The 1984 National League Championship Run

Lore & Background

The Cubs ended their playoff drought on September 24 at Three Rivers Stadium in front of just over 5,000 fans, many of whom were Cubs fans. Rick Sutcliffe threw a two-hit complete game for his sixteenth straight victory, and the Cubs won the National League East. The Cubs were defeated in the 1984 National League Championship Series by the San Diego Padres three games to two.

In Their Own Story

The October air was crisp at Wrigley Field. Sutcliffe gripped the ball, eyes locked on the catcher's mitt. The crowd held its breath, a sea of blue and red waving towels. One pitch, one strikeout, and another step closer to glory. The ivy-covered walls seemed to lean in, listening to the crack of the bat that echoed through the decade.

Reader's Guide

The Cubs' pitching staff included 1984 Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe, and the lineup included 1984 Baseball Most Valuable Player Award winner second baseman Ryne Sandberg. Frey was awarded Manager of the Year for the National League for leading the Cubs to 96 victories.

Did You Know?

• The Cubs' postseason appearance in 1984 was their first since 1945.
• Ryne Sandberg hit two game-tying home runs in the ninth and tenth innings of a June 23 game against the St. Louis Cardinals, known as 'The Sandberg Game'.
• Rick Sutcliffe had 15 strikeouts in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on September 3, 1984.