Editing Chicago Cubs (section)

===The Wrigley years (1921–1945)===
====1929–1938: Every three years====
[[File:Hack Wilson BBHOF (cropped).png|thumb|upright|Hall of Famer [[Hack Wilson]]]]
[[File:1920 cub logo.svg|thumb|left|120px|Club logo (1927–1936)<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/54 |title = Chicago Cubs Logos }}</ref>]]Near the end of the first decade of the double-Bills' guidance, the Cubs won the NL Pennant in 1929 and then achieved the unusual feat of winning a pennant every three years, following up the 1929 flag with league titles in 1932, 1935, and 1938. Their success did not extend to the [[List of baseball jargon (F)|Fall Classic]], as they fell to their [[American League|AL]] rivals each time. The [[1932 World Series|'32 series]] against the [[1932 New York Yankees season|Yankees]] featured Babe Ruth's "[[Babe Ruth's called shot|called shot]]" at Wrigley Field in game three. There were some historic moments for the Cubs as well; In 1930, [[Hack Wilson]], one of the top home run hitters in the game, had one of the most impressive seasons in MLB history, hitting 56 home runs and establishing the current runs-batted-in record of 191. That 1930 club, which boasted six eventual hall of fame members (Wilson, [[Gabby Hartnett]], [[Rogers Hornsby]], [[George Kelly (baseball)|George "High Pockets" Kelly]], [[Kiki Cuyler]] and manager [[Joe McCarthy (baseball manager)|Joe McCarthy]]) established the current team batting average record of .309. In 1935 the Cubs claimed the pennant in thrilling fashion, winning a record 21 games in a row in September. The [[1938 Chicago Cubs season|'38 club]] saw [[Dizzy Dean]] lead the team's pitching staff and provided a historic moment when they won a crucial late-season game at Wrigley Field over the [[1938 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates]] with a [[walk-off home run]] by Gabby Hartnett, which became known in baseball [[folklore|lore]] as "[[The Homer in the Gloamin']]".<ref>{{cite news |first = Marc |last = Zarefsky |title = 'Homer in the Gloamin' most memorable |date = August 8, 2007 |work = MLB.com |url = http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/chc/y2007/m07/d20/c2099223.jsp |access-date = June 11, 2008 |archive-date = July 14, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110714103408/http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/chc/y2007/m07/d20/c2099223.jsp |url-status = dead }}</ref>

After the "Double-Bills" (Wrigley and Veeck) died in 1932 and 1933 respectively, [[P.K. Wrigley]], son of Bill Wrigley, took over as majority owner. He was unable to extend his father's baseball success beyond 1938, and the Cubs slipped into years of mediocrity, although the Wrigley family would retain control of the team until 1981.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/17/sports/chicago-cubs-are-sold-by-wrigley-to-tribune-co-for-20.5million.html |title = CHICAGO CUBS ARE SOLD BY WRIGLEY TO TRIBUNE CO. FOR $20.5MILLION |last = Amdur |first = Neil |date = June 17, 1981 |newspaper = The New York Times |issn = 0362-4331 |access-date = October 30, 2016 }}</ref>
[[File:9048 chicago cubs-primary-1941.png|thumb|left|upright=0.75|Cubs logo (1941–1945)]]

====1945: "The Curse of the Billy Goat"====
[[File:Billy Goat Tavern 060527.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[Curse of the Billy Goat|sports-related curse]] that was supposedly placed on the Chicago Cubs by [[Billy Goat Tavern]] owner William Sianis during Game 4 of the 1945 World Series.]]
The Cubs enjoyed one more pennant at the close of World War II, finishing 98–56. Due to the wartime travel restrictions, the first three games of the [[1945 World Series]] were played in [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Detroit]], where the Cubs won two games, including a one-hitter by [[Claude Passeau]], and the final four were played at Wrigley. The Cubs lost the series, and did not return until the [[2016 World Series]]. After losing the 1945 World Series to the [[Detroit Tigers]], the Cubs finished with a respectable 82–71 record in the following year, but this was only good enough for third place.

In the following two decades, the Cubs played mostly forgettable baseball, finishing among the worst teams in the National League on an almost annual basis. From 1947 to 1966, they only notched one winning season. Longtime infielder-manager [[Phil Cavarretta]], who had been a key player during the 1945 season, was fired during spring training in 1954 after admitting the team was unlikely to finish above fifth place. Although shortstop [[Ernie Banks]] would become one of the star players in the league during the next decade, finding help for him proved a difficult task, as quality players such as [[Hank Sauer]] were few and far between. This, combined with poor ownership decisions such as the [[College of Coaches]], and the ill-fated trade of future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Fame]] member [[Lou Brock]] to the Cardinals for pitcher [[Ernie Broglio]] (who won only seven games over the next three seasons), hampered on-field performance.

====1969: Fall of '69====
{{Main|1969 Chicago Cubs season}}
[[File:Ernie Banks 1969.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Ernie Banks]] ("Mr. Cub")]]
The late-1960s brought hope of a renaissance, with third baseman [[Ron Santo]], pitcher [[Ferguson Jenkins]], and outfielder [[Billy Williams (left fielder)|Billy Williams]] joining Banks. After losing a dismal 103 games in 1966, the Cubs brought home consecutive winning records in [[1967 Major League Baseball season|'67]] and [[1968 Major League Baseball season|'68]], marking the first time a Cub team had accomplished that feat in over two decades.

In {{mlby|1969}} the Cubs, managed by [[Leo Durocher]], built a substantial lead in the newly created [[National League East]]ern Division by mid-August. [[Ken Holtzman]] pitched a no-hitter on August 19, and the division lead grew to 8 {{frac|1|2}} games over the St. Louis Cardinals and by 9 {{frac|1|2}} games over the [[1969 New York Mets season|New York Mets]]. After the game of September 2, the Cubs record was 84–52 with the Mets in second place at 77–55. But then a losing streak began just as a Mets winning streak was beginning. The Cubs lost the final game of a series at Cincinnati, then came home to play the resurgent Pittsburgh Pirates (who would finish in third place). After losing the first two games by scores of 9–2 and 13–4, the Cubs led going into the ninth inning. A win would be a positive springboard since the Cubs were to play a crucial series with the Mets the next day. But Willie Stargell drilled a two-out, two-strike pitch from the Cubs' ace reliever, Phil Regan, onto Sheffield Avenue to tie the score in the top of the ninth. The Cubs would lose 7–5 in extra innings.[6]
Burdened by a four-game losing streak, the Cubs traveled to Shea Stadium for a short two-game set. The Mets won both games, and the Cubs left New York with a record of 84–58 just 1⁄2 game in front. More of the same followed in Philadelphia, as a 99 loss Phillies team nonetheless defeated the Cubs twice, to extend Chicago's losing streak to eight games. In a key play in the second game, on September 11, Cubs starter Dick Selma threw a surprise pickoff attempt to third baseman Ron Santo, who was nowhere near the bag or the ball. Selma's throwing error opened the gates to a Phillies rally. After that second Philly loss, the Cubs were 84–60 and the Mets had pulled ahead at 85–57. The Mets would not look back. The Cubs' eight-game losing streak finally ended the next day in St. Louis, but the Mets were in the midst of a ten-game winning streak, and the Cubs, wilting from team fatigue, generally deteriorated in all phases of the game.[1] The Mets (who had lost a record 120 games 7 years earlier), would go on to win the World Series. The Cubs, despite a respectable 92–70 record, would be remembered for having lost a remarkable 17½ games in the standings to the Mets in the last quarter of the season.

====1977–1979: June Swoon====
{{Main|1977 Chicago Cubs season}}
Following the 1969 season, the club posted winning records for the next few seasons, but no playoff action. After the core players of those teams started to move on, the team declined during the 1970s, and they became known as "the Loveable Losers",<ref name=Lukach>{{cite web|last=Lukach|first=Adam|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2018/03/28/can-we-still-call-the-cubs-lovable-losers-in-2018|title= Can we still call the Cubs 'lovable losers' in 2018? |work=[[The Chicago Tribune]]|date=May 9, 2019|orig-date=March 28, 2018|accessdate=April 15, 2024}}</ref> which would become a long-standing moniker for the club.<ref name=Lukach/><ref>{{cite web|last=Robson|first=Dan|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/lovable-losers-agonizing-history-chicago-cubs/|title=Lovable losers: The agonizing history of the Chicago Cubs|publisher=[[Sportsnet]]|date=October 25, 2016|accessdate=April 15, 2024}}</ref> In {{mlby|1977}}, the team found some life, but ultimately experienced one of its biggest collapses. The Cubs hit a high-water mark on June 28 at 47–22, boasting an {{frac|8|1|2}} game NL East lead, as they were led by [[Bobby Murcer]] (27 HR/89 RBI), and [[Rick Reuschel]] (20–10). However, the [[1977 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] cut the lead to two by the All-star break, as the Cubs sat 19 games over .500, but they swooned late in the season, going 20–40 after July 31.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/1977.shtml|title=1977 Chicago Cubs Statistics|publisher=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|accessdate=April 15, 2024}}</ref> The Cubs finished in fourth place at 81–81, while Philadelphia surged, finishing with 101 wins. The following two seasons also saw the Cubs get off to a fast start, as the team rallied to over 10 games above .500 well into both seasons, only to again wear down and play poorly later on, and ultimately settling back to mediocrity. This trait is known as the "June Swoon".<ref>{{cite web|last=Yellon|first=Al|url=https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2013/1/13/3842610/cubs-history-game-september-13-1970|title=A Game From Cubs History: September 13, 1970|work=[[SB Nation|Bleed Cubbie Blue]]|date=January 13, 2013|accessdate=April 15, 2024}}</ref> Again, the Cubs' unusually high number of day games is often pointed to as one reason for the team's inconsistent late-season play.

Wrigley died in 1977.<ref>{{cite web|last=Eskenazi|first=Gerald|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/04/13/archives/pk-wrigley-82-owner-of-cubs-and-chewing-gum-company-head.html|title=P. K. Wrigley, 82, Owner of Cubs And Chewing Gum Company Head|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 13, 1977|accessdate=April 15, 2024}}</ref> The Wrigley family sold the team to the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' for $20.5 million in 1981, ending the family's 65-year relationship with the Cubs.<ref name=Amdur>{{cite web|last=Amdur|first=Neil|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/17/sports/chicago-cubs-are-sold-by-wrigley-to-tribune-co-for-20.5million.html|title=Chicago Cubs Are Sold by Wrigley to Tribune Co. for $20.5 million|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 17, 1981|accessdate=April 15, 2024}}</ref>