Cubs in the Postseason

After their back-to-back world championships in 1907 and 1908, the Cubs did not win another postseason series of any kind until 2003, and, of course, they didn't win the World Series again until 2016. 

     The Cubs won seven more pennants in the first half of the 20th century (and narrowly missed several more), but never captured the ultimate prize. They came closest in 1945, when they lost a seven-game Series to the Detroit Tigers and then disappeared from all postseason play for 39 years and from the Fall Classic for 71 years.

     Lou Piniella's 2007 and 2008 teams were the first Cubs to make back-to-back postseason appearances since Frank Chance's legendary teams exactly a century earlier. Alas, Piniella's Cubs failed to win a single playoff game.   

     Below is the complete list of Cubs teams in the postseason.

    

JOE MADDON

 

1885

W. 87    L. 25    .777    

Manager: Cap Anson

Best Player: John Clarkson

Finished first in National League

Tied St. Louis Browns 3 games to 3 in World Series

 

1886

W. 90    L. 34    .726

Manager: Cap Anson

Best Player: King Kelly

Finished first in National League

Lost to St. Louis Browns 4 games to 2 in World Series

 

1906

W. 116    L. 36    .763

Manager: Frank Chance

Best Player: Mordecai Brown

Finished first in National League

Lost to White Sox 4 games to 2 in World Series

 

1907

W. 107    L. 45    .704

Manager: Frank Chance

Best Player: Orval Overall

Finished first in National League

Defeated Detroit Tigers 4 games to 0 in World Series

1908

W. 99    L. 55    .643

Manager: Frank Chance

Best Player: Mordecai Brown

Finished first in National League

Defeated Detroit Tigers 4 games to 2 in World Series

 

1910

W. 104    L. 50    .675

Manager: Frank Chance

Best Player: Solly Hofman

Finished first in National League

Lost to Philadelphia Athletics 4 games to 1 in World Series

 

1918

W. 84    L. 45    .651

Manager: Fred Mitchell

Best Player: Hippo Vaughn

Finished first in National League

Lost to Boston Red Sox 4 games to 2 in World Series

 

1929

W. 98    L. 54    .645

Manager: Joe McCarthy

Best Player: Rogers Hornsby

Finished first in National League

Lost to Philadelphia Athletics 4 games to 1 in World Series

 

1932

W. 90    L. 64    .584

Managers: Rogers Hornsby, Charlie Grimm

Best Player: Lon Warneke

Finished first in National League

Lost to New York Yankees 4 games to 0 in World Series 

 

1935

W. 100    L. 54    .649

Manager: Charlie Grimm

Best Player: Billy Herman

Finished first in National League

Lost to Detroit Tigers 4 games to 2 in World Series

 

1938

W. 89    L. 63    .581

Managers: Charlie Grimm, Gabby Hartnett

Best Player: Bill Lee

Finished first in National League

Lost to New York Yankees 4 games to 0 in World Series    

 

1945

W. 98    L. 56    .636

Manager: Charlie Grimm

Best Player: Stan Hack

Finished first in National League

Lost to Detroit Tigers 4 games to 3 in World Series

 

1984

W. 96    L. 65    .596

Manager: Jim Frey

Best Player: Ryne Sandberg

Finished first in National League East

Lost to San Diego Padres 3 games to 2 in N.L. Championship Series  

 

1989

W. 93    L. 69    .574

Manager: Don Zimmer

Best Player: Ryne Sandberg

Finished first in National League East

Lost to San Francisco Giants 4 games to 1 in N.L. Championship Series

 

1998

W. 90    L. 73    .552

Manager: Jim Riggleman

Best Player: Sammy Sosa

Finished second in National League Central

Lost to Atlanta Braves 3 games to 0 in N.L. Division Series 

 

2003

W. 88    L. 74    .543

Manager: Dusty Baker

Best Player: Mark Prior

Finished first in National League Central

Defeated Atlanta Braves 3 games to 2 in N.L. Division Series

Lost to Florida Marlins 4 games to 3 in N.L. Championship Series

 

2007

W. 88    L. 74    .543

Manager: Lou Piniella

Best Player: Mark Prior

Finished first in National League Central

Lost to Arizona Diamondbacks 3 games to 0 in N.L. Division Series

 

2008

W. 97    L. 64    .602

Manager: Lou Piniella

Best Player: Ryan Dempster

Finished first in National League Central

Lost to Los Angeles Dodgers 3 games to 0 in N.L. Division Series

 

2015

W. 97    L. 65    .599

Manager: Joe Maddon

Best Player: Jake Arrieta

Finished third in National League Central

Defeated Pittsburgh Pirates in N.L. Wild Card Game

Defeated St. Louis Cardinals 3 games to 1 in N.L. Division Series

Lost to New York Mets 4 games to 0 in N.L. Championship Series

 

2016

W. 103    L. 58    .640

Manager: Joe Maddon

Best Player: Kris Bryant

Finished first in National League Central

Defeated San Francisco Giants 3 games to 1 in N.L. Division Series

Defeated Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 2 in N.L. Championship Series

Defeated Cleveland Indians 4 games to 3 in World Series  

 

2017

W. 92    L. 70    .568

Manager: Joe Maddon

Best Player: Kris Bryant

Finished first in National League Central

Defeated Washington Nationals 3 games to 2 in N.L. Division Series

Lost to Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 1 in N.L. Championship Series

 

2018

W. 95    L. 68    .583

Manager: Joe Maddon

Best Player: Javier Baez

Finished second in National League Central

Lost to Colorado Rockies in N.L. Wild Card Game

 

2020

W. 34    L. 26    .567

Manager: David Ross

Best Player: Yu Darvish

Finished first in National League Central

Lost to Miami Marlins 2 games to 0 in N.L. Wild Card Series

 

("Best Player" based on Baseball Reference Wins Above Replacement.)

 

 

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A Key Acquisition

The 2010 Cubs were sellers, not buyers, at the trading deadline—hence the departure of lefthander Ted Lilly, a gamer, a leader, and a winner, and as such a poor fit for this year’s club. Sixty-five years ago, however, it was a different story. The midseason acquisition of Hank Borowy sparked the 1945 Cubs to the pennant, their most recent to date.

HANK BOROWY

     On a day off in late July 1945, Cubs manager Charlie Grimm and general manager Jim Gallagher went fishing. When they returned in the wee hours “full of beer” by Gallagher’s own admission, Gallagher’s wife told him that someone from New York had been trying to reach him by phone all afternoon and evening. He dialed the number given and found Larry MacPhail, general manager of the Yankees, on the other end of the line. (He was the grandfather of Andy MacPhail, who was not born yet but would one day occupy the same position with the Cubs.)
     “What will you give us for Borowy?” MacPhail demanded.
     Gallagher could not believe his ears. Hank Borowy, 29, was a mainstay of the Yankee staff, compiling a record of 56-30 since 1942. Then, as now, quality starting pitchers were a precious commodity. This was all the more true given the wartime talent pool.
     “How the hell can you ever get waivers on him?” Gallagher asked.
     “I’ve got the waivers,” MacPhail replied. “Do you want him, or don’t you?”
     By asking for waivers, MacPhail had theoretically made Borowy available to any American League club that was willing to fork over $7,500. But, no doubt suspecting that MacPhail would withdraw Borowy’s name as soon as someone filed a claim on him, the other American League general managers all passed. MacPhail was now free to deal Borowy to a National League club for any mutually agreed-upon price.
     The startled Gallagher acquired Borowy for $97,000 and two minor-league players who were never heard of again. MacPhail’s apparent generosity has been wondered at ever since. One theory holds that he believed Borowy was about to be drafted into the service, another that he assumed recurring blisters on Borowy’s pitching fingers would soon end Hank’s career. Grimm had perhaps the most interesting explanation. “A few years before, when Larry was with the Brooklyn Dodgers,” Grimm said, “he had made a slick deal with the Cubs for [second baseman] Billy Herman. I’ve often thought he showed his appreciation by clearing the way for us to land Borowy.”
     The acquisition would prove to be a godsend for Gallagher and the Cubs. Borowy made 14 starts, going 11-2 with a 2.13 earned-run average. He was 3-1 against the defending champion Cardinals, who finished three games behind the pennant-winning Cubs. “Without Borowy,” teammate Don Johnson said, “we could not have beaten the Cardinals. I think everybody felt that way.”