs Baseball – Outfielders Part 2

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 second eight selections for outfielder.

Jason Heyward signed an 8-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs in December of 2015.  His place in Cubs lore was set when he was credited with leading an inspiring, players-only meeting during the 17-minute rain delay towards the end of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, after which the Cubs stormed out and took the lead in the 10th inning, leading to their first championship in 108 years.  While he never quite produced enough to justify his lofty contract and the team failed to duplicate their 2016 success, he became as much of a scapegoat as anyone else on the roster, eventually seeing his playing time reduced.  In addition to his World Series ring, Heyward won Gold Glove awards in both 2016 and 2017.

King Kelly emerged as one of 19th‑century baseball’s first true superstars as a member of the White Stockings.  He led the NL in runs scored for three consecutive seasons, from 1884 through 1889 and also won the NL batting title in both 1884 and 1886.  During his seven years with the franchise, they won five NL pennants.  In 1945, he was elected to the Hall of Fame.

Bill Lange spent his entire seven-year MLB career with the Colts/Orphans, becoming a full-time center fielder in 1894.  He retired at age 28 to marry a woman whose father had forbid her from marrying a ballplayer, finishing his career with a .330 batting average.  In 1897, he led the NL in stolen bases.  He is a member of the Cubs Hall of Fame.

Rick Monday spent five productive, if unspectacular, seasons with the Cubs, from 1972 through 1976.  His claim to fame came on April 25, 1976, at Dodger Stadium when two protestors ran onto the field during the bottom of the 4th inning and tried to light an American flag on fire.  Monday, playing center field, dashed over to grab the flag, and ran it in to the Dodgers’ dugout.  After the game, Monday received a congratulatory call from President Gerald Ford and was later invited to the White House.

Bill Nicholson was one of the most feared hitters in the NL during his ten seasons with the Cubs.  He led the league in home runs and RBIs in both 1943 and 1944.  While a member of the pennant-winning 1945 club, failing eyesight likely caused by his at-the-time undiagnosed diabetes limited his effectiveness, both in the regular season and in the World Series.  He was a five time All-Star and twice finished in the top three for MVP voting.

Andy Pafko spent parts of nine seasons with the Cubs from 1943 to 1951.  Widely regarded as one of the best defensive outfielders of his era, he helped lead the Cubs to the NL pennant in 1945, finishing fourth in MVP voting.  He was a five-time All-Star and is a member of the Cubs Hall of Fame.

Jimmy Ryan was one of the franchise’s earliest stars, playing for White Stockings from 1885 – 1889 and again with the Colts/Orphans from 1891 – 1900.  A power hitter in his era, Ryan led the National League with 16 home runs in 1888 while also leading the league hits, doubles, total bases, and slugging.  In 1893, Ryan was severely injured when the team’s train derailed in Ohio.  One day shy of the one-year anniversary of the derailment, Ryan found himself in another life-or-death situation, using his bats to tear down barbed-wire fencing to save fans from a fire in the stands at West Side Park.  He is a member of the Cubs Hall of Fame.

Hank Sauer was a star for the Cubs during a low time in the franchise’s history, never finishing with a winning record or above fifth place.  Nicknamed “The Mayor of Wrigley Field, he was a two-time All-Star, and, in 1952, he had his finest season, leading the major leagues in home runs and RBIs and earning the NL MVP award.  He is a member of the Cubs Hall of Fame.

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150 Years Of Cubs Baseball – Shortstops

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.

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150 Years Of Cubs Baseball – Third Basemen

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 third baseman.

Kris Bryant was selected by the Cubs as the second-overall pick in the 2013 draft.  An injury to Mike Olt early in the 2015 season got Bryant called up to the big leagues and he did not waste time making his presence felt.  Hitting .275 with 26 HRs and 99 RBIs, Bryant won the Rookie of the Year award while leading the surprising Cubs to the NL Wild Card and an appearance in the NLCS.  Things were even better the following year, as Bryant won the NL MVP and the Cubs ended their 108-year title drought by defeating Cleveland in the World Series.  Unfortunately, neither Bryant nor the Cubs could replicate the highs of that year.  He was traded to the Giants at the trade deadline in 2021, finishing his time on the north side as a four-time All-Star and winner of the 2016 NL Hank Aaron Award.

Stan Hack spent his entire 16-year career with the Cubs, becoming the full-time third baseman in 1934.  He appeared in four World Series for the Cubs, losing efforts in 1932, 1935, 1938, and 1945.  When he retired following the 1947 season, he ranked second in team history behind Cap Anson in games played, at bats, and hits.  He twice led the National League in stolen bases and was a five-time All-Star selection.  He is a member of the Cubs Hall of Fame.

Randy Jackson spent parts of seven seasons across his two stints with the Cubs.  He debuted in 1950 and earned All-Star nods in 1954 and 1955.  Traded to the Dodgers following that 1955 season, he returned in 1959 for a final season after a knee injury derailed the trajectory of his career.

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150 Years Of Cubs Baseball – Second Basemen

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 start today with the eight selections for second baseman.

Glenn Beckert was called up by the Cubs in 1965, spending the next nine seasons as the team’s second baseman.  He won the Gold Glove in 1968 and was a four-time All-Star.  His best offensive season came in 1971, when he finished third in the NL with a career-best .342 batting average.

Johnny Evers played for the Orphans/Cubs from 1902 through 1913.  Known as “The Human Crab” for his combative play and fights with umpires, he earned a place in baseball history as part of the famous “Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance” double-play combination thanks to the poem Baseball’s Sad Lexicon.  Evers was responsible for alerting umpires to the baserunning mistake that would come to be known as “Merkle’s Boner”.  He was part of three NL pennant winners with the Cubs, winning the championship in 1907 and 1908, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946.

Billy Herman spent the first eleven years of his career with the Cubs, hitting over .300 in seven of his first nine seasons.  He led the league in games played (twice), hits, doubles, and triples across his nine full seasons.  During that time, he was named an All-Star seven straight times, beginning in 1934.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1975.

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Historic Games Part Three

Last summer, the White Sox fell victim to Clayton Kershaw’s 3000th career strikeout and I decided to take a look back at the historic games I’ve attended over the years.  Here is part three, featuring another six games where an individual hit a career plateau or a team clinched a pennant.

April 11, 2011 – A’s 2, White Sox 1

In the bottom of the fifth inning of a scoreless tie at US Cellular Field, the slugging Brent Lillibridge, he with the 19 career home runs, launched the first pitch he saw from Dallas Braden into the bleachers for the 10,000th home run in White Sox franchise history.

May 9, 2015 – Reds 10, White Sox 4

With the White Sox trailing the Reds 3-0 in the bottom of the 7th in the first game of a double header, Alexei Ramirez took the first pitch from Johnny Cueto and deposited it into the left field stands for his 100th career home run.

September 5, 2015 – Blue Jays 5, Orioles 1

Filling in for the injured Mark Buehrle, David Price scattered three hits and struck out eight in seven innings to beat the Orioles at Rogers Centre for his 100th career victory.  The win increased Toronto’s lead to 1 1/2 games in the AL East.

October 21, 2015 – Mets 8, Cubs 3

With an 8-3 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, the Mets, in their first post-season appearance in nearly a decade, completed the sweep and won the NL pennant for the first time since 2000.  They would go on to lose the World Series in five games to the Royals.

October 22, 2016 – Cubs 5, Dodgers 0

For the first time since 1945, the Cubs won the National League pennant after defeating the Dodgers 5-0 in game 6 of the NLCS.  Behind a two hitter from Kyle Hendricks, the Cubs put to rest the painful memories of the collapse of 1969, the failure to win one of three in San Diego in 1984, and the Steve Bartman-fueled fiasco of 2003.  They would go on to face the Indians in the World Series, winning their first championship since 1908.

September 9, 2017 – White Sox 13, Giants 1

Jose Abreu hit for the cycle in the White Sox victory over the Giants, going 4-5 with 3 RBIs.  Abreu started with a home run in the first inning and a double in the third against starter Jeff Samardzija.  In the seventh, he singled against Josh Osich and, in the eighth, he finished things off with a triple to the right field corner against Roberto Gómez.  He became the first White Sox player to get the cycle since José Valentín in 2000.

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150 Years Of Cubs Baseball – First Basemen

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 first baseman.

Cap Anson was one of the first superstars of professional baseball.  He joined the Cubs franchise, then known as the White Stockings, in 1876, the first year of the new National League.  In addition to managing the team from 1879-1897, he was the NL batting champion in both 1881 and 1888 and led the league in RBI eight times between 1880 and 1891.  He helped the team to five pennants between 1880 and 1886.  He was posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939.

Bill Buckner joined the Cubs in 1977, moving to first base due to a staph infection in his ankle the previous year.  He would win the NL batting title in 1980 and be named to his lone All-Star team in 1981.  In 1982, he set the major league record for assists at first base with 159.  Following some late acquisitions in 1984, Buckner found himself the off man out and was traded at the end of May.  He is a member of the Cubs Hall of Fame.

Phil Cavarretta spent 20 seasons with the Cubs, making his debut in September of 1934, just two months past his 18thn birthday.  He was a four-time All Star and, in 1945, he won the NL batting title and the MVP award while leading the Cubs to the pennant, their last one for over 70 years.  In his final season with the Cubs, he set the modern franchise record by playing in his 1938th game.  All told, he would hit .317 in three World Series appearances for the Cubs.

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150 Years Of Cubs Baseball – Catchers

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 catcher.

Willson Contreras first joined the Cubs in 2016 and became the 30th player in modern MLB history to hit a home run on the first pitch of his first major league at bat.  Contreras made it on to the post-season roster and helped the Cubs end their 108-year title drought in winning the 2016 World Series.  He became the everyday starting catcher in 2017 and was elected to the All-Star team three times.  He spent parts of seven seasons behind the plate for the Cubs, appearing in 30 postseason games across four seasons.

Jody Davis joined the Cubs in April of 1981, quickly becoming the team’s starter.  During his Cub tenure, he was named to two All-Star teams and won the Gold Glove in 1986, a season where he set the all-time MLB record for number of baserunners caught stealing with 89.  Davis remained with the Cubs through most of the 1988 season.  He will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame later this year.

Silver Flint played for the White Stockings from 1879-1889.  He, alongside pitcher Larry Corcoran, is believed to have developed the first system of signs between a pitcher and catcher to indicate pitch selection.  He was the first catcher in MLB history to catch three no-hitters.  Off the field, Flint had financial difficulties that nearly got him banned from the league.

Gabby Hartnett spent the first 19 years, from 1922-1940, of his career with the Cubs, appearing in six All-Star games and earning the MVP award in 1935.  Perhaps best remembered for the “Homer in the Gloamin’” in 1938, Hartnett was considered the best National League catcher until the emergence of Johnny Bench.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955.

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Guardians All Time Leaders – Through 2025

To paraphrase from a famous movie, the one constant through all the years has been baseball.  As we head into 2026, we continue our look at the all-time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. Today, we take a deeper dive into the Cleveland Guardians.

Then known as the Bluebirds, the Guardians were one of the charter members of the American League in 1901.  After a few name changes, they settled on the Indians name in 1915 before transitioning to the Guardians in 2022.  I’ve seen 307 players wearing the various Cleveland uniforms in the 69 of their games that I’ve attended live, including Games 4 and 5 of the 2016 World Series and two games against the White Sox at Progressive Field in 2019.

Home Runs

Name Total
Victor Martinez 6
Jose Ramirez 6
Jason Kipnis 5

Hits

Name Total
Jose Ramirez 25
Victor Martinez 24
Carlos Santana 24

Runs

Name Total
Jose Ramirez 20
Grady Sizemore 14
Shin-Soo Choo 13
Jhonny Peralta 13

RBI

Name Total
Carlos Santana 19
Jose Ramirez 16
Victor Martinez 16

Doubles

Name Total
Jose Ramirez 7
Carlos Santana 5
Josh Naylor 5

Triples Continue reading →

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Hanging Up His Spikes

One year after leaving the Cubs, Kyle Hendricks officially announced his retirement earlier this week.  Following an eleven-year Cubs career, where he was the last remaining member of the 2016 World Series champions to play for the North Siders, he spent this past season with the Angels.

Hendricks was first acquired by the Cubs at the trade deadline in 2012 as part of the return from the Rangers for Ryan Dempster.  He made his major league debut nearly two years later, throwing six innings against the Reds at Great American Ballpark and earning a no-decision.  2016 was his best season, winning 16 games and posting a 2.13 ERA in the regular season and making five post-season starts, giving up just two earned runs in 21 2/3 innings between the NLCS and the World Series.  He had struggled with injuries and worsening performance over his last three seasons, making his departure feel inevitable.

Hendricks’s numbers in a Cubs uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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All Time Playoff Team Records

We’ve made it through 162 games and, for the first time since 2020, the Cubs are in the post-season as the top-seeded Wild Card in the National League.  In a rematch of the 1984 NLCS, they start a best of three series against the Padres at Wrigley Field today.  The winner of that series will advance to the NLDS and face the Brewers starting Saturday.

It’s time to take an updated look at the team records for the now 33 playoff contests I have attended. These contests come from the 2018 Wild Card game, the ALDS in 2000, 2005, 2008, and 2021, the NLDS in 2003, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the NLCS in 2003, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the ALCS in 2005, and, of course, the 2005 and 2016 World Series.

Post-Season Team Records

Team Name Won Loss Winning Pctg
Florida Marlins 3 0 1.000
Seattle Mariners 2 0 1.000
New York Mets 2 0 1.000
Colorado Rockies 1 0 1.000
Arizona Diamondbacks 1 0 1.000
Chicago White Sox 6 5 0.545
Los Angeles Dodgers 3 3 0.500
Atlanta Braves 1 1 0.500
Cleveland Indians 1 1 0.500
Los Angeles Angels 1 1 0.500
Washington Nationals 1 1 0.500
Tampa Bay Rays 1 1 0.500
Chicago Cubs 9 13 0.409
Houston Astros 1 2 0.333
San Francisco Giants 0 2 0.000
St. Louis Cardinals 0 1 0.000
Boston Red Sox 0 2 0.000