The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago (the other being the Chicago White Sox). The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National League (the other being the Atlanta Braves). The team is currently owned by a family trust of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, and was previously owned by the Chicago Tribune and, prior to the Tribune, by the Wrigley Company.
The Cubs have not won the World Series in 103 years, a longer championship drought than that of any other major North American professional sports team, and are often referred to as "The Lovable Losers" because of this distinction. They are also known as "The North Siders" because Wrigley Field, their home park since 1916, is located in Chicago's north side Lake View community at 1060 West Addison Street. The Cubs have rivalries with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Chicago White Sox.
The club played its first games in 1870 and was founded professionally in 1876. This makes the Cubs, along with the Braves who were also founded in 1871, one of the two oldest active teams in major North American sports. Because the Cubs lost two seasons to the Great Chicago Fire, the Braves have played more seasons, although the Cubs hold the record for oldest team still in its original city.
After finishing last in the N.L. Central with 66 wins in 2006, the Cubs re-tooled and went from "worst to first" in 2007. In the offseason they signed Alfonso Soriano to the richest contract in Cubs history at 8 years for $136 million, and replaced unpopular skipper Dusty Baker with fiery veteran manager Lou Piniella. After a rough start, which included a brawl between Michael Barrett and Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs overcame the Milwaukee Brewers, who had led the division for most of the season, with winning streaks in June and July, coupled with a pair of dramatic, late-inning wins against the Reds, and ultimately clinched the NL Central with a record of 85ñ77. They met Arizona in the NLDS, but controversy followed as Piniella, in a move that has since come under scrutiny, pulled Carlos Zambrano after the sixth inning of a pitcher's duel with D-Backs ace Brandon Webb, to "....save Zambrano for (a potential) Game 4." The Cubs, however, were unable to come through, losing the first game and eventually stranding over 30 baserunners in a 3-game Arizona sweep.
The Cubs successfully defended their National League Central title in 2008, going to the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 1906ñ08. The offseason was dominated by three months of unsuccessful trade talks with the Orioles involving 2B Brian Roberts, as well as the signing of Chunichi Dragons star Kosuke Fukudome. The team recorded their 10,000th win in April, while establishing an early division lead. Reed Johnson and Jim Edmonds were added early on and Rich Harden was acquired from the Oakland Athletics in early July. The Cubs headed into the All-Star break with the N.L.'s best record, and tied the league record with eight representatives to the All-Star game, including catcher Geovany Soto, who was named Rookie of the Year.The Cubs took control of the division by sweeping a four game series in Milwaukee. On September 14, in a game moved to Miller Park due to Hurricane Ike, Zambrano pitched a no-hitter against the Astros, and six days later the team clinched by beating St. Louis at Wrigley. The club ended the season with a 97ñ64 record and met Los Angeles in the NLDS. The heavily favored Cubs took an early lead in Game 1, but James Loney's grand slam off Ryan Dempster changed the series' momentum. Chicago committed numerous critical errors and were outscored 20ñ6 in a Dodger sweep, which provided yet another sudden and stunning ending to what had once been looked at as a season of destiny.
Apparently handcuffed by the Tribune's bankruptcy and the sale of the club to the Ricketts' family, the Cubs' quest for a NL Central 3-peat started with notice that there would be less invested into contracts than in previous years. Once again, however, trade speculation dominated the headlines at the winter meetings, this time surrounding Padres' ace Jake Peavy, which, much like the Brian Roberts talks a year earlier, resulted in nothing. Piniella blamed the '08 post season failure on the lack of left-handed hitters, and a bevy of high caliber outfielders fit the bill. Ultimately, the club settled on inking oft-troubled switch hitter Milton Bradley over Adam Dunn, Ra?l Ib·Òez, and Bobby Abreu. The bench and bullpen were also overhauled in a bevy of money saving moves. Fan favorites Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa both left for the Cleveland Indians. Kevin Gregg was acquired from the Marlins to replace Wood, and Aaron Miles was signed to replace DeRosa.
Led by the strong play of Derrek Lee, Ted Lilly and rookie pitcher Randy Wells, the club started well, but fell on hard times as injuries took their toll. Nearly every key player suffered injury and the Northsiders struggled into the All Star break with a disappointing .500 record. Carlos M·rmol eventually replaced Gregg as closer and the team stayed in the race, but they were distracted by Bradley, whose poor hitting and even poorer attitude became a major issue. Bradley complained about being heckled, booed and "hated" by bleacher fans and expressed his overall unhappiness in Chicago, eventually leading to a season ending suspension. Despite this, Chicago engaged St. Louis in a see-saw battle for first place into August, but the Cardinals played to a torrid 20ñ6 pace that month, designating their rivals to battle in the Wild Card race, from which they were eliminated in the season's final week. The Cubs posted a winning record (83ñ78) for the third consecutive season, the first time the club had done so since 1972, and a new era of ownership under the Ricketts' family was approved by MLB owners in early October.
Milton Bradley was traded to Seattle in the off-season, and was replaced by Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady as Lou Piniella entered his fourth season with the team. The Cubs were expected to contend with the St. Louis Cardinals for the divisional title. Rookie Starlin Castro debuted in early May as the starting shortstop. However, the club played poorly in the early season, finding themselves 10 games under .500 at the end of June. In addition, long-time ace Carlos Zambrano was pulled from a game against the White Sox on June 25 after a tirade and shoving match with Derrek Lee, and was suspended indefinitely by Jim Hendry, who called the conduct "unacceptable."
On July 20, Piniella announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2010 season.
On August 2, The Cubs tied a club record for most allowed hits in a single game. Cubs pitchers gave up a total of 26 hits in their 18 to 1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs only recorded 4 hits and were out hit by Prince Fielder alone who had five hits. The last time Cubs pitchers allowed 26 hits was on September 2, 1957 against the Milwaukee Braves.
On August 22, Lou Piniella announced that he would leave the Cubs for the rest of the 2010 season to take care of his sick mother. Mike Quade took over as the interim manager for the final 37 games of the year. Despite being well out of playoff contention the Cubs went 24ñ13 under Quade, posting the best record in baseball during that 37 game stretch. During these games, the Cubs got a chance to see what their roster would look like in 2011, by bringing up minor league players such as Darwin Barney, Brad Snyder, Bobby Scales, Welington Castillo, Jeff Samardzija, Micah Hoffpauir, Scott Maine, Marcos Mateo, and Thomas Diamond.
On October 19, Mike Quade was named the next Cubs manager. He was given a two-year deal and a club option for 2013. On December 3, Cubs broadcaster and former third baseman, Ron Santo, died due to complications from bladder cancer and diabetes. He spent 13 seasons as a player with the Cubs, and at the time of his death was regarded as one of the greatest players not in the Hall of Fame. He has since been elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
On January 7, 2011, Matt Garza was traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Cubs as part of an eight-player deal. The Cubs sent outfielder Sam Fuld, and prospects Christopher Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, Brandon Guyer, and Robinson Chirinos to the Rays for Garza, outfielder Fernando Perez and minor league left-handed pitcher Zachary Rosscup.
The Cubs finished the 2011 season 20 games under .500 with a record of 71-91. On August 19, 2011 they relieved general manager Jim Hendry of his duties.
On October 21, 2011 the Cubs officially hired Theo Epstein as president of baseball operations. On October 26, Jed Hoyer was hired as executive vice-president and general manager. Jason McLeod will serve as senior vice-president and head scouting and player development. On November 2, Cubs manager, Mike Quade, was fired.On November 17, 2011, Dale Sveum agreed to a three year contract with an option for a fourth to become new manager of the Cubs.
Chicago Cubs Tickets Make you a Part of History
The Chicago Cubs have a long and rich history, and you can be a part of it when you buy Chicago Cubs tickets from WanaTix using our exclusive 3D venue maps. We use VisualBoxOffice software™, revolutionary 3D mapping technology. It was specifically designed for consumers to make it simple to buy Chicago Cubs tickets and tickets to all other events. All you have to do is scroll over the map to see what Chicago Cubs tickets are available and how much the Chicago Cubs tickets you want cost. With one click you can compare prices of other Chicago Cubs tickets, with another click you can see a view from those seats (if available) and with another click can buy those Chicago Cubs tickets – all on the same screen. It takes about a minute. Cool, huh? There’s no faster, better way to buy Chicago Cubs tickets online. Don’t waste time flipping back and forth between static 2-dimensional maps and hard-to-read seating charts to find your Chicago Cubs tickets on other sites. You can check out all of our Chicago Cubs tickets at the same time on the same screen! We update our site several times a day to make sure you get the most accurate information about Chicago Cubs tickets; and we use state-of-the-art security measures so when you buy your Chicago Cubs tickets at WanaTix, you know your transaction is safe and secure. We take the guesswork out of buying Chicago Cubs tickets, so buy your Chicago Cubs tickets today with WanaTix.com. We’re the Best Fan Experience on the Web. ™ Buy Chicago Cubs tickets and find out why now!
Of course, there was no VisualBoxOffice™ or WanaTix back when the team started, so getting Chicago Cubs tickets was probably a bit of a challenge. But today, you can buy your Chicago Cubs tickets quickly and easily using our exclusive 3D venue maps. Just See, Click Buy. Simple.™ And your Chicago Cubs tickets will be on their way. We’ll deliver your Chicago Cubs tickets to your home or your office right away so you won’t miss one minute of the live action. What better way to spend time with your family and friends than having Chicago Cubs tickets that will transport you to another entertainment dimension? Chicago Cubs tickets are one of the best ways to experience America’s favorite pastime.
Buy Chicago Cubs Tickets as a Gift
Chicago Cubs tickets make a great gift for all the baseball fans in your life, or for any fan of live action. Whether it’s a birthday, graduation or other special occasion, or if you’re just feeling generous, any one of your family and friends would be delighted to receive Chicago Cubs tickets as a gift. Chicago Cubs tickets also make great business gifts. Your clients, prospective clients and employees would be grateful and impressed if you gave them Chicago Cubs tickets. We have a full selection of Chicago Cubs tickets to fit all price ranges. So whether you want field-level or upper-level Chicago Cubs tickets, we’ve got you covered. You can use our exclusive 3D venue map to easily find the best Chicago Cubs tickets to suit all of your needs. And in addition to Chicago Cubs tickets, we have an entire inventory of excellent tickets for all sports and special events, including football, basketball, concerts and theaters. Check out our 3D maps and see what all the excitement is about.
Your Transaction for Chicago Cubs Tickets is Secure
We use state-of-the-art privacy protection and anti-fraud software that protects you and your identity whether you’re buying Chicago Cubs tickets or tickets for anything else. Please see our home page to read all about how our security measures protect you when you buy Chicago Cubs tickets.
Shipping
When you buy Chicago Cubs tickets online at WanaTix, your transaction is completed via our encrypted safe and secure server. Of course, you may order your Chicago Cubs tickets by phone but for faster service, please order your Chicago Cubs tickets online. Your order for Chicago Cubs tickets will be processed immediately and all tickets will be sent via Federal Express. When you buy Chicago Cubs tickets online, the shipping address must be the same as your billing address at which you receive your credit card statement.
Availability
Our ticket inventory is updated several times a day. However, if the Chicago Cubs tickets you wish to purchase are no longer available, we will contact you immediately and you will be given other options for your Chicago Cubs tickets or you may choose an alternative set of tickets that we will try to offer similar to the price range of your original order for Chicago Cubs tickets.
