The Top 10 Cubs games of All-Time |
10. Babe Ruth called his shot in 1932
This game has little to do with the Cubs other than it was at Wrigley Field and against the Cubs in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. During the fifth inning of this game, Babe Ruth famously pointed towards center field and “called his shot” (the actual meaning of Babe’s point is still unknown and heavily debated to this day). Regardless of the real meaning of the gesture, this was still one of the greatest baseball moments and home runs of all-time which is why I had to include it on this list.
9. 1908 World Series Clinching Game
The Cubs won Game 5, 2-0, over the Detroit Tigers clinching the 1908 World Series. The Cubs became the first team to win back-to-back World Series in MLB history. Little did Cubs fans know this would be the Cubs last World Series championship win for 108 years.
8. 1998 Clinching Game
The Cubs and the Giants needed one more game to determine who would make the 1998 playoffs. The Cubs would end up winning the game 5-3 and advancing to the playoffs where they got swept by the Florida Marlins. This game was particularly crucial in Cubs history because they had just come off of a season where they went 68-94, in 1998 they went 90-72, Kerry Wood won Rookie of the Year, and Sammy Sosa won MVP. This playoff appearance was a glimmer of hope towards the future. This was also the summer of the Sosa vs. McGwire homerun chase.
7. 2016 NLCS Game 6
The Chicago Cubs won Game 6 of the 2016 NLCS 5-0 over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field. This victory sent the Cubs back to the World Series for the first time since 1945. I was actually at this game, and the crowd was electric, no one sat down once after the first pitch of the game. When the Cubs finally won the game, Wrigley Field exploded, and the celebration began.
6. The Ryne Sandberg Game (1984)
You are at a Cubs game, and it is between innings, you look up at the video board and see a game being replayed for what seems thousandth time, it’s the Ryne Sandberg Game. On June 23, 1984 in a game against the rival St. Louis Cardinals, Ryne Sandberg would tie the game with a home run not once but twice. To lead off the ninth inning, Ryne Sandberg tied it with a solo shot off of Bruce Sutter. He would go on to tie it again in the tenth inning with a 2-run home run. The Cubs would go on to win the game 12-11. Sandberg finished the game 5-6 with two home runs and 7 RBI, he would also go on to win the 1984 NL MVP.
5. Kerry Wood 20Ks (1998)
One of the best individual pitching performances in MLB history came on May 6, 1998. A young Kerry Wood took the mound for the Chicago Cubs who were facing the Houston Astros on an overcast afternoon. Wood struck out 20 of the 27 batters he faced tying Roger Clemens for most strikeouts in a single game. Wood was untouchable on the mound that afternoon, and his performance catapulted him into a love affair with Cubs fans for years to come.
4. The Bartman Game (2003)
The Bartman Game is ingrained in Chicago Cubs history for all the wrong reasons. It was Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, the Cubs were leading the Marlins 3-0 in the 8th inning and were up 3-2 in the series (6 outs away from the World Series). With one out and a man on second Luis Castillo came to the plate and hit a foul ball down the left field line. What happened next would haunt Cubs fans and Steve Bartman for years to come. Bartman reached out to catch the foul ball, deflecting it and disrupting the potential catch. The Cubs would go on to let up eight runs in the inning and lose Games 6 and 7. Steve Bartman’s life was changed forever and the Cubs chances at their first World Series in 95 years were over.
3. First Night Game at Wrigley Field (1988)
On August 8, 1988, the lights went on in Wrigley Field, which had been the only major league park where night games were not played. When you think of iconic Cubs games, the first-night contest is one of the first that comes to mind. The actual game was rained out in the middle of the fourth inning so technically the first complete night game at Wrigley was the next day. The lights at Wrigley changed the dynamic of the stadium forever.
2. Any Cubs Day Game (1914-now)
I know this is not any Cubs game in particular, but how can you disregard day baseball at Wrigley Field. Close your eyes and picture this: it’s 1:20 pm CT and the Cubs are getting ready for first pitch.
You are either at the game in the warm sun (lucky you), at work relentlessly refreshing game cast waiting for the work day to end, watching the game somewhere on TV, or doing something completely random while continually checking in on the score. A day baseball game is as American as it gets and no team does it better than the Chicago Cubs.
1. World Series Game 7 (2016)
The curse was finally over. The Cubs came back from down 3-1 in the series against the Cleveland Indians to win three straight games to clinch their first World Series in 108 years. The Cubs won Game 7, 8-7 in ten innings. This game was the most important win in Chicago Cubs history and put in motion the expectation to make the playoffs and perform well every year. Every Cubs fan knows exactly where they were when Kris Bryant scooped up the grounder to third and tossed it over to Rizzo to end the game.
Let me know which games I got right and which games don’t deserve to be on my list!
