Mark William Prior is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current coach. A onetime top prospect of the Chicago Cubs,he pitched for the team from 2002 to 2006 in a career that was marred by injuries. In his prime,his repertoire of pitches included a mid-90s mph fastball,a curveball,and a changeup. He is currently the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Dominican former professional baseball left fielder and second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees,Texas Rangers,Washington Nationals,and Chicago Cubs,and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos,nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro",is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2012 for the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. Zambrano,who stands 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and weighs 275 pounds (125 kg),was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001.
Carlos Silva is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (2002–2003),Minnesota Twins (2004–2007),Seattle Mariners (2008–2009),and Chicago Cubs (2010).
Theodore Roosevelt Lilly III is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Lilly attended Yosemite High School in Oakhurst,California,and Fresno City College. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos,New York Yankees,Oakland Athletics,Toronto Blue Jays,Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jonathan Ray Lieber is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He stands 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighs 240 pounds (110 kg). He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1994–1998),Chicago Cubs,New York Yankees (2004),and Philadelphia Phillies (2005–2007). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed,and utilized a fastball,a slider,and a changeup for his pitches. In a 14-season career,Lieber compiled a 131–124 record with 1,553 strikeouts and a 4.27 ERA in 2,198 innings pitched.
Richard Joseph Hill,nicknamed "Dick Mountain",is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs,Baltimore Orioles,Boston Red Sox,Cleveland Indians,Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,New York Yankees,Oakland Athletics,Los Angeles Dodgers,Minnesota Twins,Tampa Bay Rays,New York Mets,Pittsburgh Pirates,and San Diego Padres.
Jonathan Tyler Lester is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox,Oakland Athletics,Chicago Cubs,Washington Nationals,and St. Louis Cardinals. Less than two years after being diagnosed with lymphoma,Lester started and won the final game of the 2007 World Series for the Red Sox and,in May 2008,pitched a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals. He helped lead the Red Sox to another championship in 2013,and he won the 2016 World Series with the Cubs. Lester started the opening game of a playoff series 12 times,which was a record for the most in baseball history until Justin Verlander passed him in 2023.
The 2003 National League Championship Series (NLCS) was a Major League Baseball playoff series played from October 7 to 15 to determine the champion of the National League,between the Central Division champion Chicago Cubs and the wild-card qualifying Florida Marlins. The Cubs,by virtue of being a division winner,had the home field advantage. The Marlins came back from a three games to one deficit and won the series in seven games,advancing to the World Series against the New York Yankees,whom they defeated in six games.
Jeffrey Alan Samardzija,nicknamed "Shark",is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played college baseball and football for the University of Notre Dame,and was recognized as a two-time football All-American playing wide receiver. He was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft,and made his major-league (MLB) debut in 2008. He played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs from 2008 to 2014,the Oakland Athletics in 2014,the Chicago White Sox in 2015,and the San Francisco Giants from 2016 to 2020. He was an all-star in 2014.
Bobby Dean Howry is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher.
Sean Christopher Marshall,nicknamed "Big Smooth",is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.
Carlos Agustín Mármol is a Dominican former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs,Los Angeles Dodgers,and the Miami Marlins. Carlos owns Recta 49,a successful restaurant/car wash in the Dominican Republic.
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.
The 1998 Chicago Cubs season was the 127th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise,the 123rd in the National League and the 83rd at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished second in the National League Central with a record of 90–73.
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.
James Clayton Russell is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played college baseball at Navarro College and the University of Texas at Austin and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 14th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft. Russell made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on April 5,2010,and also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
Kyle Christian Hendricks,nicknamed "The Professor",is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2014,and led MLB in earned run average for the 2016 season.
The 2015 Chicago Cubs season was the 144th season for the franchise,the 140th in the National League and the 100th at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Joe Maddon in his first year as Cubs manager and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of the National League Central.
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.
