Famous Historic Matches

Lore & Background

The team was originally called the White Stockings, later also known as the Orphans, Infants, Remnants, and Colts by the press before officially becoming the Cubs in 1903. In 1870, they won the NABBP championship, though the title was disputed. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 occurred after the season had ended, and the club disbanded for 1872–1873 before returning in 1874. Under president William Hulbert, they helped form the National League in 1876 and won its first championship. Cap Anson led the team to pennants in 1880 and 1881.

In Their Own Story

The wind off Lake Michigan cut through the stands as the eleventh inning began at Wrigley Field, carrying the chill of eighty years of waiting. The scoreboard flickered, displaying a score that felt impossible just hours prior. Inside the dugout, the air was thick with a silent, vibrating tension where history pressed against the present. A single pitch sailed toward home plate, suspending time for a heartbeat. Then came the crack of the bat—a sound that didn't just echo through the stadium, but reverberated through generations of heartbreak. As the runner crossed home, the roar that erupted from Wrigleyville wasn't merely celebration; it was an exorcism. It was a collective release of every fan who had watched, hoped, and waited for this exact moment to finally turn the page.

Reader's Guide

The Cubs' early home fields included Ogden Park, Dexter Park, the Union Base-Ball Grounds (destroyed in the 1871 fire), the 23rd Street Grounds, and a rebuilt Lake Park ballpark. Key early players included Albert Spalding, Adrian Anson, James 'Deacon' White, Ross Barnes, Larry Corcoran, and Fred Goldsmith. The team set an all-time NL record winning percentage of .798 in 1880.

Did You Know?

• The Cubs are the only charter NL franchise never to have relocated, but the Atlanta Braves trace their origins to the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, making them the oldest continuously operating professional sports club
• The team was known as the White Stockings, Orphans, Infants, Remnants, and Colts before officially becoming the Cubs in 1903.
• The 1871 Great Chicago Fire occurred after the season ended, and the club disbanded for 1872–1873 rather than finishing the season in borrowed uniforms.