Fans of the Chicago Cubs are die-hards,
buying baseball tickets every year to watch the team play
in venerable Wrigley Field, the beloved ballpark that
has been home to the Cubs since 1916.
The team didn’t start out as a losing
franchise. Formed in 1876, one of the original eight teams
in the National League, the team won the very first pennant
in the league. Called the White Stockings at the time,
the team took six pennants in the first 11 years of the
National League. After name changes to the Colts and the
Orphans, the team took on the name Cubs in 1903. The team
put together three fantastic seasons in a row, taking
the pennant in 1906 and winning the World Series in 1907
and 1908. The Cubs won the pennant again in 1910 and 1918,
then four more times between 1929 and 1938.
Though Cubs tickets haven’t guaranteed
fans the chance to watch a winning team, they have provided
the opportunity to see some fantastic players take the
field. First baseman Ernie Banks was named to the All-Star
team 14 times and received the MVP award two years in
a row (1958-59). Outfielder Billy Williams was an All-Star
six times and was named Rookie of the Year in 1961. Ron
Santo, the Cubs’ long-time third baseman, went to
the All-Stars nine times.
In the 1980s, Ryne Sandburg joined the
Cubs and proved to be one of the team’s greatest
stars. A second baseman, Sandburg received an astounding
nine Gold Glove awards, ten trips to the All-Star game,
was named MVP in 1984, and took seven Silver Slugger honors.
In the 1990s, a new star helped sell baseball tickets
to Wrigley Field: Sammy Sosa. He dazzled fans in the great
1998 homerun war with Mark McGuire, the same year he was
named MVP and received the Roberto Clemente award. He
won the Hank Aaron award the next year, and during his
career won six consecutive Silver Slugger awards.
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