Chicago Cubs Playoffs

The Chicago Cubs are among the most recognized teams in Major League Baseball. They have won the World Series twice, but not for more than a century. In 2009, they finished the season outside the playoffs for the first time in three years. They finished about .500 for the third consecutive year, the first such streak in almost 40 years. Going into the 2010 season, the starting lineup of pitchers (especially Carlos Zambrano), a few talented veterans in the field (Derrek Lee), and promising young players (Geovany Soto).

The Tribune Company sold the Cubs in 2009 to Joe Ricketts, the owner of TD Ameritrade. The team's general manager, Jim Hendry, has held the post since 2002, and has been with the Cubs since 1995. The manager since 2007 is Lou Piniella, one of baseball's most respected figures. http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=chc

The Cubs are also famous for being an integral part of Chicago. They play in at Wrigley Field in a lively Chicago neighborhood (commonly called Wrigleyville) that fills with fans before and after every home game. Daytime games during the summer are common at Wrigley Field. The games at Wrigley often sell out whether the team is competitive or not.

The Chicago Cubs are one of the oldest and most famous teams in Major League Baseball. They were founded in 1870, and have also been known as the Orphans, Colts, and White Stockings. They have played in the National League since 1876, and have played in the same stadium, Wrigley Field, since 1916. Unfortunately for Cubs fans, the team is also won of the least successful on the field. The Cubs won their last World Series in 1908, and have only won two in their history. The 101 years without a championship is the longest streak in the history of major North American sports.

Many fans point to a curse to explain this conspicuous lack of success. In 1945, a disgruntled fan was escorted out of Wrigley Field because his pet goat smelled bad. On his way out, he declared that the Cubs' winning days were over, which was later turned into the Curse of the Billy Goat. Adding fuel to these theories are a series of hard-luck losses in the playoffs. The worst of these came in 2003, when the Cubs came within five outs of a World Series trip. A fan interfering with a foul ball (the now-infamous Steve Bartman) was the most memorable part of the team's utter collapse against the Florida Marlins, who went on to win the 2003 World Series. http://www.cubbiesbaseball.com/goats.htm

Despite their lack of victories, the Cubs do have some famously talented players. Probably the best was Ernie Banks, a shortstop with 512 home runs and two MVP awards in the 1950s. Ryne Sandberg was the face of the team in the 1980s and 1990s. Sammy Sosa was a beloved figure in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but erratic behavior and rumors of steroid use have made his memory less positive. Greg Maddux and Ferguson Jenkins are among the best pitchers ever to play for the Cubs.

One of the most enduringly famous and beloved figures with the Cubs wasn’t a player, but announcer Harry Caray, who announced TV and radio games from 1981 through 1997. Caray was famous for his spirited rendition of Take Me out to the Ballgame, which he sang during the seventh-inning stretch of home games, as well as his colorful calls of the action.http://www.radiohof.org/sportscasters/harrycaray.html

• 2008—Lost in first round to Los Angeles Dodgers

• 1998—Lost in the first round to the Atlanta Braves

• 2007—Lost in first round to Arizona Diamondbacks

• 2003—Lost in NLCS to the Florida Marlins