Every sport evolves with each passing generation -- from the
size and athleticism of players to game strategy.
Baseball’s evolution, however, is both historic and unique given
the pre-integration and dead ball eras. For the former, full
segregation took place from 1887-1947. Full integration, which
was a gradual process, came in 1959. The Deadball Era was a
period in the early 20th century when baseball was characterized
by low scoring and emphasis on pitching.
There was the Steroid Era, which has no definite start time though
it is generally assumed that the era ran from the late 1980s until
the late 2000s. This era was defined by shattered home run
records leading to exorbitant salaries.
The Chicago Cubs have existed since 1876 and while the modern
day fans know them as “Loveable Losers,” the Cubs were one of
the most successful teams in the Major Leagues until 1945. The
Cubs have won 17 National League pennants in franchise history
along with back-to-back World Series titles in 1907 and 1908. In
2016, the Cubs broke a 108-year drought between World Series
titles.
Today, I formed a Cubs Dream Team that encompasses all eras.
For openers, to make this roster, four years as a Cubs are required.
No exceptions. With the free agency era, I’m not going to cheapen
this roster with 1-3 year rentals.
I’m forming a 12 man pitching staff, five starters and seven relievers.
For the latter, I want at least one lefthander in the bullpen. For
position players, I am taking what I believe is the best of the best
regardless of era. For the bench players, it’s the best of the rest with
versatility being heavily considered. Merit achievements such as
Hall of Fame, All Star appearances and Gold Gloves are
considered but not guaranteed. General impactfulness on the
franchise is also considered.
Generational reminders
If I believe you were the best at your position in the pre-integration
era, you are on the team. If you played on a World Series champion,
there is no guarantee of landing on this roster. If you played during
a bad season, that does not deter you from being on this roster.
Unlike the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, there are no
morality clauses. This is baseball, not the Boys Scouts.
Starting pitchers
Ferguson Jenkins, Mordecai Brown, Greg Maddux, Hippo Vaughn,
Jon Lester
On the way to Hall of Fame careers, Jenkins and Maddux, along
with Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez are the only Major League
pitchers to record more than 3,000 strikeouts while also recording
fewer than 1,000 walks. Jenkins spent 10 seasons with the Cubs,
three of which were All Star campaigns. He was the National
League Cy Young Award winner and led the Major League in
victories in 1971. He also led the National League in strikeouts in
1969. Brown was nicknamed “three-finger” because of a childhood
farming accident that led to losing part of his right index finger and
having a bent middle finger in a separate accident. Nonetheless he
used his limitations for creative movement. He also has the most
shutouts in franchise history and led the Cubs to two World Series
titles. He led the Major Leagues in ERA in 1906 and the National
League in wins in 1909. Even though Maddux's fastball could
reach 93 mph in the early portion of his career, he relied on guile
and being able to change speeds. Maddux spent a total of 10
seasons with the Cubs. On the way to a Hall of Fame career, he
was an eight-time All-Star, four-time National League Cy Young
Award winner, 18 time Gold Glove Award winner, three-time Major
League ERA leader and three-time Major League wins leader.
Even though Vaughn hasn't thrown a single pitch for the Cubs in
over a hundred years, he remains the franchise's all time leader
in starts, complete games, strikeouts and innings for a left-hander.
Vaughn spent nine seasons with the Cubs. His best season was
1918, when he won the Triple Crown, led the National League in
wins, ERA and strikeouts. Other pitchers in franchise history may
have better statistics than Lester but his free agent signing before
the 2015 season wound up being a key maneuver for the
franchise. Lester was a vital component and the franchise winning
their 2016 World Series championship. In 12 playoff games for the
Cubs, Lester has an ERA of 2.44. In a Cubs uniform, Lester has
been an All-Star twice, led the National League in wins in 2018 and
was the NLCS MVP in 2016.
Bullpen
Closer -- Lee Smith
Bruce Sutter, Pedro Strop, Carlos Mormal, Don Elston, Paul
Assenmacher, Ryan Dempster
Smith spent eight seasons with the Cubs with two of his four career
All-Star appearances coming in Chicago. On the way to a Hall of
Fame career, he made a splendid transition from starter to closer. He
led the national league in saves four times, once and a Cubs uniform
but his story goes beyond those stats. His 478 saves are third most
in Major League history behind Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman.
Similar to Smith, Sutter popularized the role of closer. On the way to
a Hall of Fame career, four of which were spent with the Cubs, Sutter
was a six-time All-Star and led the National League in saves four
times. He won the National League Cy Young Award in 1979. Strop
was an unsung hero in the Cubs 2016 World Series championship.
In a seven-year span as a setup man, Strop had 120 holds and a
strikeouts to walks ratio of nearly 3-to-1. Marmol lacks All Star
accolades but during his eight seasons with the Cubs he was a
dominant setup man who averaged 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
Elston was a two-time All-Star in his eight seasons with the Cubs but
gets the nod to be in this bullpen for his longevity with the
franchise. Assenmacher was a solid left-hander out of the bullpen
with a 3.42 ERA as a Cub and averaged nearly one strikeout per
inning. Dempster's versatility wins him a spot on this roster because
he was versatile enough to be a starter and reliever. Dempster had
a combined 3.74 ERA and 87 saves.
Infield
Catcher -- Gabby Hartnett, First base -- Anthony Rizzo, Second
base -- Ryne Sandberg, Third base -- Ron Santo, Shortstop -- Ernie
Banks
Hartnett’s 204 home runs as a catcher remains a franchise-record.
On the way to a Hall of Fame career, Hartnett was a six-time All-Star
and helped the Cubs reach four World Series. He was also the
National League MVP in 1935. Rizzo's Legacy is still in progress as
he enters his ninth season with the Cubs but has already done more
than enough to earn the starting first baseman position on this team.
For openers, Rizzo helped snap a 108 year drought between World
Series championships. Rizzo is a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold
Glove Award winner and was a Silver Slugger Award winner in 2016.
If the Cubs franchise had a Mount Rushmore, Sandberg would
unquestionably be on it. Since Sanderg retired in 1997, 13 different
players have played second base for the Cubs and none more than
two years in a row. Sandberg helped the Cubs to two division titles in
1984 and 1989. He was a 10 time All Star, nine-time Gold Glove,
seven-time Silver Slugger Award winner, National League home run
leader in 1990 and National League MVP in 1984 on the way to a
Hall of Fame career.
Santo is not only one of the best third baseman of his time but one
of the best players in Cubs history regardless of position. On the way
to a Hall of Fame career, Santo was a nine-time All-Star and five-time
Gold Glove. After starring in the Negro Leagues, Banks became the
most identifiable player in franchise history, hence the nickname “Mr.
Cub.” Banks remains the leader in franchise history in games played,
total bases and extra-base hits. He held the franchise home run
record until Sammy Sosa broke it. Banks was a 14-time All-Star,
two-time National League MVP, two-time National League home run
leader and two-time National League RBI leader.
Outfield
Leftfield -- Billy Williams, Centerfield -- Hack Wilson, Rightfield --
Sammy Sosa
On the way to a Hall of Fame career, Williams had three seasons with
at least 200 hits and five with at least 100 runs scored. Williams also
set a National League record for consecutive games played at 1,117,
which Steve Garvey later eclipsed. Williams could hit for both power
and average and was a six-time All-Star. He was also the National
League Rookie of the Year in 1971 and National League batting
champion in 1972. Wilson played just five seasons for the Cubs but
his 191 RBIs in 1930 remain a Major League record that will likely
never be broken. Manny Ramirez came the closest in 1999 with 165
RBIs. Wilson led the National League in home runs four times and
RBIs twice. Sosa's name is attached to the Steroid Era but we don't
care. Sosa and St. Louis Cardinals’ legend Mark McGwire brought
popularity to baseball in 1998 with their spirited home run chase as
each broke Roger Maris’ previously held record of 61 and a single
season. Sosa played for the Cubs for 12 seasons and was an All-
Star seven times. He was a six-time Silver Slugger Award winner
and National League MVP in 1998.
Bench
Jody Davis, Mark Grace, Kris Bryant, Billy Herman, Andre Dawson,
Alfonso Soriano
Davis belted 24 home runs in 1983, marking the first time a Cubs’
catcher passed the 20 home run mark since 1930. Davis was a key
contributor on the Cubs’ division winning team in 1984, Davis was a
two-time All-Star and one-time Gold Glove. Grace had a beautiful
swing as a hitter as he led the National League in both hits and
doubles the 1990s. Grace helped the Cubs win their 1989 division
title. He was a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove. Bryant
has only been in the Major Leagues for six years but already has a
decorated resume. Bryant established a record for home runs in a
player's first five seasons with the Cubs, passing Banks. In his first
two seasons, Bryant was the National League Rookie of the Year
and the following season, National League MVP. He is also a three-
time All-Star and helped the Cubs end a 108-year drought between
World Series victories.
On the way to a Hall of Fame career, Herman was a fixture in the
Cubs lineup as a steady run producer. Herman was known as the
master of the hit-and-run play and was a 10-time All-Star. Soriano's
versatility earns him a spot on this team. While he was mostly known
for his time with the Yankees, Soriano has seven productive seasons
in a Cubs uniform. Soriano made two All-Star appearances with the
Cubs. Dawson remains a fan favorite as he spent six seasons of his
Hall of Fame career with the Cubs. Dawson was an All-Star in five of
those seasons. Dawson made a smashing debut with the Cubs in
1987, capturing National League MVP honors and leading the
league in both home runs and RBIs.
Manager
Frank Chance
Chance had a disciplinarian approach as a manager in leading the
Cubs to four pennants and back-to-back World Series Championships
in 1907 and 1908. Between 1906 and 1910, the Cubs averaged 106
wins per year. Chance guided the Cubs to 768 wins, which is third-
most in franchise history. His .664 winning percentage remains the
best in franchise history.
Team
1907
The previous season, the Cubs won a Major League record 116
games, which the 2001 Seattle Mariners later tied. The Cubs however,
lost the World Series in seven games to the Chicago White Sox
therefore giving 1907 the nod. The Cubs won 107 games, finishing
17 games ahead of their closest pursuer, the Pittsburgh Pirates. The
Cubs then swept the Detroit Tigers and four games in the World
Series. The 1907 Cubs were not quite as potent offensively, scoring
134 less runs, but with Jack Pfeister leading the National League with
a microscopic 1.15 ERA, it hardly mattered.
