They began the season on April 5, 2015, in a first-ever night-game home-opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at partially renovated Wrigley Field, and finished the regular season on October 4, 2015, on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Cubs finished the season with the third-best record in baseball (97–65) which was also the third-best in their division, finishing one game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates (98–64) and three games behind the division winner, the rival St. Louis Cardinals (100–62). As a result, they qualified for the second wild card spot for the postseason, their first postseason appearance since 2008, and defeated the Pirates in the NLWC Game to advance to the NLDS against the Cardinals. The Cubs defeated St. Louis three games to one to advance to the NLCS against the New York Mets, the Cubs' first appearance in the NLCS since 2003. However, they were swept in four games.
In 2015, Forbes valued the Cubs at $1.8 billion, ranking them 17th out of all sports franchises in the world, and the fifth highest in all MLB.[1] The Cubs attendance for the regular season was 2,959,812, up over 300,000 from the previous year.[2]
Previous season
The Cubs finished the 2014 season 73–89 to finish in last place in the Central Division. Following the season, the Cubs fired manager Rick Renteria[3] and hired former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon.[4]
On Monday, September 29, one day after the conclusion of the 2014 season, a $575 million four-year renovation project to Wrigley Field began. The bleachers in left and right field were expanded, the stadium was extended further onto both Waveland and Sheffield Avenues, and seven new outfield signs were installed along with a 5,700-square-foot jumbotron scoreboard in the left field bleachers and a 2,400 square foot video scoreboard in the right field bleachers. The parking lots along Clark Street were excavated for underground players' locker rooms and lounges.[5][6]
Coaching changes
The Cubs decided not to retain Mike Brumley as the assistant hitting coach. Bill Mueller, the hitting coach, resigned over the decision. On October 9. 2014 John Mallee, formerly the Astros hitting coach, was hired as his replacement. Eric Hinske was the assistant hitting coach and Doug Dascenzo was signed to replace him as first base/outfield coach.[7] In late October 2014, quality assurance coach Jose Castro resigned to work with Atlanta Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer.[8]
On October 31, the Cubs fired first year manager Rick Renteria.[9] On Monday, November 3, The Cubs announced the signing of Joe Maddon to a five-year contract as manager of the team.[10] Former Cub Henry Blanco was hired to be the quality assurance coach on November 22.[11] At the start of the 2015 season, Brandon Hyde went from 2014 season bench coach to first base and Doug Dascenzo was the outfield coach. Dave Martinez was bench coach. On February 24, 2015, Manny Ramirez was hired as a batting consultant, splitting time between Chicago and AAA Iowa.[12] Also, Kevin Youkilis was given a part-time job as a scouting and player development consultant.
Broadcast changes
In June 2014, the Cubs announced an end to their radio play-by-play history on WGN (720-AM) radio which dated back to 1924. In a new partnership with CBS Radio, the radio broadcast of their games moved to WBBM (780-AM) for the 2015 season.[13]
The Cubs finalized a new television broadcast agreement with long-time over-the-air carrier WGN-TV (Channel 9), in which the station would carry a reduced slate of 45 games per season. The team also signed a new broadcast agreement with ABC-owned station WLS-TV (Channel 7), in which they will show 25 games annually;[14] this deal replaced WCIU-TV as the Cubs' secondary over-the-air television outlet. Both agreements with WLS and WGN run through the end of the 2019 season. Play-by-play announcer Len Kasper and color commentator Jim Deshaies became employees of the Cubs rather than WGN-TV.[15]
As a result of a new programming strategy implemented by Tribune Media for WGN America, the cable superstation ceased televising Cubs games (as well as that of the Chicago White Sox and Bulls) to a national audience as of January 2015. This marked the end of a 36-season run of Cubs games televised on the national version of WGN-TV.
The Cubs created affiliate stations to complement the 2015 television and radio schedule.[16]
RHP Jason Hammel signed with Chicago Cubs for a 2-year, $18 million contract after being previously traded in July 2014 to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for top prospect Addison Russell, among other players.[19]
LHP Jon Lester signed with the Chicago Cubs for six years for $155 million, with a vested option for a seventh. He was officially introduced on December 15, 2014.[21]
At the conclusion of the first month of the season the Cubs had a record of 12–8. It was their first winning April since the 2008 season. They led the National League in stolen bases with 25, were third in on-base percentage with .329, and sixth in acquiring walks with 71.[27] The pitching staff allowed the fewest walks in the National League with 41, they were third in WHIP with 1.15, fifth in striking out opposing batters with 181, sixth in opposing players batting average with .240, sixth in earned run average with 3.71 and allowed only 14 home runs against them.[28] During the month, the Cubs played in three extra-inning ballgames, winning all three.[29]
April 5 – The Cubs pay tribute to the late Ernie Banks before the first opening night game in Cubs history.[30]
April 17 – Heralded rookie Kris Bryant plays in his first Major League game.[31]
April 5–30 – Due to delays in the 1060 Project, the entire outfield section was unavailable for use by fans attending Cubs games. Attendance figures for the month of April were affected by approximately 5,000 fans per home game.[32]
May
At the end of the first two months of the season the Cubs had a record of 26–22. It was the first winning two-month period since the end of the 2008 season. They were third in the National League in stolen bases with 46 and second at receiving walks at 192. They did, however, lead the league in striking out at 541. The pitching staff allowed the second fewest walks in the National League with 140, they were third in WHIP, third in striking out opposing batters, sixth in opposing players batting average with .246, fifth in earned run average with 3.72, and allowed 56 home runs against them.[33]
May 11 – Left and center field bleacher seats were available for occupancy for the first time during the season during a night game with the New York Mets.[34]
May 14 – The Cubs four-game sweep of the NY Mets was their first over the Mets at Wrigley Field since Aug. 6–9, 1992. The May 14 victory was Joe Maddon's 800th career win.
May 31 – For the first time in nearly a half-decade the Cubs finished at or above .500 for two months in a row with a May 31 victory against the Kansas City Royals.
June 11 – The right field bleacher seats were available for occupancy for the first time during the season during a night game with the Cincinnati Reds. Dexter Fowler hit the first home run to land into the newly renovated right-field seats at Wrigley Field when fans were present.[35]
June 17 – The Cubs 17–0 victory at Progressive Field against the Cleveland Indians was the largest shutout win by the Cubs since May 13, 1969, a 19–0 win over the Padres at Wrigley Field.[36]
June 30 – The Cubs finished 14–13 for the month; the third month in a row with a winning record.
July 13 – At the All-Star break the Cubs had a record of 47–40. They were seventh in Major League baseball in stolen bases with 57 and fourth at receiving walks at 293. They were second in the league in striking out at 799. The pitching staff allowed the fewest hits against in baseball with 140, they were first in WHIP at 1.16, third in striking out opposing batters with 754, first in opposing players batting average with .234, fifth in earned run average with 3.72, and allowed 56 home runs.[37]
July 25 – Future Cubs pitcher Cole Hamels then of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a no-hitter against the Cubs,[38] marking the first time the Cubs have been no-hit in 7,921 games, which was the longest streak in the Major Leagues.[39] It was Hamels last start in a Phillies uniform before he was traded to the Texas Rangers.
The Cubs finished a fourth month in a row over .500 for the first time since the 2008 season. With a record of 55–47, they were two games out of the second position to qualify for a wild card post-season playoff game.
August
Rain delay at Wrigley Field August 18th, 2015
August 10 – After a four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants, the Cubs had moved into the wild card spot and held a 3.5 game lead for the second place wild card qualifier.
August 23 – The Cubs swept the Atlanta Braves, their fourth, four-game sweep of the season; first time since 1945. The Cubs led the NL in both home runs and runs scored in the second half.
For the fifth month in a row, the Cubs finished a month over .500 with an August record of 19−9. They were 5.5 games ahead of San Francisco for the second wild card slot. They led the majors in striking out with 1,208 and had the lowest team batting average at .241. The pitching staff struck out 1,128 batters (second in the majors) and had a WHIP of 1.20. Kris Bryant was named the NL Rookie of the Month for August and Jake Arrieta was named the Pitcher of the Month and Player of the Week for August 24–30.
September 11 – The Cubs swept a double header against the Phillies guaranteeing them a winning record for the first time since 2009. Jake Arrieta won his 19th game of the season making him the first pitcher in the 2015 season to hit the mark; it was his 16th straight quality start, allowing just one run over eight innings, and dropping his ERA to 1.99.
September 25 – The Cubs were defeated by their division rival Pittsburgh, 3–2, but still clinched their first postseason berth since 2008 when the San Francisco Giants lost to the Oakland A's.
October
October 4 – At the conclusion of the season the Cubs had a record of 97–65, third best in Major League Baseball. The 97 wins were the most for a first-year Cubs manager. Their record away from Wrigley Field was 48−33, the Cubs' best road record since 1945. Cubs' hitters led the majors in strikeouts with 1,518 and were third from the bottom with runners in scoring position (.237), but they were fifth in on-base percentage with .321 and first in acquiring walks with 567. The pitching staff allowed the fewest hits in baseball with 1,276, were first in WHIP with 1.15, first in striking out opposing batters with 1,431, and third in earned run average with 3.36. Cubs rookies (Bryant, Schwarber, Russell and Soler) hit 65 home runs, setting a franchise record.[41] The previous high was 58 set in 1966.
November
November 16 – Kris Bryant won the 2015 National League Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award by a unanimous first place vote. San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Duffy and Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung-ho Kang placed behind Bryant. Bryant became the first Cub to win the award since catcher Geovany Soto in 2008.
November 17 – Manager Joe Maddon won the Manager of the Year Award over St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny and NL-Champions New York Mets manager Terry Collins. Maddon set the franchise record for most wins in the first season as manager, with 97 wins. Maddon became the seventh manager in MLB history to win the award in both leagues, as Maddon previously won the award in 2008 and 2011 with Tampa Bay. He became the first Cubs manager to win the award since Lou Piniella in 2008.
November 18 – Starting pitcher Jake Arrieta won the 2015 NL Cy Young Award over Dodgers pitchers Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. Arrieta had a stellar 2015 campaign, going 22–6 with a 1.77 ERA. Arrieta set a major league record with the lowest second-half ERA over a minimum of 12 starts with an ERA of 0.75. He went 14–1 in the second half of the season, as well as no-hitting the Dodgers on August 30. Arrieta is the first Cub to win the award since Hall of Famer Greg Maddux in 1992. The Cubs also became the first team in MLB to win three major awards since the 2001 Seattle Mariners.
13-year-veteran right-handed relief pitcher Rafael Soriano agreed to terms on June 8 and reported to a Cubs training facility in the Dominican Republic.[42][43]
On July 3, 2015, Clayton Richard was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Chicago Cubs for cash.[44] He was designated for assignment on July 22 and relief pitcher Yoervis Medina was added to the roster. Richard was optioned to the Iowa Cubs on July 23 and was again designated for assignment on August 3 but was re-signed as a free agent on August 5.[45]
On July 19, 2015, RHP Edwin Jackson was designated for assignment to make room on the major league roster for reliever Rafael Soriano.[46] On August 14, Jackson signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves for the remainder of the 2015 season.[47]
Jake Arrieta pitched a complete game shutout, striking out 11 batters and allowing only five hits to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–0 in the 2015 National League Wild Card Game. The Cubs were paced offensively by Dexter Fowler and Kyle Schwarber, who combined for five hits in seven at bats, each with a home run.[49] For the first time in 12 years, the Cubs won a postseason game after losing their previous nine postseason games in a row and advanced to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series.[50]
John Lackey allowed only three singles in seven innings and the Cardinals beat the Cubs 4–0 in the NLDS opening game. Rookies Tommy Pham and Stephen Piscotty each homered for the Cardinals.[51] Cubs starter, Jon Lester, gave up three runs in 7 1/3 innings and left the game trailing 2–0.
In their first divisional game win since 2003, the Cubs got five second inning runs including a two-run home run from Jorge Soler en route to a 6–3 win. Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks pitched well, but allowed a home run to the leadoff batter, third baseman Matt Carpenter in the first, and back-to-back solo shots to Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk in the fifth inning which led to his exit. Travis Wood, Trevor Cahill and Héctor Rondón worked 4 1/3 innings of relief.[52]
The Cubs got 13 hits to support Jake Arrieta who struck out nine Cardinals over 5-2/3 innings while giving up four runs, the most he had allowed since June 16. Four rookies started for the Cubs and three of them helped to set a Major League playoff team record with six home runs in an 8–6 victory. Six different Cubs players homered – Kyle Schwarber in the second inning, Starlin Castro in the fourth, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo back-to-back in the fifth, Jorge Soler in the sixth, and Dexter Fowler in the eighth inning. Jason Heyward hit a sixth inning homer off Arrieta and Stephen Piscotty hit a two-run ninth inning homer off Héctor Rondón for the Cardinals. The eight total home runs for both teams set a Major League mark for one postseason game. Shortstop Addison Russell left the game in the fourth with left hamstring tightness after sliding head first into third on a triple.[53] Russell would not play the remainder of the postseason.
Eight Chicago Cub pitchers allowed eight hits and combined for 15 strikeouts to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals and win a postseason series for the first time ever at Wrigley Field.[54] The score was 2–0 in favor of the Cardinals when the second batter of the game, Stephen Piscotty, hit a two-run homer. In the bottom of the second inning, starting pitcher Jason Hammel drove in Starlin Castro with a sharp single to center and Addison Russell's replacement at shortstop, Javier Báez, followed with a three-run homer to right off Cardinals starter, John Lackey. The Cards rallied and tied the score in the top of the sixth, but the rally ended with a strong throw to catcher Miguel Montero from right fielder Jorge Soler to throw out Tony Cruz at the plate as Cruz attempted to score the lead run from second.[55]Anthony Rizzo hit a go-ahead solo homer off Cardinal reliever Kevin Siegrist in the bottom of the inning on a two out, 0-2 pitch.[56]Kyle Schwarber added an insurance run in the seventh inning, also off Siegrist, with a home run ball that landed on top of the new right field Budweiser scoreboard.[57]Pedro Strop in the eighth and Héctor Rondón in the ninth struck out four of the seven batters they faced to preserve the 6–4 victory.[58]
For the third game in the series, the Mets scored in the first with a double by Yoenis Céspedes that drove in David Wright off of Cubs starter, Kyle Hendricks. A home run by Kyle Schwarber tied the game in the bottom of the first. In the third, the Mets responded with Daniel Murphy's solo homer, his fifth consecutive postseason game with a home run, to put the Mets up 2–1. Jorge Soler's homer in the fourth again tied the game. The bottom fell out for the Cubs in the sixth when a wild pitch by Trevor Cahill (the losing pitcher) on strike three allowed Yoenis Céspedes to score, putting the Mets up 3–2. A Céspedes single and a sacrifice grounder by Lucas Duda in the seventh drove in Wright and Murphy, for a final score of 5–2 and series deficit of 3–0 for the Cubs.
As in every previous game of the series, the Mets took control of the game in the first inning when first baseman Lucas Duda hit a three-run home run to center field against Cubs starter Jason Hammel. The next batter, catcher Travis d'Arnaud, also hit a home run to make it 4–0. In the second inning, Cubs relief pitcher Travis Wood allowed a two-run double to Duda making it a 6–0 game. Duda's five RBIs tied a Mets record for most in a postseason game. Chicago's first rally came in the fourth when they loaded the bases with no outs for second baseman Starlin Castro. Mets third baseman David Wright made a leaping grab of Castro's line drive to prevent an extra base hit and two runs. However, the Cubs got their first run on an RBI groundout by left fielder Kyle Schwarber. Shortstop Javier Báez popped out in foul territory, stranding two runners and the Cubs were down 6–1. In the fifth inning, after outfielders Dexter Fowler and Jorge Soler reached base, Mets reliever Bartolo Colón struck out third baseman Kris Bryant and the Cubs again stranded two baserunners. In the eighth inning, New York's Daniel Murphy hit a two-run homer, his fourth home run of the series, his seventh of the postseason, and his sixth consecutive game with a home run, a new MLB postseason record. Bryant hit a consolation two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to put the Mets lead to 8–3. When closer Jeurys Familia struck out Fowler in the ninth, the Mets were back in the World Series for the first time since 2000. The Cubs never had a lead at any point in the four-game series. After hitting .529 with the four home runs and a 1.294 slugging percentage for the series, New York's Daniel Murphy was named series MVP.
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located on Chicago's North Side. They are one of two major league teams based in Chicago, alongside the American League (AL)’s Chicago White Sox. The Cubs, first known as the White Stockings, were a founding member of the NL in 1876, becoming the Chicago Cubs in 1903.
The Cardinals–Cubs rivalry, also called the Route 66 rivalry and The I-55 rivalry, refers to the rivalry between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs of the National League (NL), one of the most bitter rivalries in Major League Baseball and in all of North American professional sports. The Cardinals have won 19 NL pennants, while the Cubs have won 17. However, the Cardinals have a clear edge when it comes to World Series success, having won 11 championships to the Cubs' three. Games between the two clubs see numerous visiting fans in either St. Louis's Busch Stadium or Chicago's Wrigley Field. When the NL split into two divisions in 1969, and later three divisions in 1994, the Cardinals and Cubs remained together.
Joseph John Maddon is an American former professional baseball manager and coach. He has managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Kevin Richard Hart is a former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. As of 2016, he is a Major League Professional Scout for the New York Yankees.
Jacob Joseph Arrieta is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2015 throughout the world.
The St. Louis Cardinals 2015 season was the 134th for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 124th season in the National League, and the 10th at Busch Stadium III. They entered the 2015 season as two-time defending National League Central champions and having made four consecutive NLCS appearances.
The 2016 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 season. The 112th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Chicago Cubs and the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians, the first meeting of those franchises in postseason history. The series was played between October 25 and November 2. The Indians had home-field advantage because the AL had won the 2016 All-Star Game. This was the final World Series to have home-field advantage determined by the All-Star Game results; since 2017, home-field advantage has been awarded to the team with the better record.
The 2015 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff contested between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets for the National League (NL) pennant and the right to play in the 2015 World Series. The Mets swept the Cubs four games to none for their fifth National League pennant in franchise history. The series was the 46th in league history and TBS aired all games in the United States. Game 1 was played on October 17.
The 2015 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2015 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—the winner of a one-game Wild Card playoff—played in two series. TBS carried all the games in the United States, with Sportsnet simulcasting TBS coverage for Canada. The Division Series began on October 9 and concluded on October 15. The Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals had home field advantage in this round of the playoffs.
The 2015 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2015 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates. In MLB at that time, the two teams with the best record in each league who did not win a division played against each other in the Wild Card Game.
The 2016 Chicago Cubs season was the 145th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 141st in the National League and the Cubs' 101st season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Joe Maddon in his second year as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of the National League Central.
The 2016 San Francisco Giants season was the Giants' 134th year in Major League Baseball, their 59th year in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season, and their 17th at AT&T Park. They reached the postseason, where they defeated the New York Mets in the NLWC Game but lost in four games to the eventual World Series champion Chicago Cubs in the NLDS.
The 2016 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff in which the Chicago Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League (NL) pennant and the right to play in the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. As the Division Series winner with the best regular season record in the National League, the Cubs earned home-field advantage regardless of opponent. The series was the 47th in league history. FS1 televised all of the games in the United States.
The 2016 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2016 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—the winner of a one-game Wild Card playoff— played in two series. FS1 and MLB Network carried all the games in the United States.
The 2017 Chicago Cubs season was the 146th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 142nd in the National League and the Cubs' 102nd season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Joe Maddon, in his third year as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of the National League Central.
The 2017 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs for the National League pennant and the right to play in the 2017 World Series. The series was a rematch of the 2016 NLCS, which Chicago won four games to two en route to their first World Series victory since 1908. This was just the 10th time two teams have met in at least two straight League Championship Series, which have existed since divisional play began in 1969. The series was the 48th in league history. The Dodgers beat the Cubs in five games to win the NL pennant for the first time in 29 years, their last one in 1988.
The 2017 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams of the 2017 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—the winner of a one-game Wild Card playoff— played in two series.
The 2020 Chicago Cubs season was the 149th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 145th in the National League and the Cubs' 105th season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by David Ross, in his first year as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of Major League Baseball's National League Central. The Cubs opened the season on July 24 against the Milwaukee Brewers and finished the season on the road against the Chicago White Sox.
↑ Todd, Jeff (August 5, 2015). "Cubs Re-Sign Clayton Richard". mlbtraderumors.com. MLB Trade Rumors. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
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