The 2008 Chicago Cubs season was the 137th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 133rd in the National League and the 93rd at Wrigley Field. The season began at home on March 31 against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs were champions of the National LeagueCentral for the second year in a row, accumulating 97 regular season wins—the most since 1945. It was the first time since 1908 that the Cubs made postseason appearances in consecutive seasons.[1]
At the All-Star break in July, the Cubs led the NL Central and were tied with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the best record in the major leagues.[2] They tied a National League record with eight players selected to the All-Star team.[3]
On September 20, the Cubs clinched the NL Central championship with a 5–4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.[4] Despite their regular season success, the team did not advance past the first round of the playoffs; they were swept 3–0 by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.
In 2007, Ernie Banks had requested that Evanston, Illinois native Eddie Vedder write the Cubs a song, and in August 2008 Vedder recorded "All the Way", which was released on September 18, 2008.[5] During the season, a new version of "Go, Cubs, Go" was recorded and released by the Manic Sewing Circle,[6] although the original 1984 Steve Goodman version became the official Cubs victory song.[7]
Playoffs
NLDS vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Chicago Cubs were eliminated from the playoffs after Los Angeles won the series, 3-0.
The Cubs' Game 3 loss to the Dodgers marked the franchise's ninth consecutive post-season defeat, dating back to the 2003 NLCS.
Roster
Player stats
Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Pitching
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts
2007 post-season changes
Trades
Free agent acquisitions
Players lost to free agency
Other news
On November 20, 2007, John McDonough stepped down as team president to join the Chicago Blackhawks.[8]
On April 23, 2008, the Chicago Cubs recorded their 10,000th victory in franchise history with a 7-6 victory in 10 innings over the Colorado Rockies. They were just the second team to complete this feat behind the San Francisco Giants.
On September 14, 2008 Carlos Zambrano threw the first no-hitter for the Cubs since Milt Pappas threw his on September 2, 1972. Zambrano threw the no-hitter against the Houston Astros in a game played at Miller Park in Milwaukee. It was the first no-hitter recorded at a neutral site in baseball history. The game was moved due to the damage Hurricane Ike caused.
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Daytona
References
Chicago Cubs season at Baseball Reference
Kaduk, Kevin (October 6, 2008). "The Nail in the Coffin: Your 2008 Chicago Cubs". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
^ a bFinnell, Neil (December 29, 2008). "A Look Back at Chicago Cubs 2008: Getting Off to a Strong Start". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
^"Regular Season Standings". Major League Baseball. Associated Press. July 14, 2008. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
^"Cubs tie record for most NL All-Stars". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. July 13, 2008. Retrieved July 14, 2008.[permanent dead link]
^Gano, Rick (September 20, 2008). "Chicago Cubs win Central again". Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Inc. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
^"Manic Sewing Circle perform "Go Cubs Go"". WGNTV.com. Tribune Interactive. September 12, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2008. [dead link]
^"WGN Radio and Vibes Media team up to bring iconic Cubs anthem "Go Cubs Go" to mobile phones". WGN Radio. August 1, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2008. [dead link]
^The Official Site of The Chicago Cubs: News: McDonough steps down as president
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2008 Chicago Cubs season.
