50. Rogers Hornsby (1929-32) -- Hall of Famer led the NL in total bases, was third in batting (.380), HR (39) and RBI (149) and was NL MVP in leading the Cubs to the 1929 pennant.
49. Jose Cardenal (1972-77) -- Fun-loving outfielder was a consistent producer, hitting .291, .303, .293, .317 and .299 in his first five seasons, with pop (17 HR in 1972) and speed (34 SB in 1975).
48. Heinie Zimmerman (1907-16) -- Third baseman hit .307 from 1911-16, leading the NL in doubles (184) and RBI (511). In 1912, he led the NL in batting (.372), HR (14) and was third in RBI (99).
47. Rick Monday (1972-76) -- Power-hitting leadoff man hit 26 HR in 1973 and 32 HR in 1976, the year he "saved the flag,'' -- preventing protesters from burning an American flag in center field at Dodger Stadium.
46. Charlie Grimm (1925-36) -- A fine defensive first baseman, "Jolly Cholly'' hit .298 with 91 RBI for the 1929 NL champs (.389 in the World Series) and .307 with 80 RBI as player-manager in 1932.
45. Randy Hundley (1966-73; 1976-77) -- Heart and soul of the Durocher-era Cubs, Hundley was one of the best defensive catchers of his time; played in 153 games a year from 1966-69; an All-Star in 1969.
44. Orval Overall (Top row, third from right; 1906-1910; 1913) -- Right-hander was 86-38, 1.82 ERA on four pennant winning teams from 1906-10; his three-hit shutout clinched the Cubs' last World Series title in 1908.
43. Frank "Wildfire'' Schulte (Middle row, far right; 1904-16) -- Fleet outfielder won first Chalmers Award as NL MVP in 1911 (.300, 21 HR, 107 RBI). Cubs leader in steals of home (22) and inside-the-park HR (18).
42. Kerry Wood (1998-2008) -- Tied all-time record with 20 Ks in one-hitter in his fifth start at age 20 in 1998 and was Rookie of the Year (13-6, 3.40, 266 Ks in 166.2 IP) before injuries took a toll.
41. Rick Reuschel (1972-81; 1983-84) -- Durable starter won 135 games as a Cub; sparked Cubs into contention in 1977 (20-10, 2.79, third in Cy Young voting) and 1979 (187-12, 3.62).
40. Carlos Zambrano (2001-) -- Headstrong right-hander is 105-68, 3.51 ERA with Cubs; Top-five in Cy Young voting in 2004 (16-8, 2.75), 2006 (16-7, 3.41) and 2007 (18-13, 3.95).
39. Bill Buckner (1977-84) -- Battled through injuries to hit .300 or better four times, including NL-leading .324 in 1980; Led NL in doubles in 1981-82; Hit .306 with 105 RBI in 1982.
38. Bill Lee (1934-43) -- Right-hander led Cubs to 1938 pennant (22-9, 2.66), leading NL in wins, ERA and shutouts (nine), NL MVP runner-up; Went 20-9, 2.96 for 1935 pennant winners.
37. Bill Madlock (1974-76) -- His NL-best .354 average in 1975 is the highest for a Cub since 1945; won second batting title in 1976 (.339), going 4-for-4 on final day to edge Ken Griffey.
36. Grover Cleveland Alexander (1918-1926) -- Hall of Famer went 128-83 with a 2.84 ERA for the Cubs; Led NL in wins, ERA and strikeouts in 1920 (27-14, 1.91, 173). Missed '18 Series because of WW I.
35. Glenn Beckert (1965-73) -- Successor to Ken Hubbs was a four-time All-Star whose .342 average in 1971 is the highest for an NL 2B since 1930; led NL in runs (98), won Gold Glove in 1968.
34. Don Kessinger (1964-75) -- Gold Glove shortstop was a six-time All-Star who went 6-for-6 (4-for-4 vs. Steve Carlton), scored tying and winning runs vs. Cardinals in 1971.
33. Claude Passeau (1939-47) -- Five-time All-Star (113-80, 2.82 from 1939-45) was the second pitcher in history to throw a one-hitter in the World Series, beating the Tigers 3-0 in 1945.
32. Andy Pafko (1943-51) -- A five-time All-Star outfielder, "Handy Andy'' hit .298 with 110 RBI for 1945 pennant winners, finishing fourth in MVP voting; second in NL with 30 HR in 1950.
31. Rick Sutcliffe (1984-91) -- Acquired in June 1984, went 16-1 with a 2.69 ERA to win Cy Young award and lead Cubs to first postseason berth since 1945; Cy Young runner-up in 1987 (18-10, 3.68).
30. Cap Anson (1876-1897) -- One of the greatest players of the 19th century, Anson is officially the Cubs' all-time leader in batting average (.339), hits (3,081), runs (1,711), RBI (1,879) and doubles (530).
29. Lon Warneke (1930-19360 -- Three-time 20-game winner was runner-up for NL MVP in 1932 when he led NL in wins (22-6), winning percentage (.786) and ERA (2.37). Was 2-0, 0.54 ERA in 1935 World Series.
28. Lee Smith (1980-87) -- Intimidating closer was 45-of-50 in save opportunities in 1982-83; his 162 saves in 1983-87 most in baseball; No. 2 among 11 closers with 100 saves since leaving Cubs (298).
27. Frank Chance (1898-1912) -- Player-manager of the Cubs' pennant-winning teams from 1906-10; Hit .300 four times, including .327 in 1903 with NL-best 67 SBs -- still a Cubs record. Outhit Ty Cobb .421-.367 in 1908 Series.
26. Bill Nicholson (1939-48) -- Led the NL in with 29 HR, 128 RBI in 1943 and 33 HR, 122 RBI in 1944, when he lost MVP vote by one point. His 134 HR from 1940-44 led the majors. Was walked with bases loaded in 1944.
25. Hank Sauer (1949-55) -- Hit 30-plus HR four times and 100-plus RBI three times in five seasons from 1950-54; Led the NL with 37 HR, 121 RBI in 1952 and won MVP award on a fifth-place team. Hit 41 HR in 1954.
24. Greg Maddux (1986-92; 2004-06) -- 1992 Cy Young winner (20-11, 2.18) won more games than any NL pitcher in 1988-92 (87-57, 3.01 ERA); 19-12, 2.95 for 1989 division winner; Three-time Gold Glove winner.
23. Kiki Cuyler (1928-35) -- Hall of Fame outfielder hit .325 in eight seasons, including .360 with 102 RBI in 1929 and .355 with 17 triples, 134 RBI in 1930. Led NL in stolen bases in 1928 (37), 1929 (43) and 1930 (37).
22. Guy Bush (1923-34) -- Fourth on the Cubs all-time wins list (152-101, 3.81), Bush's 121-64 record from 1928-34 led NL in winning percentage (.654). He was 18-7, eight saves in 1929, 1-0, 0.82 ERA in the World Series.
21. Jim "Hippo" Vaughn (1913-21) -- Five-time 20-game winner went 22-10 with a 1.74 ERA for 1918 NL champions. Was 1-2, 1.00 ERA in the World Series, losing 1-0 to Babe Ruth and 2-1 to Carl Mays.
20. Riggs Stephenson (1926-34)-- His .336 career average is tied with Bill Madlock for the best among modern-era Cubs; Won pennants in 1929 (.362, 110 RBI) and 1932 (.324, 85 RBI). Hit .378 in two World Series.
19. Derrek Lee (2004-) -- Gold Glove first baseman has averaged .305, 31 HR, 97 RBI in four full seasons; In 2005, won batting title (.335), was second in HR (46) and seventh in RBI (107), third in MVP voting.
18. Aramis Ramirez (2003-) -- Hard-hitting third baseman has hit .300 or better four times, 30-plus HR three times, 100-plus RBI four times in five full seasons. Two-time All-Star.
17. Andre Dawson (1987-92) -- Hall of Fame right-fielder won NL MVP in 1987, when he hit .287, 49 HRs (most by a Cub since 1930) and 137 RBI; Five-time All-Star averaged 29 HR, 98 RBI in six seasons.
16. Ed Reulbach (Top row, far right; 1905-13) -- Right-hander was 135-65 in nine seasons, including 60-15 with a 1.82 ERA in 1906-08, as Cubs won three pennants and two World Series. Pitched one-hitter in 1906 Series.
15. Bruce Sutter (1976-80) -- Dominating closer had 95 saves, 2.23 ERA, 345 strikeouts in 307 innings from 1977-79; Cy Young winner in 1979 (NL-record tying 37 saves). Pitched two or more innings for 59 of his 133 saves.
14. Mark Grace (1988-2000) -- Four-time Gold Glove first baseman hit .300 or better nine times. Career .319 hitter with runners on, .402 with bases loaded. Hit .647 (11-for-17) with five extra-base hits, eight RBI in 1989 NLCS.
13. Billy Herman (Second from left; 1931-41) -- Hall of Fame second baseman played on pennant-winning teams in 1932 (.314), 1935 (.341, 57 doubles) and 1938 (.277); His NL-record 466 putouts in 1933 still stands. Played in seven All-Star games.
12. Stan Hack (1932-47) -- Ranks fifth all-time among 3B in battig average (.301), fourth in OBP (.394) and fifth in runs scored (1,239). Played in four World Series, hitting .471 in 1938, .367 in 1945.
11. Charlie Root (1926-41) -- Cubs all-time leader in wins (201-156); Led NL in wins in 1927 (26-15); Pitched on four pennant-winning teams: 1929 (19-6, 3.47), 1932 (15-10, 3.58), 1935 (15-8, 3.08) and 1938 (8-7, 2.86).
10. Hack Wilson (pictured far right) , CF (1926-31) Hall of Fame: 1979 | All-Star Games: NA His major-league record 191 RBI in 1930 not only beat Chuck Klein by 66, but still stands today; and his NL-record 56 HRs were 16 more than Klein's 40 and stood for 58 years. From 1926-30, Wilson hit 177 HRs and drove in 708--only Babe Ruth hit more HRs and only Ruth and Lou Gehrig had more RBI.
9. Phil Cavarretta, 1B (1934-53) All-Star Games: 4 Homered at Wrigley Field to beat the Reds 1-0 just months out of Lane Tech in 1934, then helped the Cubs win the pennant with 82 RBI at 18 in 1935. NL MVP in 1945 when he won the batting title (.355) and had 97 RBIs to lead Cubs to the pennant. Hit .462 in the 1938 Series; .423 in the 1945 Series.
8. Sammy Sosa, RF (1991-2004) Hall of Fame: Not likely. | All-Star Games: 7 Cubs all-time leader in HRs with 545, Sosa is the only player in baseball history to hit 60 or more home runs three times: 1998 (66), 1999 (63) and 2001 (64). Won the NL MVP award in 1998, when he had 66 HRs and 158 RBI to lead the Cubs to the playoffs.
7. Ron Santo, 3B (1960-73) Hall of Fame: Any year now | All-Star Games: 9 One of two third baseman in baseball history with 300 or more homers and five Gold Gloves. From 1963-70, Santo averaged .289, 29 HRs, 105 RBI and 86 walks. During his Cubs career, Santo ranked fourth in baseball in RBIs (1,290), eighth in HRs (337) and third in walks (1,071)--six of the nine players ahead of him are first-ballot Hall of Famers. His .763 OPS in 1,049 at-bats vs. HOF pitchers exceeds the career OPS of Brooks Robinson (.723) and Lou Brock (.753).
6. Mordecai "Three-Finger'' Brown, P Hall of Fame: 1949 | All-Star Games: NA Ranked with NL rival Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson as one of baseball's best pitchers in the early 20th century. From 1906-11, Brown was 127-44 with a 1.42 ERA as the Cubs won four pennants and two World Series in a five-year span--records of 26-6, 20-6, 29-6, 27-9 and 25-14. His 1.04 ERA in 1906 is the second-best in baseball history. Went 3-0 with no runs allowed in 20 innings in World Series titles in 1907 and 1908.
5. Gabby Hartnett, C (1922-40) Hall of Fame: 1955 | All-Star Games: 6. The NL MVP in 1935 (.344, 13 HR, 91 RBI) and runner-up in 1937 (.354, 12 HR, 82 RBI), Hartnett was baseball's all-time leader among catchers in career HRs (236), RBI (1,179), hits (1,912), doubles (396) and games played (1,990) when he retired in 1941. Set big-league mark for catchers with 37 HRs and 122 RBI in 1930. As player-manager in 1938, he hit ninth-inning "Homer in the Gloamin" vs. Pittburgh that leapfrogged Cubs past the PIrates with five games to go.
4. Fergie Jenkins, P (1966-73) Hall of Fame: 1991 | All-Star Games: 3. Staff ace whose streak of six consecutive 20-win seasons (127-84) was the foundation of the glorious, if heartbreaking, surge under Leo Durocher. Jenkins won the 1971 Cy Young Award, when he was 24-13 with a 2.77 ERA--and also hit six HRs, seven doubles with 20 RBI. Cy Young runner-up in 1967 (20-13, 2.80) and third in 1970 (22-16, 3.39) and 1972 (20-12, 3.20). Led NL in complete games three times. In 1968, Fergie was 20-15 (2.63 ERA) despite despite losing six 1-0 games.
3. Ryne Sandberg, 2B (1982-94; 1996-97) Hall of Fame: 2005 | All-Star Games: 10 The NL MVP in 1984 (.314, 19 HR, 84 RBI), Sandberg set the major-league record for HRs by a second baseman with 277 and was a nine-time Gold Glove winner who set big-league marks for consecutive errorless games for a second baseman (123 in 1990) and career fielding percentage (.989). He led the NL in triples (19 in 1984), homers (40 in 1990) and runs scored (1984, 1989, 1990). Had 54 stolen bases in 1985 and twice drove in 100 runs.
2. Billy Williams, LF (1959-74) Hall of Fame: 1987 | All-Star Games: 6 The best all-around hitter in Cubs history, Williams averaged .298 with 29 HRs and 98 RBI during his 13 full seasons with the Cubs--only Hank Aaron had more RBI in the NL in that span; and only Aaron, Willie McCovey and Willie Mays had more HRs. Two-time runner-up for NL MVP--in 1970 (.322, 42 HR, 129 RBI, 205 hits, 137 runs) and 1972 (.333, 37 HR, 122 RBI), when he won the batting title, and was three HRs and three RBI shy of the triple crown. Played in an NL-record 1,117 consecutive games from 1962-71.
1. Ernie Banks, SS/1B (1953-70) Hall of Fame: 1977 | All-Star teams: 11 With a deceptive home-run stroke and a perpetually sunny disposition, Banks' well-earned title of "Mr. Cub" will last forever. His 512 career homers ranked eighth on the all-time list and his 1,636 RBI ranked 11th when he retired in 1971. From 1950-55, Banks led the majors with 238 HRs--more than Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. Hit 40 or more HRs five times. Broke the all-time record for HRs by a shortstop with 44 in 1955, then hit 47 in 1958--a mark that stood until Alex Rodriguez hit 52 in steroid-laced 2001 season. Won MVP awards in 1958 and 1959 for fifth-place teams. Set big-league record with five grand slams in 1955. Gold Glove shortstop in 1960.
The 50 best Cubs - PhotoGallery - Chicago Sun-Times
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