1984 Chicago Cubs season

MLB yearly infobox
name = Chicago Cubs
season = 1984
misc = National League East Champs

current league = National League
y1 = 1876
division = Eastern Division
y2 = 1969
Uniform
ballpark = Wrigley Field
y4 = 1916
city = Chicago, Illinois
y5 = 1876
owners = Tribune Company
managers = Jim Frey
television = WGN-TV/Superstation WGN
(Harry Caray, Steve Stone)
radio = WGN
(Vince Lloyd, Lou Boudreau, Milo Hamilton)
espntn = chc
brtn = CHC|

The Chicago Cubs' 1984 season was the 109th season for the Cubs. The team finished with a record of 96-65 in first place of the National League Eastern Division. Chicago was managed by Jim Frey and the general manager was Dallas Green. The Cubs played at Wrigley Field, and their postseason appearance in this season was their first since 1945.

The Cubs pitching staff included 1984 Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe, and the lineup included 1984 Baseball Most Valuable Player Award winner second baseman Ryne Sandberg. Frey was awarded Manager of the Year for the National League for leading the Cubs to 96 victories. The Cubs were defeated in the 1984 National League Championship Series by the San Diego Padres three games to two.

Offseason

*January 17, 1984: Damon Berryhill was drafted by the Cubs in the 1st round (4th pick). Player signed June 2, 1984. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/berryda01.shtml Damon Berryhill page at Baseball Reference] ]

pring Training

The Cubs began their third season under the control of the Tribune Company and Dallas Green in Mesa, Arizona in Feb. 1984. The previous year, the Cubs had fired manager Lee Elia during a 71-91 campaign, but the Cubs showed flashes of being competitive. As late as July 4, the Cubs were within a game of first place. After the 1983 season, general manager Green hired Jim Frey, the former Kansas City Royals manager who was Green's adversary during the 1980 World Series.The Cubs opened camp with only a few new players. Richie Hebner, the former Pittsburgh Pirate, was signed as a free agent. The Cubs also made a three-way deal with San Diego and Montreal, sending Craig Lefferts and Carmelo Martínez to the Padres, and getting Scott Sanderson from the Expos.The Cubs struggled in Cactus League action, so Green began to rebuild the team before it left Mesa. Green began by releasing Ferguson Jenkins, who was just 12 games shy of winning 300 games. Jenkins' release ended the right-hander's second stint with the Cubs, and effectively, his career. Green's biggest move of the spring came on March 26, when he sent journeyman reliever Bill Campbell and catcher Mike Diaz to Philadelphia for pitcher Porfi Altamirano and outfielders Gary Matthews and Bobby Dernier.

Regular Season

The Cubs rebuilt the starting pitching staff through a series of trades by Dallas Green after a disappointing 1983 season where they went 71-91. Green had been brought to the Cubs by the Tribune company which purchased the team in 1981. Before the season started, Green dealt Carmelo Martínez, Craig Lefferts, and Fritzie Connally to acquire right-hander Scott Sanderson [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/sandesc01.shtml Scott Sanderson Bio] ,Baseball-Reference.com, Retrieved on August 8, 2007.] . On May 25, the Cubs traded Bill Buckner to the Boston Red Sox for righty Dennis Eckersley and Mike Brumley [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/e/eckerde01.shtml Dennis Eckersley Bio] ,Baseball-Reference.com, Retrieved on August 8, 2007.] . Finally on June 13, Mel Hall, Joe Carter, Don Schulze, and Darryl Banks were sent to the Cleveland Indians for starter Rick Sutcliffe, George Frazier, and Ron Hassey [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/sutclri01.shtml Rick Sutcliffe Bio] ,Baseball-Reference.com, Retrieved on August 8, 2007.] . The acquisition of these three starters solidified the rotation for the year.

The Cubs opened up the season going 12-8 in April, and were tied for first place with the New York Mets and a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. On May 27 against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field, third baseman Ron Cey hit what was originally ruled a home run down the left field line. Believing the ball had gone foul, Mario Soto and Reds manager Vern Rapp disputed the call, and during the argument, Soto shoved third base umpire Steve Rippley, who had made the call.

After conferring, the umpires changed their decision and ruled it a foul ball, drawing a protest from the Cubs. However, for shoving Rippley, Soto was ejected, prompting him to charge the field and attack Cubs coach Don Zimmer, which triggered a ten-minute brawl. Four days later, National League president Chub Feeney suspended Mario Soto for five games. This game is also notable because Soto's opponent that day was future Hall of Fame Dennis Eckersley, who would go on to become a record-setting closer years later. "Eck", who was making his Cubs debut after being acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox (the Cubs traded future World Series goat Bill Buckner and got Eckersley and then-minor league middle infielder Mike Brumley), would take the loss that day. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E6DE1739F93AA25755C0A962948260]

The race stayed tight through the first half of the season, with the Cubs and Phillies tied at 42-34 on June 30, with the Mets trailing by just one and a half games. The second half of the season was different, with the Cubs posting a 54-31 record, with the Mets trailing, and the Phillies slumping back to a .500 record [The Cubs's road to the NL East championship, month by month, Chicago Tribune, October 2, 1984] .

A key game during the season occurred on June 23 at Wrigley, with the Cubs facing the rival St. Louis Cardinals on the nationally televised "game of the week". The Cardinals led throughout the game, and led 9-8 going into the bottom of the ninth with future hall-of-fame closer Bruce Sutter on the mound. 24 year-old second baseman Ryne Sandberg led off the ninth with a solo home run into the left-field bleachers, tying the game at nineMitchell, Fred, Cub Turning Point, Chicago Tribune, page 3, October 2, 1984] . The following inning, St. Louis regained the lead, and Sutter stayed in the game attempting to close out the win. After the first two batters were retired, Bob Dernier walked, bringing up Sandberg again. He promptly hit another game-tying home run into the left-field bleachers, sending the Wrigley fans into a frenzy. The Cardinals did not score in the top of the 11th, but the Cubs loaded the bases on three walks, then rookie Dave Owen singled in the winning run [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN198406230.shtml June 23 1984 Cubs Cardinals Boxscore] , Baseball-Reference.com, Retrieved on August 8, 2007] . Ryne Sandberg had 7 RBI in the game. Henceforth, this game has become known as "The Sandberg Game". On September 3, 1984, Rick Sutcliffe had 15 strikeouts in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Cubs ended their playoff drought on September 24 at Three Rivers Stadium in front of just over 5,000 fans [http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT198409240.shtml Sept 24 1984 Cubs Pirates Boxscore] , Baseball-Reference.com, Retrieved on August 8, 2007] . Rick Sutcliffe threw a two-hit complete game for his sixteenth straight victory, and the Cubs won the National League East.

Opening Day Starters

* Larry Bowa
* Ron Cey
* Jody Davis
* Bob Dernier
* Leon Durham
* Gary Matthews
* Keith Moreland
* Dick Ruthven
* Ryne Sandberg

eason Standings

Notable transactions

*March 31, 1984: Alan Hargesheimer was traded by the Cubs to the Kansas City Royals for Don Werner and Derek Botelho. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hargeal01.shtml Alan Hargesheimer page at Baseball Reference] ]
*May 25, 1984: Bill Buckner was traded by the the Cubs to the Boston Red Sox for Dennis Eckersley and Mike Brumley. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/e/eckerde01.shtml Dennis Eckersley page at Baseball Reference] ]
*June 4, 1984: Greg Maddux was drafted by the Cubs in the 2nd round of the 1984 amateur draft. Player signed June 19, 1984. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/maddugr01.shtml Greg Maddux page at Baseball Reference] ]
*June 13, 1984: Mel Hall, Joe Carter, Don Schulze, and Darryl Banks (minors) were traded by the Cubs to the Cleveland Indians for Rick Sutcliffe, George Frazier and Ron Hassey. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/sutclri01.shtml Rick Sutcliffe page at Baseball Reference] ]
*July 2, 1984: Dickie Noles was traded by the Cubs to the Texas Rangers for players to be named later. The Rangers completed the deal by sending Tim Henry (minors) and Jorge Gomez (minors) to the Cubs on December 11. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/n/nolesdi01.shtml Dickie Noles page at Baseball Reference] ]

Roster