Essential Cubs

A National League baseball team has played in Chicago since 1876, the longest run of any professional baseball franchise. Even though the Chicago Cubs have been characterized as "lovable losers" in the last half century, they have won 16 pennants and currently hold the single-season major-league record for victories, set at 116 in 1906. Fans from 9 to 90 will relish this volume dedicated to the glorious history of one of the nation's most loved baseball teams. Essential Cubs covers the memorable moments, the greatest performances, and the oddest quirks in the team's history—whether it be the 18 managerial changes endured by Ernie Banks, a game-by-game recap of their 21-game winning streak in 1931, or a batter-by-batter recap of Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout performance in 1998. But there is much more to the history of the Cubs than just the numbers. There are legends and folklore, dynasties and droughts, the famous and the infamous, and feats both glorious and obscure. Liberally sprinkled with fascinating trivia and memorable quotes, this informative and entertaining review of more than 100 years of National League baseball in Chicago is a grand slam for any Cubs fan. Doug Myers is a die-hard Cubs fan and author of The Louisville Slugger Complete Book of Pitching. He lives in Bear, Delaware.