Chicago Cubs All-Stars: Building the Best Cubs All-Time Lineup

Major League Baseball: Chicago Cubs All-Stars—Building the Best All-Time Cubs Lineup

Billy Goats be damned: the North Siders are still proudly flying the W that broke that 108-year-old curse. Holy Cow, indeed! The 2016 season may have allowed Steve Bartman to move on, but the Chicago Cubs have always held a special place in baseball. With Wrigley Field and the best 7th-inning stretch (thank you, Harry Caray) at any ballpark, it’s no wonder the team boasts some legendary ball players.

Manager: Joe Maddon

Maddon opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays following the 2014 season and signed on to be Chicago’s new manager, helping the Cubs rise to prominence. After winning only 73 games in 2014, the Cubs won 97 games and reached the National League Championship Series in Maddon’s first year in 2015. The following year, they won 103 games, reached the World Series, and overcame a 3-1 series deficit to bring home the franchise’s first championship in 108 years. Maddon spent five seasons in the dugout (2015-19), boasting a 58.1% winning percentage—third among managers in franchise history—and ranking fifth with 471 wins. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Starting Pitcher: Fergie Jenkins

The Cubs acquired Jenkins from the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1966 season, a move that proved to be highway robbery. In his first complete season with the Cubs (1967), Jenkins led the NL with 20 complete games, a feat he accomplished two more times for Chicago. Pitching deep into games and keeping runners off the basepaths, he posted a combined 3.11 ERA during his first stint with the Cubs (1967-73). A three-time All-Star, Jenkins won the 1971 NL Cy Young Award, and he returned to pitch his final two seasons with the Cubs (1982-83). Jenkins ranks first among Cubs pitchers with a 52.9 WAR and 2,038 strikeouts, third with 2,673.2 innings pitched, fourth with 29 shutouts, and fifth with 167 wins. (Photo by MLB via Getty Images)

Reliever/Closer: Lee Smith

Smith spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Cubs (1980-87), solidifying his role as a stalwart in the bullpen. As the team’s primary closer, he also provided valuable length, pitching 681. get jili login1 innings over 458 appearances. Smith recorded a combined 2.92 ERA and earned two All-Star nods with the Cubs, ranking first in franchise history with 180 saves. (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images)

Catcher: Gabby Hartnett

Hartnett spent almost his entire 20-year Hall of Fame career with the Cubs (1922-40). He became increasingly productive with age, achieving a career-high of 37 home runs and 122 RBIs in 1930. Hartnett earned six consecutive All-Star nods from 1933-38 and was named the 1935 NL MVP. He ranks sixth in Cubs history with 1,153 RBIs and 391 doubles, and eighth with both 231 home runs and a 54.5 WAR. (via Getty Images)

1B: Cap Anson

As one of the first players to compete in an MLB game, Anson is also considered one of the best to ever take the field. After one season with the Rockford Forest Citys and four with the Philadelphia Athletics, Anson joined the Cubs in 1876 and became a nightmare for pitchers. During his 22 seasons with the Cubs, he won four batting titles, led the NL in RBIs eight times, and struck out just 330 times. Anson holds the Cubs franchise records for 3,012 hits, 1,880 RBIs, 1,722 runs scored, 529 doubles, and an 84.9 WAR. He is seventh in MLB history with 3,435 career hits and managed the Cubs from 1879-97, leading the team to five NL pennants.

2B: Ryne Sandberg

Sandberg debuted with the Phillies in 1981 but was traded to the Cubs, where he spent the next 15 seasons. A Hall of Famer, Sandberg was an exceptional player known for his contact and power hitting, rarely striking out while showcasing blazing speed go jockpot.com. He led the NL with 19 triples and 114 runs scored in 1984, marking the start of 10 straight All-Star seasons. Sandberg, a nine-time Gold Glover, ranks third in Cubs history with 1,316 runs scored and a 68.1 WAR, and fourth with 2,385 hits, 344 stolen bases, 403 doubles, and 282 home runs. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images)

3B: Ron Santo

Santo excelled throughout his 15-year career (1960-73 with the Cubs, 1974 with the Chicago White Sox). He was a versatile hitter, leading the NL in walks four times, with a season-high of 13 triples in 1964, averaging 25 home runs and 96 RBIs from 1961-73. A five-time Gold Glover and nine-time All-Star, Santo ranks second in Cubs history with a 72.1 WAR, fourth with 337 home runs, fifth with 1,290 RBIs, seventh with 2,171 hits, eighth with 1,109 runs, and ninth with 353 doubles. (Photo by James Drake /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

SS: Ernie Banks

Banks was a superstar, a formidable force from the right side of the plate, and regarded as one of the best hitters of his generation pesowin casino. A two-time NL MVP award winner and 14-time All-Star, Banks began his career at shortstop in 1953 before moving to first base in 1962. He spent his entire 19-year career with the Cubs (1953-71), ranking first in franchise history with 4,706 total bases, second with 512 home runs, 2,583 hits, and 1,636 RBIs, third with 407 doubles, fourth with a 67.7 WAR, fifth with 1,305 runs scored, and ninth with a .500 slugging percentage. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

OF: Billy Williams

Billy Williams was one of the best all-around hitters in the sport after becoming an everyday player in 1961. bk8 wiki A six-time All-Star, Williams spent his first 16 seasons in Chicago (1959-74). He is second in Cubs history with 4,262 total bases, third with 2,510 hits and 392 home runs, fourth with 1,353 RBIs and 1,306 runs scored, and fifth with a 61.7 WAR. (Photo by John F. Jaqua /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

OF: Andre Dawson

After a celebrated 11-year career with the Montreal Expos, Dawson joined the Cubs in 1987 and won the NL MVP Award in his first season, hitting 49 home runs and 137 RBIs–both league-leading totals. Throughout his six seasons with the Cubs (1987-92), Dawson earned five All-Star nods and averaged 30 home runs and 99 RBIs, solidifying his position in right field. He ranks seventh in Cubs history with a .507 slugging percentage. (Photo by: Bernstein Associates/Getty Images)

OF: Sammy Sosa

No discussion of the Cubs’ history is complete without mentioning Sammy Sosa, who joined the Cubs in 1992. He became one of the most feared hitters in MLB, hitting over 63 home runs in three of four seasons and surpassing 50 homers in four straight seasons from 1998-2001 slot game. Sosa, a six-time Silver Slugger and seven-time All-Star, holds several franchise records: first with 545 home runs, second with a .569 slugging percentage, third with 1,414 RBIs, fourth with 3,980 total bases, sixth with 1,245 runs scored and a 58.8 WAR, and ninth with 1,985 hits. Furthermore, he is ninth in MLB history with 609 career home runs. (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)

DH: Mark Grace

Grace spent the first 13 seasons of his career in Chicago (1988-2000), becoming one of the top first basemen in the sport. Known for being difficult to strike out, he also showcased notable power and an impressive ability to hit. In 1989, during his first full MLB season, Grace went 11 for 17 in the playoffs, achieving a .647/.682/1.118 slash line. A four-time Gold Glover and three-time All-Star, he ranks second in Cubs history with 456 doubles, fifth with 2,201 hits, eighth with 1,004 RBIs, ninth with 1,057 runs scored, and tied for 10th with a .386 on-base percentage. (via Getty Images)

Honorable Mentions:

1. Cap Anson (manager)
2. Frank Chance (manager)
3. Mordecai Brown (starting pitcher)
4. Greg Maddux (starting pitcher)
5. Hippo Vaughn (starting pitcher)
6. Jon Lester (starting pitcher)
7. Bruce Sutter (reliever/closer)
8. Jody Davis (catcher)
9. Anthony Rizzo (1B)
10. Stan Hack (3B)
11. Riggs Stephenson (OF)
12. Hack Wilson (OF)
13. Andy Pafko (OF)

What do you think about the all-time Cubs lineup?