2007 NL Division Series Game 5

Lore & Background

Throughout the club's history, the Cubs have played in a total of 11 World Series. The 1906 Cubs won 116 games, finishing 116–36 and posting a modern-era record winning percentage of .763, before losing the World Series to the Chicago White Sox by four games to two. The Cubs won back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908, becoming the first major league team to play in three consecutive World Series, and the first to win it twice. Most recently, the Cubs won the 2016 National League Championship Series and 2016 World Series, which ended a 71-year National League pennant drought and a 108-year World Series championship drought, both of which are record droughts in Major League Baseball. The 108-year drought was also the longest such occurrence in all major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. Since the start of divisional play in 1969, the Cubs have appeared in the postseason 11 times through the 2024 season.

In Their Own Story

The air in Denver was thin, but the tension was thick enough to choke on. The scoreboard read 4-3, bottom of the ninth, two outs. Every Cubs fan in Wrigleyville and every Rockies supporter in Colorado held their breath as Matt Holliday stepped into the batter's box. The pitcher wound up, delivered a slider, and Holliday connected with a line drive that cut through the infield grass. It hit the ground just fair, rolling past the diving third baseman. As the ball trickled toward the wall, the Rockies runners crossed home plate one by one. The roar from the Rockies dugout was deafening, while the silence from the Cubs bench was absolute. The dream of October 2007 evaporated in a single swing.

Reader's Guide

The Cubs are known as 'the North Siders', a reference to the location of Wrigley Field within the city of Chicago, and in contrast to the White Sox, whose home field (Rate Field) is located on the South Side. Through 2024, the franchise has played the most games in MLB history, with an all-time regular season record of 11,419–10,837–161 (.513).

Did You Know?

• The Cubs were first known as the White Stockings.
• The Cubs have played in 11 World Series.
• The Cubs' 108-year championship drought is the longest in North American professional sports.