The Chicago Cubs All-Time team features iconic players. The group includes some of its most “Loveable Losers,” from the best shortstop to dawn a Cubs uniform and the best player-manager baseball has ever seen. Fans are aware it took this team 108 years to break its championship curse finally. In fact, not one player on this all-time roster was on the 2016 winning team. That’s just how deep in history this team is in. The Northside is up next as we continue our All-Time Tournament team series.
Cubs All-Time Team
Batters
Catcher- Gabby Hartnett (1922-1940)
1,867 H, 847 R, 231 HR, 1,153 RBI, 28 SB, .297/.390/.490, 126 OPS+, 55.0 WAR
Gabby Hartnett played 19 seasons on the North Side. In addition, Hartnett appeared in four Fall Classics and batted .297 with 231 home runs and 1,153 RBI. Not to mention, his best season was in 1930, where he hit a career-high 37 home runs drove in 122 batters with a .339 batting average. The six-time All-Star was named the NL MVP in 1935. To this day, he remains the franchise leader among catchers in games played, at-bats, runs, hit, triples, doubles, home runs, and more. Hartnett’s 204 homers at catcher are a franchise record.
First Base- Cap Anson (1876-1897)
3,012 H, 1,722 H, 97 HR, 1,880 RBI, 247 SB, .331/.396/.448, 142 OPS+, 84.8 WAR
Cap Anson never played in baseball’s modern era. He played 22 seasons for the team that became the Cubs. However, Anson is one of the best players to modernize the game. The Hall of Famer was one of the best hitters of his era. He hit at least .300 or higher in 20 of those seasons, winning four batting titles during that span. He helped lead his Chicago teams to five pennants. Anson became the first player to reach 3,000 hits. When he retired in 1897, his franchise marks for runs, hits, doubles, RBI, and batting average still rank first.
Second Base- Ryne Sandberg (1982-1994, 1996-1997)
2,385 H, 1,316 R, 282 HR, 1,061 RBI, .285/.344/.452, 115 OPS+, 68.1 WAR
When the Cubs acquired Ryne Sanberg from the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981, it was a trade that made destiny. Over the next decade, Sandberg developed into one of baseball’s all-time middle infielders. Sandberg, then playing at third, finished sixth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in his rookie season. Furthermore, Sandberg’s big moment came in 1984. First, he won the NL MVP Award. Then, Sanberg led the Cubs to their first playoff appearance since the 1945 World Series. He remains on the Cubs’ top-five career leaderboards for home runs, doubles, hits, runs, stolen bases, and WAR.
Third Base- Ron Santo (1960-1973)
2,171 H, 1,109 R, 337 HR, 1,290 RBI, 39 SB, .279/.366/.472, 128 OPS+, 70.5 WAR
There’s no debating that Ron Santo is the best Cubs’ third baseman. Santo was a nine-time All-Star, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner, and finished in the top five in the NL MVP voting twice. Notably, from 1963-to 1970, Santo averaged 29 home runs and 105 RBI per season. Not to mention, Santo was a key cog for the 1969 Cubs team that was in first place in late September before collapsing down the stretch. In homers, Santo ranks fourth in club history, fifth with 2,126 games played, sixth with 3,667 total bases, and in the top 10 in other categories.
Shortstop- Ernie Banks (1953-1971)
2,583 H, 1,305 R, 512 HR, 1,305 RBI, .274/.330/.500, 120 OPS+, 67.7 WAR
“Mr.Cub” played with heart passion for the Northside from 1953-to-1971. Making his major league debut in 1953, Banks was incredible defensively as a shortstop and first baseman. However, he led the majors in fielding percentage three times at shortstop. In addition to his defensive efforts, he earned a Gold Glove Award in 1960, leading all NL shortstops in double plays, games, putouts, and assists. At the plate, Banks excelled at every swing he got. He hit more than 40 home runs five times, then led the league in homers and RBI twice. On May 12, 1970, he became the ninth player to hit 500 home runs, finishing with 512.
Left Field- Billy Williams (1959-1974)
2,510 H, 1,306 R, 392 HR, 1,353 RBI, 86 SB, .296/.364/.503, 135 OPS+, 61.8 WAR
For 16 of 18-year career, Billy Williams became one of the best hitters in franchise history. Williams reached the majors in 1959, winning the NL Rookie of the Year in 1961. Then, he made six All-Star teams, won the NL batting title in 1972, and finished as the runner-up for the NL MVP twice. Williams hit 20 or more home runs throughout his career in 13 consecutive seasons. He also held the NL record for 1,117 straight games played.
Center Field- Hack Wilson (1926-1931)
1,017 H, 625 R, 190 HR, 769 RBI, 34 SB, .322/.412/.590, 31.3 OPS+, 58.8 WAR
Despite Hack Wilson playing six seasons for the Cubs, he made a lasting impact. From 1927-to-1930, Wilson averaged 38 home runs and 150 RBIs with a 1.051 OPS. Furthermore, Wilson was a capable center fielder, leading the league with a.972 fielding percentage in 1926 and 400 putouts the following season. However, it was at the plate where Wilson was outstanding. In 1930, Wilson hit 56 home runs, an NL record of 68 years. Plus, he brought in 191 RBI, which is still the all-time major league season record.
Right Field- Sammy Sosa (1992-2004)
1,985 H, 1,245 R, 545 HR, 1,414 RBI, 181 SB, .284/.358/.569, 139 OPS+, 58.8 WAR
Controversy aside, Sammy Sosa was must-see tv when he was in his prime. In 1998, Sosa took home the NL MVP Award when he finished with 66 home runs, second to Mark McGwire’s 70. Once Sosa’s time in the Northside was done, Sosa was a seven-time All-Star, a six-time Silver Slugger who amassed 1,414 RBIs, 873 extra-base hits, 3,980 total bases, and 1,245 runs. In addition, his. 589 slugging percentage ranks second in franchise history.
Designated Hitter- Anthony Rizzo (2012-2021)
1,311 H, 721 R, 242 HR, 784 RBI, 62 SB, .272/.372/.489, 130 OPS+, 36.7 WAR
Decades from now, Anthony Rizzo will have established a good legacy in Chicago. First, he helped the franchise end its 108-year World Series drought. Second, he has hit for power with a .489 slugging percentage with the Cubs. Then, he played spectacular defense, winning four NL Gold Glove Awards. His 217 home runs lead all Cubs’ first basemen.
Manager- Joe Maddon (2015-2019)
471-339 (.581%), one pennant and 1 World Series title
The Cubs were aggressive in pursuing Joe Maddon to become the clubs’ next manager. Maddon signed a five-year deal to lead a young, promising Cubs core to the glory days. He did just that in the five years with the Cubs. Then, he led the team to four consecutive playoff berths, including three straight NLCS. Also, Maddon’s .581 winning percentage with Chicago is the second-best in team history.
Pitchers
Starter- Fergie Jenkins (1966-1973, 1982-83)
167-132 (.557%), 3.20 ERA, 154 CG, 6 SV, 2673 2/3 IP, 2,038 K, 119 ERA+, 1.123 WHIP, 52.9 WAR
Fergie Jenkins didn’t succeed until the Cubs converted him from a reliever to a starter. In his first year as a starter, the Canadian racked in 20 wins to go with 236 strikeouts and a 2.80 ERA. He won 20 or more games for the next five consecutive seasons. Jenkins averaged 305 innings pitched during that stretch while throwing 140 complete games. His best year with the Cubs came in 1971. Jenkins won the NL Cy Young Award thanks to a 24-13 record, 30 complete games of his 39 starts, and struck out 263 in 325 innings. Furthermore, Jenkins ranks first in franchise history with 2,038 strikeouts, 347 starts, third with 2,673 2/3 innings, fourth with 29 shutouts, and fifth with 167 wins.
Relievers- Lee Smith, Mordecai Brown, Bruce Sutter
Lee Smith was one of baseball’s best relief pitchers. By 1980, he made his major league debut. By 1982, Smith earned Chicago’s closer job, coming up with 17 saves and a 2.68 ERA. The following season, Smith the NL with 29 saves, the first of four times he led his league in saves. He owns the Cubs’ record with 180 saves, and he trails Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman in that category for their MLB careers.
Bruce Sutter and Lee Smith were an incredible one-two punch out of the Cubs bullpen. However, Sutter is one of five NL Cy Young Award winners in Cubs history. Debuting in the big leagues in 1976, he won the Cy Young with a 2.22 ERA and 37 saves in 1979. In Cubs history, Sutter ranks second in saves with 133 third in strikeouts by a reliever with 494.
To round out the bullpen, starter Mordecai Brown will be in this role alongside Sutter and Lee. Brown is known for his nickname “Three Finger.” However, when the Cubs acquired Brown, he became a dominant force with the club that went to four World Series from 1906-to-1910. Over his ten years with Chicago, Brown went 188-66 with a 1.80 ERA that includes 241 starts 206 complete games. He ranks second in ERA and wins but ranks first in Cubs history with a 0.998 WHIP.
Honorable Mentions
Greg Maddux, Stan Hack, Andre Dawson, Billy Herman
The Cubs’ all-time team has a lot of talented players. But, not all players could appear on the all-time team, including the honorable mentions.
Greg Maddux’s roots of his incredible career were with the Cubs. Maddux was a second-round pick of the 1984 MLB Draft who became an All-Star by 1988. The following season, he was an NL Cy Young contender. In 1993, Maddux picked up his first of four straight Cy Young Awards with a 2.18 ERA in 35 starts for the Cubs. Overall, Maddux made two All-Star teams, picked up 133 of his 355 wins,s and recorded 1,305 of his 3,3371 career strikeouts. He ranks fifth with 298 starts and sixth in strikeouts in Cubs history.
Stan Hack spent 12 of his 16 seasons with the Cubs. Hack appeared in four World Series with Chicago, hitting .348 in 18 games. He made five All-Star appearances and hit .301/.394/.397 as a third baseman in a Cubs uniform. He ranks sixth in Cubs history with 2,193 hits and seventh with 363 doubles and 1,239 runs.
By 1987, Andre Dawson left Montreal as a free agent. In the first year with his new club, Dawson hit .287 with a .896 OPS. Furthermore, he led the majors with 49 home runs and 137 RBI, winning the NL MVP along the way. Overall, Dawson further cemented his Hall of Fame career by making five All-Star teams and two of his eight career Gold Gloves. Over six years with Chicago, Dawson hit .285 with 174 home runs, 587 RBI, and a .834 OPS.
Billy Herman spent 11 of his 17-year career with the Cubs as a ten-time All-Star. Despite serving in the Navy for two years during WWII, he helped the Cubs reach the World Series in his first entire season in the big leagues. His best season came in 1935, helping the Cubs reach the NL pennant. He led the league with 227 hits, 57 doubles, and a career-high .341 batting average. In fact, it was one of three seasons when Herman had more than 200 hits in a season.
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Players/Managers Mentioned
Gabby Hartnett, Cap Anson, Ryne Sanberg, Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Hack Wilson, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Fergie Jenkins, Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter, Mordecai Brown, Anthony Rizzo, Stan Hack, Greg Maddux, Andre Dawson, Billy Herman
