Cubs-Cardinals
The North Siders: a charter NL franchise with a record 116-win season and a historic 2016 championship.
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located on Chicago's North Side. They are one of two major league teams based in Chicago, alongside the American League (AL)’s Chicago White Sox. The Cubs, first known as the White Stockings, were founded in 1870 and are one of two remaining NL charter franchises that debuted in 1876. They have been known as the Chicago Cubs since 1903.
Quick Facts
- League affiliation
- National League
- First meeting era
- Late 19th Century
- Geographic connection
- I-55 Corridor (Chicago to St. Louis)
- Rivalry nickname
- The Battle of the I-55
- Competitive nature
- Historically tight divisional battles
Lore & Background
The Cubs began in 1870 as the Chicago White Stockings, playing at West Side Grounds. They joined the National League as a charter member in 1876. The club won its first NL pennant that year. After back-to-back pennants in 1880 and 1881, and a third in 1882, the team won NL pennants in 1885 and 1886, meeting the St. Louis Brown Stockings in the early World Series. The team was later known as the Colts and then the Orphans before becoming the Cubs in 1903. The 1906 Cubs won a record 116 games and the NL pennant but lost the World Series to the White Sox. They won back-to-back World Series in 1907 and 1908. The Cubs did not win another World Series until 2016, ending a 108-year championship drought.
Reader's Guide
The Cubs play at Wrigley Field on Chicago's North Side. They are known as 'the North Siders,' in contrast to the White Sox on the South Side. Through 2024, the franchise has played the most games in MLB history. Since divisional play began in 1969, the Cubs have appeared in the postseason 12 times through the 2025 season.
Did You Know?
- The Cubs won back-to-back World Series in 1907 and 1908, the first team to play in three consecutive Fall Classics and win two.
- The Cubs' 108-year World Series championship drought is the longest in major professional sports in the United States and Canada.
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