The Chicago Cubs are a baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs belong to the Central Division of Major League Baseball’s National League. The club has played its home games at Wrigley Field since 1916. The Cubs are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago, the other being the Chicago White Sox. They are one of the only two remaining charter members left in the NL (the other being the Atlanta Braves). The Cubs are often referred to by fans and media as The North Siders because Wrigley Field is in Chicago's North Side Lakeview community, or simply as "The Cubbies." The club's championship drought is the longest of any franchise in all professional sports.

The Cubs are currently managed by Lou Piniella, and their general manager is Jim Hendry. In December 2007, Sam Zell completed his purchase of the club's parent company, Tribune Company, and announced his intention to sell the team.

1876-1900 Earliest Years: The success and fame of the Cincinnati Red Stockings (c. 1869), baseball's first openly all-professional team, led to a minor explosion of other openly professional teams, each with the singular goal of defeating the Red Stockings. A number of them adopted variants on that name, and it happens that the Chicago Base-Ball club, founded by William Hulbert, adopted white. On April 29, 1870, the Chicago White Stockings played their first game, an exebition, against the St. Louis Unions, defeating them 47-1.

The franchise began play in the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players when that league began play in 1871, playing on Chicago's west side at the Union Base-Ball Grounds. Sadly, the White Stockings were forced to drop out of the league after the Great Chicago Fire destroyed the team's home field and most of their equipment, but the club rejoined the National Association in 1874. Over the next couple seasons, The Boston Red StockingsRed Stockings (who by this time had relocated to Boston) dominated the league and hoarded the game's best stars, even those under contract with other teams (one example was Davy Force). Hulbert, was discouraged by this "contract jumping" as well as the overall disorganization and lack of ethics in the National Association, and thus spearheaded the movement to form a stronger organization. The end result of his efforts was the formation a much more "ethical" league, which became known as the National Base-Ball League. Hulbert, who also remained club president of the White Stockings, was additionally principle in the signing of multiple star players, such as pitcher Albert Spalding and first baseman Cap Anson, who both joined the team prior to the N.L.'s inaugural season of 1876. The franchise quickly established themselves as one of the new leagues top teams. The Chicago National League Ball-Club saw it's nickname transition through the early seasons, eventually becoming known as the Chicago Colts, or sometimes "Anson's Colts," referring to Anson's leadership of the club. Anson, who was one of the first players to ever collect 3,000 hits, led Chicago to six pennants, which at the time was the ultimate prize in the sport.

1901-1919 An NL Dynasty: After the formation of the American League in 1900, the Colts had started to become known as the Chicago Orphans, and eventually took the nickname of the Chicago Cubs. By this time, the club revamped the roster to boast would become one of the best teams of the early century. During what has become known as baseball's dead ball era, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance were three Cubs infielders who played together at Chicago's West Side Park from 1903 to 1912. They were made famous as a double-play combination by Franklin P. Adams' poem Baseball's Sad Lexicon, which first appeared in the July 18, 1910, edition of the New York Evening Mail. Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown, Jack Taylor, Ed Reulbach, Jack Pfiester and Orval Overall were several key pitchers for the Cubs during this time period. With Chance as player-manager, the Cubs won four pennants and two World Series titles over a five-year span. Although they fell to the White Sox in the 1906 World Series, The Cubs recorded a record 116 victories and the best winning percentage (.763) of the modern era. With this roster, Chicago won back to back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908. Veteran catcher Johnny Kling sat out the 1909 season to become a pocket billiards player. He was replaced by Jimmy Archer. Some historians think Kling's absence was significant enough to prevent the Cubs from also winning the pennant in 1909. They finished 6 games out of first place. When Kling returned the next year, the Cubs won the pennant again, but lost to the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1910 World Series.

Advertising executive Albert Lasker obtained a large block of shares and soon acquired majority ownership of the Cubs along with Charles Weeghman, whom had owned the Chicago Whales of the short-lived Federal League, and was propriter of a popular chain of lunch counters. As owner, Lasker acquired the services of astute baseball man William Veeck, Sr. in 1914, and moved the club to the Whales old home, Weeghman Park, in 1916. The club responded by winning a pennant in the war-shortened season of 1918, where they played a part in another team's curse, The Curse of the Bambino. Boston defeated the Cubs in the 1918 World Series, and afterward sold star pitcher Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees.

Double-Bills Take Over: During what is known by many as the "Golden age of baseball," one of Cubs's minority owners, William Wrigley, who also happened to be the owner of Wrigley Company, a Chicago-based maker of chewing gum, became the principle owner of the Cubs in 1921 by buying most of Lakser's shares. Wrigley changed the name of the club's home park to it's current name, Wrigley Field, in one of the earliest examples of corporate naming-rights. With Wrigley's money and Veeck's front-office savvy, the "double-Bills" soon had the Cubs back in business in the National League, builing a team that would put numerous future Hall of Famers in Cub uniforms. Some of the most notable of these players were Hack Wilson, Gabby Hartnett, and Rogers Hornsby, and Chicago remained strong contenders for the next decade.

1929-1938 Every 3 Years: During the end of the first decade of the double-Bill's guidance, The Cubs won the NL pennant in 1929 and then achieved the unusual accomplishment of winning a pennant every three years - winning the NL in 1932, 1935 and 1938. Unfortunately, their success did not extend to the post-season, as they fell to their AL rivals each time. The '32 series featured Babe Ruth's "called shot." There were some historic moments for the Cubs as well - they won the '35 pennant in thrilling fashion, winning a record 21 games in a row in September. The '38 club saw Dizzy Dean lead the team's pitching staff and provided a historic moment when they won a late-season game with a "walk-off" homer by Gabby Hartnett, which became known in baseball lore as "The Homer in the Gloamin'". By 1939, the "double-Bills" (Wrigley and Veeck) had both died, and the front office, now under P.K. Wrigley, found itself unable to rekindle the kind of success that P.K.'s father had created, and so the team slipped into a few years of mediocrity.

1945 The Curse: The Cubs enjoyed one more pennant at the close of World War II. Due to the wartime travel restrictions, the first three games were played in Detroit, where the Cubs won two games, including a one-hitter by Claude Passeau, and the final four were played at Wrigley. In game 4 of the 1945 World Series, the Curse of the Billy Goat was allegedly laid upon the Cubs when P.K. Wrigley ejected Billy Sianis, who had come to game 4 with two box seat tickets, one for him and one for his goat. They paraded around for a few innings, but Wrigley demanded the goat leave the park due to its unpleasant odor. Upon his ejection, Mr. Sianis uttered, "the Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." The Cubs lost game 4, lost the 1945 World Series, and have not been back since. It has also been said by many that Sianis put a "curse" on the Cubs, apparently preventing the team from making it back to (but not actually winning) the World Series. After losing the 1945 World Series, the Cubs finished with winning seasons the next two years, but those teams did not enter post-season play.

1969 The Fall of '69: After two decades of forgettable baseball, in which the Cubs were one of the worst teams in the National League on an almost annual basis, the city was given a bit of hope in the late 1960's. Shortstop Ernie Banks had become known as one of the top players in the league for over 15 years, but had gotten little help, as players such as Hank Sauer were few and far between. However, the emergence Ron Santo, Ferguson Jenkins, and Billy Williams brought home consecutive winning records in '67 and '68, the first time a Cub team accomplished that feat in over two decades. In 1969, the Cubs, now managed by Leo Durocher, built substantial lead in the newly created National League East by mid-August. Ken Holtzman pitched a no-hitter on August 19, and the division lead grew to 8½ games over St. Louis and by 9½ games over the New York Mets, but ultimately the Cubs wilted under pressure. Although the Cubs had their best season in decades at 92-70, they had lost key games against the Mets and finished the season a disappointing 8 games out of first. Many superstitious fans attribute this collapse to an incident at Shea Stadium when a fan released a black cat onto the field, further cursing the club, although the "Amazin' Mets" torrid pace saw them end the season with a remarkable 100 wins.

1977 Heartbreak: Following the '69 season, the club posted winning records for the next few seasons, but no playoff action. After the core players of those teams started to move on, the 70's got worse for the team, and they became known as "The Loveable Losers." In 1977, the team found some life, but ultimately experienced one of its biggest collapses. The Cubs hit a high-water mark on June 28th at 47-22, boasting an 8 1/2 game NL East lead, as they were led by Bobby Murcer (27 Hr/89 RBI), and Rick Reuschel (20-10). However, the Philadelphia Phillies cut the lead to two by the All-star break, as the Cubs sat 19 games over .500, but they swooned late in the season, going 20-40 after July 31st. The Northsiders finished in 4th place at 81-81, while Philadelphia surged, finishing with 103 wins. Ironically, the following two seasons also saw the Cubbies get off to a fast start, only to wear down and play poorly late in the season, settling back to mediocrity. This trait became known as the "June Swoon."

1984 One Game Away: After more than a dozen more subpar seasons, the 1984 Cubs made a midseason deal to acquire ace pitcher Rick Sutcliffe from Cleveland, who joined Scott Sanderson, Dennis Eckersley, Ron Cey and NL MVP Ryne Sandberg on a squad that ultimately tallied an NL best 96 victories, winning the NL East. In the NLCS the Cubbies won the first two games at Wrigley Field against the San Diego Padres. The Cubs needed to win only one game of the next three in San Diego to make it back to the World Series. After being beaten in game 3, the Cubs lost when dependable closer Lee Smith allowed a game-winning home run to Steve Garvey in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 4. In Game 5 the Cubs took a 3-0 lead to the 6th inning, and a 3-2 lead into the 7th with Sutcliffe (who won the Cy Young Award that year) still on the mound, but he tired, and a critical error by Leon Durham, who watched a routine grounder go through his legs helped the San Diego Padres win the game and kept Chicago out of the 1984 World Series. The following season, hopes were high after the signing of Dennis Eckersley, and the club started out well, going 35-19 through mid-June. Unfortunately, injuries to the pitching staff and a 13 game losing streak pushed the Cubs out of contention.

1989 NL East Champions: In 1989, the first full season with night baseball at Wrigley Field, the Cubs were led by a core group of veterans in Sandberg, Sutcliffe and Andre Dawson, who were boosted by a crop of youngsters such as Mark Grace, Shawon Dunston, Greg Maddux and Rookie of the Year Jerome Walton. The Cubbies won the NL East once again that season winning 93 games. This time the Northsiders met the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. After splitting the first two games at home, the Cubs headed to the Bay Area, where despite holding a lead at some point in each of the next three games, bullpen meltdowns and managerial blunders ultimately led to three straight losses. The Giants lost to "The Bash Brothers" and the Oakland A's in the famous "Earthquake Series".

1998 Wild Card: After the retirement of Sandberg and the trading of Dunston, the team needed to look elsewhere for help. In 1998 the Cubs signed outfielder Henry Rodriguez while Sammy Sosa responded with a 66 home run season. This effort, coupled with a Rookie of the Year season by Kerry Wood, won a down-to-the-wire Wild Card chase over San Francisco, culminating with the Cubs beating the Giants in a one game playoff at Wrigley in which Gary Gaetti hit a game winning homer and propelled the Cubs into the postseason once again. They scored only four runs en route to being swept by Atlanta. The home run chase between Sosa and Mark McGwire generated a great deal of media coverage, and helped to bring in a new crop of fans as well as bringing back some fans who had been disillusioned by the 1994 strike. Sadly, the Cubs retained many players who experienced career years in '98, and after a fast start in 1999, they collapsed again and finished in the bottom of the division for the next two seasons.

2003 5 More Outs: The Cubs had high expectations in 2002, but the squad played poorly, and the club responded by hiring Dusty Baker and by making some major moves in '03. Most notably, they traded with the Pittsburgh Pirates for Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez (with the latter finally filling a gaping hole at third base), and rode dominant pitching as the Northsiders won their first division title in 14 years. In what was a dramatic five game series, their NLDS victory over the Atlanta Braves was the franchise's first postseason series win since they won the World Series in 1908. After dropping an extra-inning affair in Game 1, the Northsiders rallied and took a 3 games to 1 lead over the Wild Card Florida Marlins in the NLCS. Florida shut the Cubbies out in Game 5, but young pitcher Mark Prior led the Cubs in Game 6 as they took a 3-0 lead into the 8th inning and it was at this point when a now-infamous incident took place. A fan, Steve Bartman, attempted to catch a foul ball off the bat of Luis Castillo, disrupting a potential catch for the second out by Moisés Alou. Interference was not called on the play, as the ball was on the spectator side of the wall. Neither Alou nor Bartman were able to make the catch. Two batters later, Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez misplayed a potential inning ending double play, loading the bases and leading to eight Florida runs and a Marlin victory. Despite sending Kerry Wood to the mound and holding a lead twice, the Cubs also dropped Game 7, and failed to reach the World Series.

2004 Letdown: In 2004, despite the return of Greg Maddux and a midseason deal for Nomar Garciaparra, misfortune struck the Cubs again. They led the Wild Card by 1.5 games over San Francisco and Houston on September 25, and both of those teams lost that day, giving the Northsiders a chance at increasing the lead to a commanding 2.5 games with only eight games remaining in the season, but reliever LaTroy Hawkins blew a save to the Mets, and the Cubs lost the game in extra innings, a defeat that seemingly deflated the team, as they proceeded to drop 6 of their last 8 games as the Astros won the Wild Card. Despite the fact that the Cubs had won 89 games, this fallout was decidedly unlovable, as the Cubs traded superstar Sammy Sosa after he had left the season's final game early and then lied about it publicly. Already a controversial figure in the clubhouse after his corked-bat incident, Sammy alienated much of his fan base, the few teammates still on good terms with him, and possibly tarnished his place in Cubs' lore for years to come. The disappointing season also saw fans start to become frustrated with the the constant injuries to ace pitchers Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. Additionally, the '04 season led to the departure of popular commentator Steve Stone, who had become increasingly critical of management during broadcasts and was verbally attacked by reliever Kent Mercker. Things were no better in 2005, as despite the acquisition of Derrek Lee and the emergence of closer Ryan Dempster, the club struggled and only managed to win 79 games after being picked by many to be a serious contender for the N.L. pennant.

2007 Worst to 1st: After finishing last place in the N.L. Central with a record of 66-96 and 17.5 games out of first place in 2006, the Northsiders re-tooled for 2007, signing Alfonso Soriano to the richest contract in Cubs history, and replaced unpopular skipper Dusty Baker with the firey Lou Piniella. After a rough start, which included a brawl between Michael Barrett and Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs overcame the Milwaukee Brewers, who had led the division for most of the season, with winning streaks in June and July, ultimately clinching the NL Central with a record of 85-77. They met Arizona in the NLDS, but controversy followed as Piniella, in a move that has since come under scrutiny, pulled Carlos Zambrano after the sixth inning of a pitchers duel with D-Backs ace Brandon Webb, to "Save Zambrano for (a potential) Game 4." The Cubs, however, were unable to come through, losing the first game and eventually stranding over thirty baserunners in a three game Arizona sweep. --Courtesy of Wikipedia