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Ranking The 10 Greatest Chicago Sports Teams In History

By Erik Lambert

26 Jan 1986: Quarterback Tony Eason #11 of the New England Patriots is brought down by linebacker Wilber Marshall #58 of the Chicago Bears during Super Bowl XX game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bears won the game 46-10.
26 Jan 1986: Quarterback Tony Eason #11 of the New England Patriots is brought down by linebacker Wilber Marshall #58 of the Chicago Bears during Super Bowl XX game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bears won the game 46-10. /
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1 Apr 1996: View of the Chicago Cubs logo during a game against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs won the game 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
1 Apr 1996: View of the Chicago Cubs logo during a game against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs won the game 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport /

team. 9. . . . The 1908 Chicago Cubs. 9

Time to head into sports time machine. A look at what made them not only one of the best teams in Chicago history, but just one of the best teams in baseball.

The 1908 Cubs led Major League Baseball with 99 wins. On the pitcher’s mound, they were led by right-hander Mordecai Brown who had 29 wins with a sparkling 1.47 ERA, and 27 complete games, but he wasn’t alone. Another righty Ed Reulbach added 24 wins and completed 25 of games of the 35 starts he had that year.

At the plate, the Cubs weren’t led by one specific person. Shortstop Joe Tinker led the club with 68 RBIs. Long story short it was a collective effort for the team at the plate. What made them so good? They had one of the greatest pitching staffs in major league history along with one of the greatest middle infield duos ever with Tinker at short and second baseman Johnny Evers.

This team might not have scored a lot of runs, but think about it. Back at the start of the 20th century, no one scored a lot of runs, so the Cubs fell right in line with other clubs. They just pitched incredibly well and generated just enough support at the plate to give those starters a chance to win games. Why was this team so good, and on this list?

Well, it’s because they were consistent, and they understood what kind of team they were and accepted it and won games their way. Even if it might not have been overly exciting to watch at times.

By – Matthew Aung, Cubbies Crib

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