The Chicago Cubs – 1945 – 2016

In the first half of the 20th century, the Chicago Cubs were one of the mightiest teams in all of baseball – a perennial pennant contender despite not winning the World Series since 1908.

The second half of baseball’s 20th century entrenched an indelible phrase in America’s national consciousness:  The Chicago Cubs were “lovable losers.” Despite having some absolutely great players – Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Greg Maddux, Mark Grace, Ryne Sandberg, Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano, and Sammy Sosa – the Cubs rarely reached the postseason. More commonly, they mostly endured one long losing season after another long losing season.  Empty bleachers, a crumbling  Wrigley Field, cheap ownership, and terrible trades became the lasting hallmarks of the once-mighty Chicago Cubs. Even when the Cubs would field occasionally field a strong, competitive team and begin to make a promising postseason run, something always seemed to go wrong. The Cubs were still “lovable losers.”

In 1969, a black cat running in front of Ron Santo seemed to symbolize the utter futility of the Cubs. A normally sure-handed first baseman let a ball go by him and the postseason was lost. A hapless fan wearing headphones reached for a foul ball and our World Series hopes were dashed. On and on it went. And then came 2015!  The arrival of some of the most talented prospects in baseball history created a team that was fun, exciting, and competitive. In 2016, the Cubs finally won the World Series!

The long, slow, march of the Cubs – from the cheapness and racism of the Wrigley years to the boredom and inactivity of the years of ownership by the Chicago Tribune and by Sam Zell has given way to a unique feeling of hopefulness on the part of Cub fans.  A robust ownership team brought in the financial resources and personnel necessary to begin turning the Cubs into a perennial contender once again. In this multimedia presentation, filled with fabulous film clips, amazing anecdotes, and nostalgic photos, we will trace the confounding  Chicago Cubs from 1945 to 2016.

COST

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Barry Bradford

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When: Apr 13, 2021, 11:30 AM Central Time (the US and Canada)

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