Ehmke had started only 8 games the entire season, but Connie Mack correctly concluded that Ehmke's sidearm style and his mix of control and slow pitches would keep the predominantly right-handed Cubs off balance.

The win propelled the Cubs into the postseason once again with a 90 – 73 regular season tally.

The Cardinals have enjoyed an overwhelming advantage over their Chicago rivals in the regular season standings since the Cubs last participated in a World Series ( 1945 ): in the 66 seasons from 1946 through 2011 the Cardinals have finished ahead of the Cubs 49 times.

He has also homered in The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports, near Orlando, Florida, a usually minor-league and Spring Training park that hosted a regular season series between the Rangers and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in May 2007, although he did not hit a homer at the two regular season games the Cubs played at the Tokyo Dome in 2000 vs. the Mets.

Because Cubs regular third baseman Aramis Ramírez was on the disabled list for the last few weeks of the 2005 season, he volunteered to temporarily play third base, and Cub skipper Dusty Baker agreed.

In his book, The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, baseball historian Bill James cited Durocher's method of using his regular players every day without any rest days as a factor in the Cubs ' collapse.

Bartman was also compared to the black cat that ran across Shea Stadium during a September 9, 1969 regular season game between the Cubs and the New York Mets.

The 1964 set issued cards for two recently deceased players: Ken Hubbs of the Cubs with a different " In Memoriam " front design compared to standard cards, and Colts pitcher Jim Umbricht's regular card with a special note on the back about his April 1964 death from cancer.

Only four teams have won more regular season games: the 1906 Chicago Cubs and the 2001 Seattle Mariners with 116, the 1998 Yankees with 114 and the 1954 Cleveland Indians with 111.

In 1903, Chance became the Cubs ' regular first baseman, and in 1905, he succeeded Frank Selee as the team's manager.

He led the Cubs in home runs, triples, runs, strikeouts, and Slugging percentage, among all regular starters.

The Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets played a pair of games here to open the 2000 season, the first time American Major League Baseball teams have played regular season games in Asia.

He saved 17 games during that season and performed as the regular closer for the Cubs, a position he held for the next five years.

His first major league game was on September 27, 1906, with the Brooklyn Dodgers visiting the Chicago Cubs ; he became a member of the NL's regular staff in April 1907.

On May 11, 2012, the Grizzlies fell to the Iowa Cubs in front of 14, 023 fans, which is the largest regular season crowd in franchise history.

Bobby played only one season as a regular with the Chicago Cubs in 1940, although he played for the Cubs from 1938 to 1940 and the Cincinnati Reds in 1941 and 1942.

In 1962, he became the regular Cubs shortstop when Ernie Banks moved to first base.

During the 2008 baseball season, Todd was a regular contributor to Comcast Sports Net Chicago commenting on the Chicago Cubs baseball season.

In his book, The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, baseball historian Bill James cited manager Durocher's method of using his regular players everyday without any rest days as a factor in the Cubs ' collapse.

Warneke made the regular season roster for the Cubs, although he appeared in only one game before being assigned to the Cubs Class-AA affiliate Reading Keystones on May 23.

Radio broadcasts had not begun and most devotees of baseball attended the games near home, in the town park or a pasture, with perhaps two or three trips to the city each season to see the Cubs or the Pirates or the Indians or the Red Sox.

It turned out that the Cubs and Giants ended the season tied for first place, so the game was indeed replayed, and the Cubs won the game, the pennant, and subsequently the World Series ( the last Cubs Series victory to date, as it turns out ).

Although he would go on to have back-to-back 17-win seasons for the Chicago Cubs in 1971 and 1972, including a no-hitter in the latter season, this did not help the Reds, who ended up losing the 1970 World Series to Robinson and the Orioles.

The Cubs responded by winning a pennant in the war-shortened season of 1918, where they played a part in another team's curse.

However, the Philadelphia Phillies cut the lead to two by the All-star break, as the Cubs sat 19 games over. 500, but they swooned late in the season, going 20 – 40 after July 31.

" Again, the Cubs ' unusually high number of day games is often pointed to as one reason for the team's inconsistent late season play.

The 1983 Cubs had finished 71 – 91 under Lee Elia, who was fired before the season ended by Green.

The loss ended a spectacular season for the Cubs, one that brought alive a slumbering franchise and made the Cubs relevant for a whole new generation of Cubs fans.

In 1989, the first full season with night baseball at Wrigley Field, Don Zimmer's Cubs were led by a core group of veterans in Ryne Sandberg, Rick Sutcliffe and Andre Dawson, who were boosted by a crop of youngsters such as Mark Grace, Shawon Dunston, Greg Maddux, Rookie of the Year Jerome Walton, and Rookie of the Year Runner-Up Dwight Smith.

The Cubs won the NL East once again that season winning 93 games.

After the retirement of Sandberg and the trade of Dunston, the Cubs had holes to fill and the signing of Henry Rodriguez, known affectionately at " H-Rod " to bat cleanup provided protection for Sammy Sosa in the lineup, as Rodriguez slugged 31 round-trippers in his first season in Chicago.

Despite losing fan favorite Grace to free agency, and the lack of production from newcomer Todd Hundley, skipper Don Baylor's Cubs put together a good season in 2001.

" One of the biggest stories of the season transpired as the club made a midseason deal for Fred McGriff, which was drawn out for nearly a month as McGriff debated waiving his no-trade clause, as the Cubs led the wild card race by 2. 5 games in early September.

They led the Wild Card by 1. 5 games over San Francisco and Houston on September 25, and both of those teams lost that day, giving the Cubs a chance at increasing the lead to a commanding 2. 5 games with only eight games remaining in the season, but reliever LaTroy Hawkins blew a save to the Mets, and the Cubs lost the game in extra innings, a defeat that seemingly deflated the team, as they proceeded to drop 6 of their last 8 games as the Astros won the Wild Card.

After a rough start, which included a brawl between Michael Barrett and Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs overcame the Milwaukee Brewers, who had led the division for most of the season, with winning streaks in June and July, coupled with a pair of dramatic, late-inning wins against the Reds, and ultimately clinched the NL Central with a record of 85 – 77.

The Cubs posted a winning record ( 83 – 78 ) for the third consecutive season, the first time the club had done so since 1972, and a new era of ownership under the Ricketts ' family was approved by MLB owners in early October.

On August 22, Lou Piniella, who had already announced his retirement at the end of the season, announced that he would leave the Cubs prematurely to take care of his sick mother.

The Cubs finished the 2011 season 20 games under. 500 with a record of 71-91.

After Thursday's open date, Solly plans to open with Larry Jackson against the Cubs here Friday night.

The most recent player credited with a " straight " steal of home was Pete Kozma of the St. Louis Cardinals who stole home against the Chicago Cubs on September 21, 2012.

He entered into an agreement to buy the club, but the American League vetoed the sale, preferring to keep an American League team in Chicago to compete with the crosstown Cubs.

Da Super Fan sketch has not been brought back by SNL, with the exception of a single appearance by Horatio Sanz as a Super Fan for the Cubs on Weekend Update in 2003.

This makes the Cubs, along with the Braves who were also founded in 1871, one of the two oldest active teams in major North American sports.

Near the end of the first decade of the double-Bills ' guidance, the Cubs won the NL pennant in 1929 and then achieved the unusual feat of winning a pennant every three years, following up the 1929 flag with league titles in 1932, 1935, and 1938.

After losing the 1945 World Series to the Detroit Tigers, the Cubs finished with winning seasons the next two years, but those teams did not enter post-season play.

The Cubs finished in 4th place at 81 – 81, while Philadelphia surged, finishing with 101 wins.

The Wrigley family sold the team to the Chicago Tribune in 1981, ending a 65-year family relationship with the Cubs.

Jim Frey was hired to manage the 1984 Cubs, with Don Zimmer coaching 3rd base and Billy Connors serving as pitching coach.

Iowa Cub Joe Carter and CF Mel Hall were sent to Cleveland for Sutcliffe and back-up C Ron Hassey (. 333 with Cubs in 1984 ).

Following the " Daily Double ," Matthews, Durham, Cey, Moreland and Davis gave the Cubs an order with no gaps to pitch around.

When the Cubs clinched the Eastern Division with a Sutcliffe complete-game 2-hitter at Pittsburgh on September 23, the franchise had its first title of any kind since 1945.

Rather than hold any games in the cross town rival Sox Park, the Cubs made arrangements with the August A. Busch, owner of the St. Louis Cardinals, to use Busch Stadium in St. Louis as the Cubs " home field " for the World Series.

This was approved by Major League Baseball and would have enabled the Cubs to host games 1 and 2, along with games 6 and 7 if necessary.

After being beaten in Game 3 7 – 1, the Cubs lost Game 4 when Smith, with the game tied 5 – 5, allowed a game-winning home run to Garvey in the bottom of the ninth inning.

In Game 5 the Cubs took a 3 – 0 lead into the 6th inning, and a 3 – 2 lead into the seventh with Sutcliffe ( who won the Cy Young Award that year ) still on the mound.

Sammy Sosa was the captain of the Chicago Cubs during his tenure with the team.

The Cubs retained many players who experienced career years in ' 98, and after a fast start in 1999, they collapsed again ( starting with being swept at the hands of the cross-town White Sox in mid-June ) and finished in the bottom of the division for the next two seasons.

Most notably, they traded with the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Kenny Lofton and third baseman Aramis Ramirez, and rode dominant pitching, led by Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, as the Cubs led the division down the stretch.