108 things every Cubs fan should know

One question for each year since Cubs won the World Series.

Friendly confines

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Windows frame the view past the outfield at the new Catalina Club in the upper deck behind home plate at Wrigley Field on April 6, 2019. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

1. What was the original name of the ballpark at Clark and Addison streets?

It was called Weeghman Park when it was built in 1914. The park was named after Charlie Weeghman, who built it for his team, the Chicago Federals of the short-lived Federal League. When the Federal League folded in 1916, the National League's Cubs moved in.

2. How many Chicago parks have the Cubs called home?

Six: The 23rd Street Grounds on 23rd and State Streets (1876-77), Lakefront Park south of Randolph Street between Michigan Avenue and the Illinois Central Railroad tracks (1878-1884), West Side Park at Congress and Throop Streets (1885-1891), South Side Park at 35th and Wentworth Streets (1891-1893), West Side Grounds at Polk and Wolcott Streets (1893-1915) and Wrigley Field -- also known as Weeghman Park and Cubs Park -- from 1916 to today.

3. What's the name of the Cubs' home ballpark for spring training?

Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.

4. On what island did the Cubs once hold their spring training sessions?

From 1921 to 1951 -- with just a short break during World War II -- the Cubs trained on Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles. Owner William Wrigley Jr. favored the island as a vacation getaway and a real-estate investment.

5. Who planted the ivy on the outfield wall at Wrigley?

Former Cubs front-office assistant Bill Veeck (who later owned the White Sox) planted the ivy in 1937, the same year the bleachers and scoreboard were built.

6. What happens if a ball lands in the ivy and gets stuck there?

The batter is awarded a ground-rule double.

7. What took so long for the Cubs to install lights at Wrigley?

Former owner P.K. Wrigley planned to install lights for the 1942 season but instead donated the fixtures to a shipyard for the war effort on the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked.

8. So when was the first night game?

That would be Aug. 8, 1988. But that game wound up getting rained out, so the first official game was the following night, when the Cubs beat the Mets 6-4.

9. What does that 'W' flag mean?

After a Cubs victory, the "W" flag (for "Win") is raised atop the centerfield scoreboard.

10. There's a flag on the roof of Wrigley that says "Hack 191." What does that mean?

It commemorates Hack Wilson's 191 runs batted in during the 1930 season, a major-league record that still stands.

11. What about those other flags?

The "66 Sammy" flag and the "20 KW" flag commemorate Sammy Sosa's 66 home runs and Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game in 1998, respectively. There are also flags honoring other Cubs greats, including the "8 Hawk" flag for Andre Dawson, the Cubs outfielder who wore No. 8 and was nicknamed Hawk, and the "17 Grace" flag for popular first baseman Mark Grace.

12. Why do the foul poles at Wrigley have "Hey Hey" on them?

"Hey Hey" was the homerun call of Hall of Fame Cubs broadcaster Jack Brickhouse.

13. What was Wrigley's largest crowd?

On July 27, 1930, 51,556 fans attended. But it was Ladies Day, so only 19,748 admissions were paid.

14. How did they fit 51,556 people into Wrigley?

They let fans stand on the field of play -- along the warning track of the outfield. Hits going into the crowd were declared ground-rule doubles.

15. How many All-Star Games have been played at Wrigley Field?

Three: 1947, 1962 and 1990. The National League lost all three.

16. The Cubs drew 3.23 million fans this season, close to the team record of 3.25 million in 2007. What are some low points in attendance?

On Sept. 24, 1943, the Cubs drew 314 fans, who sat through nearly five innings of freezing drizzle before the game was called as a Cubs victory. In the early '60s, attendance was so low that the Cubs closed the upper deck for weekday games.

17. There's a sign on one of the rooftops beyond right field reading "EAMUS CATULI!" and then another sign with letters and numbers. What do those signs mean?

"Eamus catuli" is an imperfect Latin translation of "Go Cubs." The other sign starts with "AC," which means "anno catuli" -- Cubs time. The first numbers indicate years since the Cubs won a division title (that gets reset to 00 now). The next numbers indicate years since the Cubs last won a National League pennant (71); and the final numbers indicate years since the Cubs have won a World Series title (108). If the Cubs win the 2016 World Series, the sign will read "AC000000" on Opening Day in 2017.

18. Why aren't there seats in the lower portion of the center-field bleachers at Wrigley?

The section is kept empty to provide a better visual background for hitters.

19. Why is there a wire basket in front of the bleachers?

It was installed in 1970 to keep fans from falling or jumping onto the field. It also prevented them from draping coats and jackets over the wall -- a practice that used to inspire Cubs public address announcer Pat Pieper to playfully declare: "Will the bleacher fans please remove their clothes?"

20. What should you do if you catch an opponent's home run ball in the bleachers?

Throw it back onto the field, or ask security for an escort out of the park.

Honor roll

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Jake Arrieta won the Cy Young in 2015. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)

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Kris Bryant won Rookie of the Year in 2015. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

21. How many Cubs have won the Cy Young Award as the top pitcher in the National League?

Five: Fergie Jenkins (1971), Bruce Sutter (1979), Rick Sutcliffe (1984), Greg Maddux (1992) and Jake Arrieta (2015).

22. How many Cubs have won the National League Rookie of the Year Award?

Six: Billy Williams (1961), Ken Hubbs (1962), Jerome Walton (1989), Kerry Wood (1998) , Geovany Soto (2008) and Kris Bryant (2015).

23. What former Cubs rookie of the year died in a plane crash at 22?

Second baseman Ken Hubbs was killed when the private plane he was piloting crashed in Utah in February 1964. Hubbs was NL Rookie of the Year in 1962 and was the first rookie to win a Gold Glove.

24. Who is the only Cub to win back-to-back Most Valuable Player Awards?

Ernie Banks -- a.k.a. "Mr. Cub" -- won in 1958 and 1959.

25. Who is the last Cub to win the MVP award?

Sammy Sosa in 1998.

26. How many Cubs uniform numbers have been retired?

So far, only five: No. 14 for Ernie Banks, No. 10 for Ron Santo, No. 26 for Billy Williams, No. 23 for Ryne Sandberg and No. 31 for Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux. Flags honoring those players fly from the foul poles at Wrigley.

27. How many Cubs teams have reached the postseason?

Counting this year, it's 18. They've appeared in 10 World Series (1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938 and 1945) but won only two (1907 and 1908). They have qualified for the National League playoffs eight times (1984, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2015 and 2016).

Nicknames

28. What was the original nickname of Chicago's National League team?

The club was known as the White Stockings from 1876 to 1894. They also had several other nicknames before settling on "Cubs" in the early 1900s.

29. What Cubs pitcher was nicknamed "The Vulture"?

Phil Regan, who was the top reliever on the 1969 Cubs.

30. What Cubs pitcher was nicknamed "Twiggy"?

The slightly built Chuck Hartenstein, who pitched for the Cubs in the late 1960s.

31. By what nickname does Cubs manager Joe Maddon refer to his RV?

Cousin Eddie.

Musical interlude

32. What is the name of the Cubs song written by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder?

"All the Way."

33. Who sings that "Go, Cubs, Go" song?

Late Chicago songwriter and folk singer Steve Goodman.

34. What other Cubs-themed song did Goodman write and perform in 1983?

"A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request."

35. When a die-hard Cubs fan dies, can the fan get his or her ashes scattered at Wrigley Field?

No. Even Goodman didn't get that honor, according to "Steve Goodman: Facing the Music" by Clay Eals. But Goodman's admirers surreptitiously scattered some of his ashes at the ballpark anyway.

36. What seminal pop group from the 1960s recorded a Cubs theme song?

The Beach Boys cut a track called "Here Come the Cubs" that was loosely based on their 1966 hit "Barbara Ann."

37. What Cubs outfielder sang the national anthem on Opening Day in 1991?

Dwight Smith.

38. What Cubs infielder played the national anthem on his trumpet before a Cubs game in 1972?

Carmen Fanzone.

39. Which current Cub entertained his teammates this season by playing Adele's "Hello" on an electric piano?

Anthony Rizzo.

Radio and TV

40. What former president once broadcast Cubs games?

Ronald Reagan did radio re-creations of Cubs games from teletype reports for an Iowa station in the 1930s.

41. What Cubs broadcaster left his job to take over as the club's manager?

Lou Boudreau was doing Cubs games on WGN Radio in 1960 when team owner Phil Wrigley decided to make an unusual trade. He sent Boudreau to the dugout to replace Charlie Grimm and moved Grimm from the dugout to the microphone. The arrangement ended after the 1960 season, when Grimm retired and Boudreau returned to the booth.

42. What TV actor once played first base for the Cubs?

Chuck Connors -- best known as the star of the TV show "The Rifleman" -- played 66 games for the 1951 Cubs, hitting .239 with two homers and 18 RBIs.

43. Who was the Cubs announcer who was killed in a car accident during spring training?

Jack Quinlan, a Cubs play-by-play announcer from 1955 to 1964, died in an auto accident near the Cubs' camp in Mesa, Ariz. in March 1965. He was 38.

Family ties

44. What TV game-show host was the father of a Cubs first baseman?

Peter Marshall, host of "Hollywood Squares," was the father of Pete LaCock, who played for the Cubs in the 1970s.

45. Former basketball coach Richard "Digger" Phelps is the father-in-law of which former Cubs left-hander?

Jamie Moyer.

46. Who was the 19-year-old Cubs farmhand actress Mamie Van Doren married in 1965 after breaking up with noted playboy Bo Belinsky?

Lee Meyers, a left-handed pitcher who never made it to "The Show."

47. Which pitching brothers served up three of the four home runs Mike Schmidt hit against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 17, 1976?

Rick and Paul Reuschel.

Double players

48. What Cubs pitcher also played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters?

Fergie Jenkins.

49. What former Cubs pitcher was a star wide receiver for Notre Dame?

Jeff Samardzija.

50, Which current Cubs player was a star wide receiver at Villanova?

Matt Szczur

Art of the deal

51. Who did the Cubs trade to the Padres in 2012 in exchange for Anthony Rizzo?

Pitcher Andrew Cashner and minor-league outfielder Kyung-Min Na went to the Padres in the deal that brought Rizzo and minor-league pitcher Zach Cates to the Cubs.

52. How did the Cubs acquire All-Star shortstop Addison Russell?

On July 5, 2014, the Cubs traded pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the A's for Russell, outfielder Billy McKinney and pitcher Dan Straily. After the 2014 season, Hammel returned to the Cubs as a free agent.

53. How did the Cubs acquire closer Aroldis Chapman?

On July 25, the Cubs traded pitcher Adam Warren and three minor-leaguers – outfielders Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford and shortstop Gleyber Torres – to the Yankees for Chapman.

54. Who did the Cubs get in return when they traded Bruce Sutter to the Cardinals in 1980?

The Cubs received first baseman Leon Durham, third baseman Ken Reitz and infielder/outfielder Ty Waller in exchange for the Hall-of-Fame-bound Sutter.

55. What is the worst trade the Cubs ever made?

It's debatable, but the general consensus is the deal that sent outfielder Lou Brock and two other Cubs to St. Louis for an over-the-hill pitcher named Ernie Broglio and two other Cardinals in 1964. Brock went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career with the rival Cardinals. Broglio was out of baseball after the 1966 season.

56. How about the best deal?

Again, it's up for argument, but it's tough to beat the 1982 trade in which the Cubs sent shortstop Ivan DeJesus to the Phillies for shortstop Larry Bowa and a bright young prospect named Ryne Sandberg. Getting Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop from the Orioles for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger is a close second.

Mound men

57. What was unusual about Cubs pitcher Mordecai Brown?

He had only three full fingers on his pitching hand. "Three-Finger" Brown won 20 games or more six times for the Cubs in the early 1900s.

58. Who was the Cubs pitcher who served up Stan Musial's 3,000th career hit at Wrigley Field on May 13, 1958?

Moe Drabowsky.

59. What left-handed pitcher won 13 games as a Cubs rookie in 1967 and later went into a career in veterinary medicine?

Rich Nye.

60. What Cubs pitcher was attacked on the field by a disgruntled fan in 1995?

Randy Myers, who used his martial-arts skills to neutralize the fan until security personnel took over.

61. Which former Cubs left-hander lost 20 games in 1962 and won 22 in 1963?

Dick Ellsworth.

62. Before Jake Arrieta won 22 games in 2015, who was the last Cubs pitcher to win 20 games in a season?

Jon Lieber went 20-6 in 2001.

63. The Cubs had four pitchers – Jon Lester (19), Jake Arrieta (18), Kyle Hendricks (16) and Jason Hammel (15) -- win 15 or more games in 2016. When is the last time a Cubs pitching staff accomplished that feat?

In 1935, when Lon Warneke (20), Bill Lee (20), Larry French (17) and Charlie Root (15) did it for the National League pennant-winners.

64. What pitcher holds the team record for career victories as a Cub with 201?

Charlie Root.

65. What pitcher holds the team record for career saves as a Cub with 180?

Lee Smith.

66. Who is the last Cubs pitcher to lead the National League in strikeouts?

Kerry Wood led the NL with 266 strikeouts in 2003.

No-nos

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David Ross is doused in the dugout by his teammates after Jake Arrieta threw a no-hitter against the Reds on Thursday, April 21, 2016, in Cincinnati. (John Minchillo / AP)

67. What Cubs outfielder made a sliding catch for the final out of Don Cardwell's no-hitter in 1960?

Walt "Moose" Moryn.

68. When Jake Arrieta threw his second career no-hitter in April, he became the second Cubs pitcher since 1900 to throw two no-hitters. Who is the other Cubs pitcher with two no-hitters?

Ken Holtzman no-hit the Braves in 1969 and the Reds in 1971.

69. Who is the last pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Cubs?

Cole Hamels of the Phillies no-hit the Cubs on July 25, 2015 at Wrigley Field.

70. Who was the losing Cubs pitcher when Hamels threw his no-hitter?

Jake Arrieta.

71. How many regular-season games did Arrieta lose in 2015 after Hamels' July 25 no-hitter?

Zero.

72. Has any Cubs pitcher ever thrown a perfect game?

No, but Milt Pappas came about as close as you can get. Pappas no-hit the San Diego Padres on Sept. 2, 1972. Pappas was one strike away from a perfect game but walked San Diego's Larry Stahl on a 3-2 pitch.

73. Who was the #@%$! umpire who called that pitch a ball and ruined Pappas' perfect game?

That would be Bruce #@%$! Froemming.

Batters up

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The Chicago Tribune narrowed down the field to the best players for each position and you voted for your favorite. The results are in and these were your picks for the best Chicago Cubs players of all time.

74. Who is the last Cub to lead the National League in batting average?

Derrek Lee led the NL with a .335 mark in 2005.

75. Who is the last Cub to lead the National League in runs batted in?

Sammy Sosa led the NL with 160 RBI in 2001.

76. Who is the last Cub to lead the National League in hits?

Starlin Castro led the NL with 207 hits in 2011.

77. Who is the last Cub to lead the National League in stolen bases?

Stan Hack tied the Pirates' Lee Handley for the NL lead with 17 steals in 1939. Hack led the league outright with 16 steals in 1938.

78. Who is the last Cub to lead the National League in triples?

Ryne Sandberg tied the Phillies' Juan Samuel for the NL lead with 19 triples in 1984.

79. Who is the last Cub to hit for the "cycle" – a single, a double, a triple and a home run in the same game?

Mark Grace did it in a 5-4 loss to the Padres on May 9, 1993.

80. Who is the only Cub in history to hit for a "natural" cycle – a single, a double, a triple and a home run in that order in the same game?

Billy Williams did it in the second game of a doubleheader against the Cardinals on July 17, in 1966. The Cubs won 7-2 to gain a split.

81. Who is the only Cub in history to get six hits in a single game?

Sammy Sosa went 6-for-6 – a double and five singles -- in an 11-8 win over the Rockies on July 2, 1993.

82. Can you name the only two players who drew 1,000 or more career bases on balls as a Cub? Hint: They played the same position.

It's a pair of third basemen. Stan Hack is the team's all-time leader with 1,092 career bases on balls, followed by Ron Santo with 1,071.

83. Which Cubs hitter holds the team record for most strikeouts in a season?

Kris Bryant, who struck out 199 times in 2015, the same year he was named the National League Rookie of the Year.

84. Who holds the Cubs record for most doubles in a season?

Billy Herman set the record with 57 in 1935 and equaled it with 57 more in 1936.

Debut dingers

85. Who was the Cubs catcher who hit a home run in his first major-league at-bat on Sept. 1, 1961?

Cuno Barragan.

86. How many additional homers did Barragan hit in his 69-game career over parts of three seasons?

None.

87. Cubs catcher Willson Contreras homered in his first major-league at-bat on June 19. Who was the last Cubs player before Contreras to homer in his first MLB at-bat?

Jorge Soler on Aug. 27, 2014.

88. What other current Cubs player homered in his first MLB at-bat? Hint: He was a member of another team at the time.

As a member of the Braves, Jason Heyward homered in his first MLB at-bat on April 5, 2010, which was Opening Day.

89. Who gave up Heyward's first home run?

That would be former Cub Carlos Zambrano. After being staked to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, Zambrano gave up six runs in the bottom half of the inning. He left the game with one out in the second inning after yielding a total of eight earned runs. The Cubs lost 16-5.

90. What Cubs player homered in his first MLB at-bat and drove in six runs in his first MLB game?

Starlin Castro on May 7, 2010.

Sore spots

91. What Cubs outfielder once had to miss a game because he claimed his eyelids were swollen shut?

Jose Cardenal.

92. What promising young Cubs pitcher once injured his knee while doing a cartwheel?

Mike Harkey.

93. Which Cubs pitcher was injured when he fell off a stationary bike?

Steve Trout.

94. Which Cubs slugger injured his back while sneezing?

Sammy Sosa.

95. Which Cubs pitcher hurt his chest when he slipped getting out of a hot tub?

Kerry Wood.

96. Who said Cubs fans were "99.44 percent scar tissue"?

Columnist George Will.

Curses, legends and myths

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Wrigley Field, circa 1929. (Chicago Aerial Survey Co.)

97. What's the Curse of the Billy Goat?

It started during the 1945 World Series, which pitted the Cubs against the Detroit Tigers. The Cubs refused to let Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis bring his lucky goat inside Wrigley Field for Game 4. An angry Sianis declared that the Cubs would never win a World Series again. They lost that Series and haven't been back since.

98. Who is Bartman?

Steve Bartman is the unfortunate fan who interacted famously with a foul ball during Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series at Wrigley. The misplay helped fuel a rally by the Florida Marlins, who went on to win the game and the series.

99. What superstition allegedly befell the '69 Cubs?

A black cat crossed between the Cubs dugout and the on-deck circle where Santo stood at Shea Stadium during a September Cubs-Mets game. The Cubs had a nine-game lead in August that season but let it slip away.

100. What did third baseman Ron Santo do after Cubs victories in 1969?

Santo would jump up and click his heels together as he left the field

101. What Cubs outfielder once saved an American flag from being set on fire during a game?

In a game at Dodger Stadium in 1976, center fielder Rick Monday snatched the flag away from two protesters who had jumped onto the field and were preparing to torch Old Glory.

102. What three Cubs infielders were immortalized in a famous poem?

Shortstop Joe Tinker, second baseman Johnny Evers and first baseman Frank Chance were the subjects of Franklin Pierce Adams' "Baseball's Sad Lexicon" in 1910. Adams was a sportswriter for the New York Evening Mail who was lamenting the brutal efficiency of the Cubs' double-play trio.

103. What was the "College of Coaches"?

In the early 1960s, the Cubs did away with the single-manager concept and had a rotation of "head coaches" instead. The experiment lasted until 1963, when Bob Kennedy was hired as manager.

104. What is the "Homer in the Gloamin'"?

It refers to a game-winning home run hit by Cubs catcher Gabby Hartnett in the bottom of the ninth inning on Sept. 28, 1938. Wrigley did not have lights yet, and the skies were nearly black at the time of the homer. The win moved the Cubs into first place and helped them win the National League pennant that season.

105. What is the "Sandberg Game"?

On June 23, 1984, Ryne Sandberg went 5-for-6 against the Cardinals, including a solo home run off ace reliever (and ex-Cub) Bruce Sutter to tie the game in the ninth and a two-run homer off Sutter to tie the game again in the 10th. The Cubs went on to win 12-11 in 11 innings.

106. What is the "Kris Bryant Game"?

On June 27, Bryant slugged three homers and two doubles, a major league first and set a team record with 16 total bases. Bryant also played three positions — third base, right field and left field -- in the Cubs' 11-8 win over the Reds in Cincinnati.

107. What was "Merkle's Boner"?

In a tense 1-1 game against the Cubs during the 1908 pennant race, the New York Giants had runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Al Bridwell singled home the apparent winning run, setting off a huge celebration at the Polo Grounds. As fans swarmed the field, the runner on first, Fred Merkle, ran toward the dugout and never touched second base. The Cubs retrieved the ball and tagged the base, claiming a force-out. The game was declared a tie. At season's end, the Cubs and Giants finished in a dead heat, and the pennant had to be decided by a one-game playoff, which the Cubs won. They went on to win the World Series.

108. So why haven't the Cubs won a World Series since?

It's kind of complicated.