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Chicago Cubs: 10 greatest all-time teams in franchise history
10 greatest all-time teams in Chicago Cubs history – #7. 1945 (98-56-1)
Fast forward seven years from the 1938 season, we glance upon the last time the Cubs won a pennant before finally winning it all in 2016. The Cubs finished the season with a record of 98-56-1, tops in the National League.
Like pitching stats? How about four starting pitchers in the Cubs rotation with a sub-2.70 ERA on the season? Hank Wise, 22-10 with a 2.62 ERA, Claude Passeau, 27-9 with a 2.46 ERA, Ray Prim, 13-8 with a 2.40 ERA and Hank Borowy with an 11-2 and 2.13 ERA helped steamroll opponents in the Cubs’ path while Phil Cavaretta led with league in batting average, earning a batting title with a .355/.449/.500 slash line. Cavaretta went on to win NL MVP that year.
That’s all fine and well. However, the 1945 World Series run was much more infamous for another reason. The Curse of the Billy Goat. As legend goes, former Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis was kicked out of Wrigley Field during Game 4 of the World Series due to his goat, Murphy, bothering other fans.
Sianis swore up and down “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more!” The irate Sianis proclaimed the Cubs would never win another pennant as long as he should live. Ultimately, the Cubs lost their quest for another title to the Detroit Tigers in Game 7. Fascinatingly enough, the curse was broken on the the 46th anniversary to the day of Sianis’ death, when the Cubs won the pennant against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016.