The heavily favored Cubs took an early lead in Game 1, but James Loney's grand slam off Ryan Dempster changed the series ' momentum.

Prior to the 2002 season, the Marlins traded RHP Matt Clement and RHP Antonio Alfonseca to the Cubs for RHP Julian Tavarez, LHP Dontrelle Willis, RHP Jose Cueto and C Ryan Jorgensen.

They first swept the Pittsburgh Pirates, thanks to walk-off home runs by Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, tying the New York Mets for the Wild Card lead with 3 games to go against the NL Central division champion Chicago Cubs.

Ryan Dempster, Chicago Cubs pitcher, is known for his Harry Caray impression, most notably, he announced the Cubs ' starting lineup while speaking like the post-stroke version of Caray before a nationally televised baseball game on Fox Sports.

Wood, along with Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol, competed for the role as the Cubs ' closer after Ryan Dempster was moved to the starting rotation.

His last-ever lead in the all-time strikeout race was after his start on September 4, 1984, when he struck out four Cubs to lead Ryan by three ( 3, 857 to 3, 854 ).

Wood and Prior both made rehabilitation starts for the I-Cubs in 2004 and 2005 before returning to the Chicago Cubs ' active roster, and many Cubs players such as Derrek Lee, Daryle Ward, Alfonso Soriano, and Ryan Dempster have also made stops in Des Moines for rehab purposes.

The first Major League Player to wear this helmet during a game was Ryan Dempster, pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.

These players include Andy Pafko ( who, coincidentally, played in the 1945 World Series as a Cub ), Gene Baker, Smoky Burgess, Don Hoak, Dale Long, Lou Brock ( whose first title was in after a mid-season trade to the St. Louis Cardinals ), Lou Johnson, Jim Brewer, Moe Drabowsky, Don Cardwell, Ken Holtzman, Billy North, Fred Norman, Bill Madlock, Manny Trillo, Greg Gross, Rick Monday, Burt Hooton, Bruce Sutter, Willie Hernández, Joe Niekro, Dennis Eckersley, Joe Carter, Greg Maddux, Joe Girardi ( as both a player and a manager ), José Vizcaíno, Glenallen Hill ( after his second stint with the Cubs ; his title came in after a mid-season trade ), Luis Gonzalez, Mike Morgan, Mark Grace, Mark Bellhorn, Bill Mueller, Scott Eyre ( whose title came in after he been traded from the Cubs during the season ), Tom Gordon, Matt Stairs, Jamie Moyer, in, Mark DeRosa and Mike Fontenot — the former of whom had been traded the offseason before, the latter having been traded that midseason, and in, Ryan Theriot who was traded the previous season.

In, Aguilera had gone 3 – 1 with 6 saves and a 1. 27 ERA in 17 games before the Twins traded the 37-year-old and pitcher Scott Downs to the Chicago Cubs for Kyle Lohse and Jason Ryan.

While the Marlins denied any connection, shortly afterwards, on March 27, 2002, he was traded, along with Matt Clement, to the Chicago Cubs for Julian Tavarez, Ryan Jorgensen, Dontrelle Willis, and Jose Cueto.

* Ryan Lilly, Huskies 2004, Chicago Cubs

He was traded to the Chicago Cubs on May 26, 2011, for Ryan Buchter.

On May 8, 2009, after clearing waivers and being sent outright to the minors, the Cubs traded Gathright to the Baltimore Orioles for Ryan Freel.

Former Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot, who was acquired by the Cardinals from the Los Angeles Dodgers on November 30, 2010, told a St. Louis radio station that he was " finally on the right side of the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry " and that he was happy to be with an organization that emphasized winning World Series championships instead of being " an afterthought ".