1969 Chicago Cubs season

The 1969 Chicago Cubs season was the 98th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 94th in the National League and the 54th at Wrigley Field. The season involved the Cubs gaining renown as "the most celebrated second-place team in the history of baseball."[1] In the first season after the National League was split into two divisions, the Cubs finished with a record of 92–70, 8 games behind the New York Mets in the newly established National League East. Caustic 64-year-old Leo Durocher was the Cubs manager. The ill-fated season saw the Cubs in first place for 155 days, until mid-September when they lost 17 out of 25 games.

1969 Chicago Cubs
Finished 2nd in NL East
Major League affiliations
Location
Other information
Owner(s)Philip K. Wrigley
General manager(s)John Holland
Manager(s)Leo Durocher
Local televisionWGN-TV
(Jack Brickhouse, Lloyd Pettit)
Local radioWGN
(Vince Lloyd, Lou Boudreau)
StatsESPN.com
BB-reference
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Offseason

The new National League
Further information: 1969 New York Mets season

With further expansion to the league, the 1969 season marked the first year of divisional play in Major League Baseball. The Atlanta Braves (along with the Cincinnati Reds) were placed in the NL West division, despite being located further east than the 2 westernmost teams in the NL East Division, the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. This was because the New York Mets wanted to be in the same division as the reigning power in the NL, which was the Cardinals at the time (to compensate for playing against the Dodgers and Giants fewer times each season). The Cubs consequently demanded to be in the NL East as well in order to continue playing in the same division as the Cardinals, one of the Cubs' biggest rivals. A side effect of this alignment is that it set the stage for what is considered one of the greatest pennant races – and comebacks in such a race – in MLB history.

Notable transactions

Regular season

Season summary

Hoping to improve on the previous year's 84–78 record, the Cubs began the 1969 season by winning 11 of their first 12 games, and on August 16, they were 75–44, up by a season high nine games over second place New York. By September 2, they had soared to an 84–52 record, well on pace to exceed the previous season's mark, but their lead over the Mets had fallen to five games. From there the Mets went on a tear. The Cubs ultimately lost 17 of the last 25 games of the season, while the Mets went 23–7 to overtake the Cubs and finish eight games ahead of them. It was one of the most astounding late season collapses in history, with the seventeen-game turnaround being one of the biggest ever. The Cubs finished 92–70, while the Mets won the National League East and would go on to win the World Series.

Summer of '69

Throughout the summer of 1969, led by future Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Ferguson Jenkins, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and the game calling skills of Randy Hundley behind the plate, the Chicago Cubs had built a substantial lead in the newly created National League East. At the conclusion of each victory 3rd baseman Santo would jump and click his heels in celebration. After starting pitcher Ken Holtzman's no-hitter on August 19, the Cubs led the division by ​8 1⁄2 games over the St. Louis Cardinals and ​9 1⁄2 games over the New York Mets.

The Rise

The 1969 season was bookended by a pair of homers that were memorable in a good and bad way respectively. On opening day at Wrigley Field, April 8, the Cubs trailed the Phillies 6–5 in the bottom of the 11th inning. With a runner on base, Willie Smith hit a game-winning home run into the right field bleachers.[5] This event essentially "lit the fuse" to the Cubs' successful first five months of the season. They would win the next three games, and 11 out of their first 12, and create a cushion that would extend to 8½ games in mid-August.

The Fall

After the game of September 2, the Cubs' record was 84–52 with the Mets in second place at 77–55. But then a losing streak began just as a Mets winning streak was beginning. The Cubs lost the final game of a series at Cincinnati, then came home to play the resurgent Pittsburgh Pirates (who would finish in third place). After losing the first two games by scores of 9–2 and 13–4, the Cubs led going into the ninth inning in the series finale. A win would be a positive springboard since the Cubs were to play a crucial series with the Mets the very next day. But Willie Stargell drilled a 2-out, 2-strike pitch from the Cubs' ace reliever, Phil Regan, onto Sheffield Avenue to tie the score in the top of the ninth. The Cubs would lose 7–5 in extra innings.[6] Meanwhile, the Mets had taken two of three against Philadelphia over the same weekend.

Burdened by a four-game losing streak, the Cubs traveled to Shea Stadium on September 8 for a short two-game set. The Mets won both games, and the Cubs left New York with a record of 84–58 just ​1⁄2 game in front. Disaster followed in Philadelphia, as a 99-loss Phillies team nonetheless defeated the Cubs twice, to extend Chicago's losing streak to eight games. In a key play in the second game, on September 11, Cubs starter Dick Selma threw a surprise pickoff attempt to third baseman Ron Santo, who was nowhere near the bag or the ball. Selma's throwing error opened the gates to a Phillies rally.

After that second Philly loss, the Cubs were 84–60 and the Mets had pulled ahead at 85–57. The Mets would not look back. The Cubs' eight-game losing streak finally ended the next day in St. Louis, but the Mets were in the midst of a ten-game winning streak, and the Cubs, wilting from team fatigue, generally deteriorated in all phases of the game.[1] The Mets (who had lost a record 120 games in their inaugural season 7 years earlier), would go on to win the World Series. The Cubs, despite a respectable 92–70 record, would be remembered for having lost a remarkable 17 ​1⁄2 games in the standings to the Mets in the last quarter of the season.

Bad luck

Banks stated, however, that after an error by Young, Santo "went crazy. Young was so upset, he ran out ... I had never seen something so hurtful". According to Banks, "They say one apple can spoil the whole barrel, and I saw that", with the incident dividing the team into factions.[7] The Book Baseball Hall of Shame 2 places the blame squarely (and perhaps unfairly) at the feet of one man, stating, "In the heat of battle, Leo Durocher, field general of the Cubs, went AWOL once too often. It was because of his lack of leadership that his team lost the fight for the 1969 pennant." Durocher did not believe in using the platoon system. He believed in putting his best eight players on the field every day.[8] Five of the Cubs' regular players finished the season with over 150 games played.[9] Two more had more than 130 games played.[9] In his book, The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, baseball historian Bill James cited manager Durocher's method of using his regular players everyday without any rest days as a factor in the Cubs' collapse.[10]

Overuse of the pitching staff may have played a part. During the first 118 games (74–43 record on August 13), the Cubs averaged about 4.7 runs a game and gave up only 3.5 runs per game, a 1.2 run per game advantage over the opposition. The last 45 games (18–27 record) saw a major reversal, with 3.7 runs per game for the team and 4.5 runs per game for the opposition (average Cub score would be a negative −0.8 runs per game versus opponents, almost a complete reversal from earlier play). Both the hitters and pitchers may have wilted as the season wound down.

Season standings
NL East W L Pct. GB Home Road
New York Mets 10062 0.617 — 52–30 48–32
Chicago Cubs 9270 0.568 8 49–32 43–38
Pittsburgh Pirates 8874 0.543 12 47–34 41–40
St. Louis Cardinals 8775 0.537 13 42–38 45–37
Philadelphia Phillies 6399 0.389 37 30–51 33–48
Montreal Expos 52110 0.321 48 24–57 28–53

Record vs. opponents
1969 National League Records

Sources:
Team ATL CHC CIN HOU LAD MON NYM PHI PIT SD SF STL
Atlanta —3–912–615–39–98–44–86–68–413–59–96–6
Chicago 9–3—6–6–18–46–610–88–1012–67–1111–16–69–9
Cincinnati 6–126–6–1—9–910–88–46–610–25–711–710–88–4
Houston 3–154–89–9—6–1211–110–28–43–910–810–87–5
Los Angeles 9–96–68–1012–6—10–24–88–48–412–65–133–9
Montreal 4–88–104–81–112–10—5–1311–75–134–81–117–11
New York 8–410–86–62–108–413–5—12–610–811–18–412–6
Philadelphia 6-66–122–104–84–87–116–12—10–88–43–97–11
Pittsburgh 4–811–77–59–34–813–58–108–10—10–25–79–9
San Diego 5–131–117–118–106–128–41–114–82–10—6–124–8
San Francisco 9–96–68–108–1013–511–14–89–37–512–6—3–9
St. Louis 6–69–94–85–79–311–76–1211–79–98–49–3—

Notable transactions

Draft picks

Roster
1969 Chicago Cubs
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders
  • 26 Billy Williams

Other batters

 Manager

Coaches

Game log
1969 Game Log (92–70)
Legend:           = Win           = Loss           = Tie           = Postponement
Bold = Cubs team member

Player stats

[9]

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos. = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases

Pos. Player G AB R H Avg. HR RBI SB
CRandy Hundley15152267133.25518642
1BErnie Banks15556560143.253231060
2BGlenn Beckert13154369158.2734536
3BRon Santo16057597166.289291231
SSDon Kessinger158664109181.27345311
OFBilly Williams163642103188.29321953
OFDon Young1012723665.2396271
OFJim Hickman1343383880.23721542

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Willie Smith10319548.246925
Al Spangler8221345.211423
Paul Popovich6015448.312114
Nate Oliver44447.15914
Jim Qualls4312030.25009
Adolfo Phillips284911.22401
Oscar Gamble247116.22515
Bill Heath27325.15601
Ken Rudolph27347.20616
Gene Oliver23276.22200
Jimmie Hall11245.20801
Rick Bladt10132.15401
Manny Jiménez661.16700
Johnny Hairston341.25000
Randy Bobb320.00000
Charley Smith220.00000

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Ferguson Jenkins43311.121153.21273
Bill Hands41300.020142.49181
Ken Holtzman39261.117133.58176
Dick Selma36168.21083.63161
Archie Reynolds27.1012.454

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Joe Niekro419.1013.727
Jim Colborn614.2103.074
Joe Decker412.1102.9213
Dave Lemonds24.2013.860
Gary Ross220013.502

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G W L SV ERA SO
Phil Regan71126173.7056
Ted Abernathy564333.1655
Hank Aguirre411012.6019
Rich Nye343535.1139
Don Nottebart161107.008
Ken Johnson91212.8418
Alec Distaso20003.861

Awards and honors

League leaders

All-Stars

All-Star Game

Farm system
See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Tacoma Cubs Pacific Coast League Whitey Lockman
AA San Antonio Missions Texas League Jim Marshall
A Quincy Cubs Midwest League Walt Dixon
A-Short Season Huron Cubs Northern League Mel Wright
Rookie Caldwell Cubs Pioneer League George Freese

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Tacoma

Notes
  1. Kuenster, John. Heartbreakers. ISBN 1-56663-366-4.
  2. Dave Rosello at Baseball Reference
  3. Manny Jiménez at Baseball-Reference
  4. Charley Smith at Baseball Reference
  5. "Box Score of Game played on Tuesday, April 8, 1969 at Wrigley Field". Baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
  6. "Box Score of Game played on Sunday, September 7, 1969 at Wrigley Field". Baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
  7. Cohen, Rich (July 7, 2014). "Where Are They Now: Catching up with Cubs legend Ernie Banks". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  8. Feldmann, Doug (2006). Miracle Collapse: the 1969 Chicago Cubs. Books.Google.com. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  9. "1969 Chicago Cubs Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  10. James, Bill (2001). The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. New York: Free Press. p. 635. ISBN 0-684-80697-5.
  11. Paul Popovich at Baseball Reference
  12. Jim Todd at Baseball Reference
  13. Pat Bourque at Baseball Reference
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References
  • Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.
  • 1969 Chicago Cubs
  • 1969 Chicago Cubs on Baseball Almanac
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