The Chicago Cubs came into being in 1870 as the White Stockings. Till date no other major league team has successfully represented the city of their origin longer than the Chicago Cubs. In 1871, the Cubs became one of the important affiliate of the game’s first professional league,” The National Association.” In 1876, William Hulbert, president of White Stockings founded the National League since the competent players of his team started moving to another in lieu of a higher salary. The team’s list of list of successive players is lead by Cap Anson who went on to become the team’s leading batsman in the late 19th century. He led the club in the National League Championship in 1876. He also became the manager of the team after replacing Albert Spalding. The Chicagoans went on to have some great seasons in the 1880s after Spalding took voluntary retirement to take care of his sporting goods firm. Spalding returned to the club as president from 1882 through 1891. In the year 1891, the on-field supremacy of White Stockings dwindled during the 1890s, awaiting revival under new leadership.

The team became famous as the Cubs in 1902 after a sports journalist remarked that the team played like bear cubs. The change in the nickname also changed the fortunes of the team. The Cubs won four NL Championships and two World Series victories from 1902 to 1912. The teams’ hitting and scores were affected in 1907, but their pitching was as usual exceptionally good. In 1916, Charles Weeghman as the new owner of the team gave the Cubs an opportunity to play in the new ballpark. In 1921, William Wrigley, an affluent chewing gum manufacturer took the hold of the team. He procured Joe McCarthy, outfielder Hack Wilson, Kiki Cuyler, Rogers Hornsby who with a team spirit took the Cubs to the summit of the league. After losing the 1945 World Series, the Cubs supremacy started diminishing. For 20 consecutive years beginning in 1947 either they finished in the second division, or bottom half, of the National League. They didn’t win any playoff series between 1908 and 2003. Ernie Banks also known as Mr. Cub became the first member of the team to earn the NL’s most valuable player in 1958. In 1959, he became the first National League player to earn an MVP honor successively.

In 1981, the Cubs became the property of the Chicago Tribune Company since everything happened in contrast of what Wrigley’s thought off. His powerful team was unable to produce a winner. In 1984 the Cubs made their first postseason appearance. This time the entire management was given a new appearance. Even the roster was completely changed. In 1989, the Cubs won the division championship with Jim Frey earning the league’s manager of the year honor. Andre Dawson, Mark Grace, and Ryne Sandberg continued to exhibit offensive influence over the next three years. The 1998 season was a year of achievements for the Cubs. They won a wild card spot in 1998. The season belonged to Sosa, Wood and Beck who contributed magnificently to make it a remarkable year. The Cubs eventually made it past the first round in the year 2003. The home stadium of the Cubs is the Wrigley Field inaugurated in 1914. In the 1980’s, it was expected that they will be confiscated of the rights to address the Field as their arena. But with the introduction of night baseball in 1988 secured their plays in this crown jewel of ballparks. The St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs share one of the baseball’s best rivalries. No matter how the team performs, the games are complete sold out and fans of the visiting team journey to the rival park. Their rivalry is unlike any other rivalry in sports, since it is for the most part friendly.