Product Description

The definitive narrative history of the Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs have won the hearts of generations of fans, even if they havent always won those pivotal games. They were Americas most successful baseball club at the turn of the twentieth century, but by the turn of the twenty-first, things had changed. The Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908, and the last time they clinched the National League Pennant was in 1945. Yet the Cubs have some of the most devoted fans in all of sport. As Glenn Stout writes in the introduction, They are the games last unsolved mystery, the final conundrum, a historical enigma, baseballs oldest story, with an ending that has yet to be written. The Cubs chronicles the long, rich, counterintuitive history of this team in all its depth, nuance, and color. We catch a rare glimpse of the early days of Chicago baseball in the 1860s and 1870s and witness the magical 1906 season, with its 116 wins, still the most in major league history. Ernie Bankss legendary career is covered in detail, as are decisive seasons, such as 1969s heartbreaking loss to the Amazin Mets. Sammy Sosas sixty-plus home runs are here too together with later allegations regarding corked bats and steroids. The authors cast an analytical eye on the tumultuous reign of chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley and his son Philip, as well as the Tribune Company's planned sale of the Cubs. And we hear the true story behind the Curse of the Billy Goat what has really cursed the Cubs all these years. A must-have for Cubs fans past and present, The Cubs tells the complete story in a single narrative for the first time since 1945.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #653918 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-12
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.25" h x 9.24" w x 10.66" l, 4.03 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 480 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A definitive account of the last remaining team to have gone almost a century without earning a World Series championship, this illustrated team history displays the superb gifts that have graced the authors' similar studies (Yankees Century; The Dodgers). Stout combines skillful writing with methodical research to produce detailed and insightful reporting on the truth behind team myths. (The book is not authorized by the Cubs organization.) He shows how the 1906 Cubs, perhaps the best club of that time period, won the 1907 and 1908 world championships while also being underachievers who quickly collapsed after their championships. He notes long-time owner P.K. Wrigley took almost seven seasons after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers to sign black players. And his account of the 1969 season, when they lost the division title to that year's Amazin' Mets, deftly shows that the team really wasn't as good as its record looked, with too many wins earned against weaker new expansion teams. Johnson's copious selection of photographs brilliantly displays all Cub eras in their glory and misery, from a cover photo of Mr. Cub Ernie Banks joyously clicking his heels in Wrigley Field, to a full-page photo of a black cat crossing third baseman Ron Santo's path during a game against the Mets that helped decide the fate of the 1969 season. (Oct. 1)
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From Booklist
The Chicago Cubs have had it pretty tough since, oh, say, 1945. But that was not always the case; until the start of the 1908 season, the Cubs were a major force in baseball, winning three straight National League pennants and back-to-back World Series titles. "What the hell happened?" asks Stout, series editor of The Best American Sports Writing. This volume, organized by decade, not only recounts the history of the team but also tries to solve the mystery of how a club with such a dire track record can also be one of the most beloved. Each section is rich with black-and-white photographs, statistics, and game highlights, along with affectionate essays by famous Cubs fans like Scott Turow, Mike Royko, and Penny Marshall. The amount of ground covered here will be savored by Cubs fans and trivia hounds alike; from Cap Anson to the "College of Coaches" to the heartbreak of the 2003 championship series, Stout recounts the team's often maddening chronicles more like a fan than a historian, which only enhances the book's appeal. A valuable addition to sports collections. Orellana, Carlos

Review
A definitive account of the last remaining team to have gone almost a century without earning a World Series championship, this illustrated team history displays the superb gifts that have graced the authors' similar studies (Yankees Century; The Dodgers). Stout combines skillful writing with methodical research to produce detailed and insightful reporting on the truth behind team myths. (The book is not authorized by the Cubs organization.) He shows how the 1906 Cubs, perhaps the best club of that time period, won the 1907 and 1908 world championships while also being underachievers who quickly collapsed after their championships. He notes long-time owner P.K. Wrigley took almost seven seasons after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers to sign black players. And his account of the 1969 season, when they lost the division title to that year's Amazin' Mets, deftly shows that the team really wasn't as good as its record looked, with too many wins earned against weaker new expansion teams. Johnson's copious selection of photographs brilliantly displays all Cub eras in their glory and misery, from a cover photo of Mr. Cub Ernie Banks joyously clicking his heels in Wrigley Field, to a full-page photo of a black cat crossing third baseman Ron Santo's path during a game against the Mets that helped decide the fate of the 1969 season. (Publishers Weekly )

The Chicago Cubs have had it pretty tough since, oh, say, 1945. But that was not always the case; until the start of the 1908 season, the Cubs were a major force in baseball, winning three straight National League pennants and back-to-back World Series titles. "What the hell happened?" asks Stout, series editor of The Best American Sports Writing. This volume, organized by decade, not only recounts the history of the team but also tries to solve the mystery of how a club with such a dire track record can also be one of the most beloved. Each section is rich with black-and-white photographs, statistics, and game highlights, along with affectionate essays by famous Cubs fans like Scott Turow, Mike Royko, and Penny Marshall. The amount of ground covered here will be savored by Cubs fans and trivia hounds alike; from Cap Anson to the "College of Coaches" to the heartbreak of the 2003 championship series, Stout recounts the team's often maddening chronicles more like a fan than a historian, which only enhances the book's appeal. A valuable addition to sports collections.   (Booklist -Carlos Orellana )