Chicago Cubs - The Reagan Era (1980-1989)

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1980

Decade

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Titles:

Top Cubs Players of the Eighties

1984 NL East Champs (Lost to San Diego)

1989 NL East Champs (Lost to San Francisco)

Pitchers:

Rick Sutcliffe (21.7) - 49

Ballpark:

Lee Smith (19.09) - 45

Wrigley Field

Greg Maddux (9.83) - 26

Steve Trout (10.86) - 24

Team Name:

Dennis Eckersley (10.5) - 18

Cubs

Scott Sanderson (12.28) - 16

Jamie Moyer (5.07) - 14

Owners:

Mike Krukow (3.62) - 12

William Wrigley (1980-1981)

Ferguson Jenkins (4.73) - 11

The Tribune Company (1982-1989)

Rick Reuschel (7.49) - 10

Mitch Williams (2.25) - 8

General Managers:

Bruce Sutter (3.27) - 7

Bob Kennedy (1980-1981)

Mike Bielecki (4.77) - 10

Herman Franks (1981)

Les Lancaster (5.68) - 4

Dallas Green (1981-1987)

Jim Frey (1988-1989)

Catchers:

Jody Davis (17.17) - 65

Managers:

Damon Berryhill (1.98) - 14

Joe Amalfitano (1980-1981)

Lee Elia (1982-1983)

First Basemen:

Charlie Fox (1983)

Leon Durham (15.14) - 69

Jim Frey (1984-1986)

Bil Buckner (7.37) - 32

John Vukovich (1986)

Mark Grace (5) - 16

Gene Michael (1986-1987)

Frank Lucchesi (1987)

Second Basemen:

Don Zimmer (1988-1989)

Ryne Sandberg (37.83) - 84

Davey Lopes (3.96) - 9

Hall of Famers:

Ferguson Jenkins

ShortStop:

Dennis Eckersley

Shawon Dunston (5.41) - 28

Lee Smith

Ivan DeJesus (3.05) - 14

Greg Maddux

Larry Bowa (1.52) - 11

Andre Dawson

Ryne Sandberg

Third Base:

Keith Moreland (3.79) - 31

Rookie of the Year:

Ron Cey (6.09) - 17

Jerome Walton (1989)

Outfield:

MVP

Rob Dernier (4.01) - 26

Ryne Sandberg (1984)

Andre Dawson (10.87) - 25

Andre Dawson (1987)

Gary Matthews (3.72) - 15

Jerry Mumphrey (1.35) - 13

No Hitters:

Rafael Palmeiro (2.87) - 10

None

Mel Hall (3.08) - 10

Cy Young:

Notable Events:

Rick Sutcliffe (1984)

1985 - Chicago crashes back to earth finishing fourth nineteen games

Notable Events:

off of their 1984 pace. The main reason for the collapse is Sutcliffe,

who drops to 8-8 from 16-1 the year before, plus a bunch of

1980 - Chicago comes into the decade on the heels of a decade of mediocrity and

incremental decreases from players who were on the Division

less in the Seventies. The Eighties prove to be a bizarre decade as they continue

champs the previous season

their below mediocre performance by finishing under .500 eight times. However,

the two times they do go over .500, they win over ninety games and the Division

1986 - Righthander Jamie Moyer, 23, is a rookie. He was a sixth

round pick in the amateur draft two seasons earlier. Moyer is one

1981 - William Wrigley sells the Cubs to the Tribune Company for

that got away. After three seasons with Chicago, he is dealt away

20.5 million. Cubs fans change partners, but the results will be

to Texas. Moyer will win 269 games in his big league career, 241

the same. Corporate owned teams never seem to do well. In baseball, time and

of them not with the Cubs.

again, success or failure on the field starts with the desire, ability and wherewithal

of a single owner. Corporate run teams never seem to have the single minded

1986 - Twenty year old righthander Greg Maddux is a rookie.

drive it takes to succeed as a baseball franchise.

He was a second round pick in the 1984 draft. Maddux will

become one of the greatest pitchers of all time, winning 355

1981 - Dallas Green takes over as GM and will work in that position for seven years.

games lifetime. Unfortunately for Chicago, he will leave the

The Cubs performance during the decade seems to mirror Green's personality. He

Cubs as a free agent in 1993.

seems to have a lot of potential and comes thru big time once in a while, but moslty

he's disappointing.

1987 - Chicago signs free agent outfielder Andre Dawson and he

hits 49 homers. There have been wiser investments since the Cubs

1981 - Ace reliever Bruce Sutter is dealt to the Cardinals for first baseman Leon

are several players away from contending, but who's complaining?

Durham. You can understand the thinking in the trade as twenty two year old

Lee Smith is waiting in the wings for the Cubs. However, Sutter was something

1988 - First baseman Mark Grace comes up as a twenty four year

really special - better than Smith and he was still young, only twenty seven at the

old rookie. He was a twenty fourth round pick in the 1985 amateur draft.

time of the deal. Trading him to a Division rival was a mistake. And, altho' Durham

Grace will spend the next thirteen years as Chicago's very grace-ful

proved to be a solid player in Chicago, Sutter was worth at least three Durhams

first baseman. Not a slugger, he has a bit of power, less than average

for a first baseman, but he is an excellent hitter, batting .303 lifetime

1981 - Outfielder Joe Carter is selected by the Cubs with the second overall pick

in sixteen seasons.

in the amateur draft. He joins the Cubs big league squad in 1983

1988 - Outfielder Rafael Palmiero comes up as a twenty three

1981 - Catcher Jody Davis, 24, is taken from the Cards organization in the Rule 5

year old rookie. He was selected by the Cubs in the first round of

draft. He is installed as Chicago's starting catcher, a position he will fill more than

the 1985 amateur draft. Rafael will have a stellar twenty year

ably over the next eight seasons.

career, with teams other than the Cubs hitting 569 home runs

and batting .288 lifetime

1981 - The strike. It doesn't affect the Cubs as they stink with or without labor strife

1988 - The Cubs finally play their first night game at Wrigley.

1984 - In a bold move, the Cubs obtain ace righthander Rick Sutcliffe from the

A concession to the working class guy who has to earn a living

Indians for pimo outfield prospects Joe Carter and Mel Hall. The trade was probably

during the day altho' it is a little surprising that it took the Tribune

worth it altho' Carter becomes one of the best hitters in the game over a lengthy

Company seven years to do the obvious, or maybe not so surprising

career. Sutcliffe goes 16-1 with the Cubs after the deal and is the major reason

considering corporate bureaucracy.

Chicago wins the Division. He is also the ace of the staff thru the end of the

decade, altho' injuries and inconsistency haunted him along the way.

1989 - Chicago makes one of those deals again. Desperately needing

a relief ace, they deal Rafael Palmiero and Jamie Moyer to Texas for

1984 - After a string of eleven non-winning seasons, the Cubs come out of nowhere

relief ace Mitch Willliams. The deal works in the short term as the Cubs

to win the NL East. They lose in the NLCS to Western champs San Diego. Chicago

gain 16 games in the standings, much of it due to Williams' presence

proceeds to sink back down to losing for the next four years, '85-'88. There was

in the bullpen. However, in the long run, the deal was a disaster as

a twenty five game improvement in the standings from 1983 to 1984 and most of

Palmiero and Moyer have huge careers elsewhere. Aside from Williams,

it was due to Sutcliffe. There were also a bunch of incremental improvements such

the improvement from the sub .500 1988 season comes from

as the progress of young players Trout, Sandberg and Durham and the additions of

righthander Mike Bielecki, who has a come-out of nowhere career

outfielder Gary Matthews from the Phillies and starter Dennis Eckersley from Boston

year going 18-7, Rick Sutcliffe having an "on" year going 16-11 and

Ryne Sandberg having a big bounce back year. This all leads

1985 - Phenom twenty two year old shortstop Shawon Dunston is a rookie.

to a Division title, altho' the Cubs lose to the Giants in the NLCS

He was taken in the first round of the 1982 amateur draft