NL Pennants

Lore & Background

The Cubs' pennant history reads like a saga of golden eras punctuated by agonizing silences. In the early 1900s, under the iron grip of manager Frank Chance and fueled by the legendary infield trio of Tinker to Evers to Chance, the franchise became baseball's first true juggernaut. They secured back-to-back pennants in 1907 and 1908, defeating Detroit in both World Series (which included a tie game in 1907) to etch their names into history with a style defined by gritty defense and strategic brilliance.

Decades of heartbreak followed. The 'Go-Go Cubs' of 1945, led by the rising star Phil Cavarretta and anchored by Hank Borowy's pitching (before Ernie Banks made his debut in 1953), clawed their way back to the championship round only to fall short, cementing a narrative of near-misses that would define the franchise for generations. It wasn't until 2016 that the story finally turned the page. After the gut-wrenching losses in '45, '84, and '03, the Cubs reclaimed the National League crown at Wrigley Field in a dramatic Game 7, shattering an 108-year World Series drought and transforming the pennant from a symbol of recurring failure into the ultimate key to redemption.

In Their Own Story

The wind off Lake Michigan carried a different weight in October 2016. It pressed against Wrigley Field with eighty years of silence, only to be shattered by a roar that seemed to vibrate through the ivy-covered brick walls—a sound not heard since 1945. Inside the dugout, the air was thick with emotion as players embraced, tears cutting tracks through the dirt of the diamond. The trophy sat on the table, no longer a distant myth but gleaming under the stadium lights, a tangible reality. In that suspended moment, the ghosts of 1908 and 1945 stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the living, finally united by the same golden banner.

Reader's Guide

The National League Pennant is the ultimate prize of the regular season and playoffs for any NL team, awarded to the winner of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and granting entry to the World Series. For the Chicago Cubs, this title holds a unique duality: it represents their historical dominance in the early 20th century while serving as the painful threshold they stood before for over a century.

The franchise first captured this honor in 1906, launching a golden era that saw them win three consecutive pennants (1907–1908). While the pennant often served as a prelude to World Series heartbreak from 1945 through 2015, the 2016 victory finally broke the cycle, turning the NL title into a gateway for redemption rather than just another step toward disappointment.

Did You Know?

• The Cubs won back-to-back World Series in 1907 and 1908 after securing consecutive NL Pennants—a feat not repeated by any team until the New York Yankees achieved multiple consecutive titles decades prior; notably, the S
• Between 1945 and 2016, the Cubs appeared in the NLCS more than three times (including appearances in 1984, 1989, 2003, 2007, 2015, and 2016) before finally breaking through to win the pennant in 2016.
• The 1945 pennant victory is forever linked to the 'Curse of the Billy Goat,' a folklore curse said to have prevented the team from winning a World Series for the next 71 years.
• In 2016, the Cubs became the first National League team to clinch the pennant at home in a decisive Game 7 since the NLCS format expanded.