Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field
The Chicago Cubs are one of Major League Baseball's most beloved franchises. The team has won the National League pennant 17 times and the World Series three times, notably in 2016. That championship came after a famously long drought that lasted more than a century, as the Cubs had last won the title in 1908. In fact, it was rumored that the Cubs were cursed in 1945 by the owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, who was reportedly banned from bringing his pet goat into the park during that year's World Series. Starting with the 2020 season, the team is managed by David Ross.
Since 1916, the Cubs have played their home games at storied Wrigley Field, which has also been known as Weeghman Park and Cubs Park. The stadium, which notoriously didn't get lights until 1988, seats more than 41,000 fans and is known for its ivy-covered outfield walls.
Chicago Cubs History
The Chicago Cubs were one of the foundational teams of the National League, as they joined during the inaugural 1876 season. Back then, however, they were known as the Chicago White Stockings, a name they used until 1889, when the team became the Chicago Colts. That moniker stuck around from 1890 to 1897; after that, the team was called the Orphans for a few years before finally becoming the Cubs starting with the 1903 season. The team currently plays in the National League Central, the same division as their rival St. Louis Cardinals.
Over the years, the Cubs have produced dozens of Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, starting with Cap Anson, a first baseman who also managed the Cubs for a time, and the early 20th-century pitcher Mordecai Brown, whose nickname was "Three Finger" due to the number of digits left on his hand after an injury. The noted double-play combo of Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance — aka Joe Tinker to Johnny Evers to Frank Chance — were Cubs, as was the great slugger Ernie "Mr. Cub" Banks, who hit 512 homers during his celebrated career. In the more modern era, second baseman Ryne Sandberg and relief pitcher Lee Smith also made their mark with the team.