The 1969 Chicago Cubs season was the 98th season of the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

franchise, the 94th in the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

and the 54th at

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...

. The season involved the Cubs gaining renown as "the most celebrated second-place team in the history of baseball." In the first season after the

was split into two divisions, the Cubs finished with a record of 92–70, 8 games behind the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

in the newly established

National League East The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central, it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. After having internal, informal divisions for ...

. Caustic 64-year-old

Leo Durocher Leo Ernest Durocher (French spelling Léo Ernest Durocher) (; July 27, 1905 – October 7, 1991), nicknamed "Leo the Lip" and "Lippy", was an American professional baseball player, manager (baseball), manager and coach (baseball), coach. He playe ...

was the Cubs manager. The ill-fated season saw the Cubs in first place for 155 days, until mid-September when they lost 17 out of 25 games.

Offseason

The new National League

With further expansion to the league, the 1969 season marked the first year of divisional play in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

. The

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

(along with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

) were placed in the NL West division, despite being located further east than the 2 westernmost teams in the NL East Division, the Cubs and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

. This was because the

wanted to be in the same division as the reigning power in the NL, which was the Cardinals at the time (to compensate for playing against the Dodgers and

Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...

fewer times each season). The Cubs consequently demanded to be in the NL East as well in order to continue playing in the same division as the Cardinals, one of the Cubs' biggest rivals. A side effect of this alignment is that it set the stage for what is considered one of the greatest pennant races – and comebacks in such a race – in MLB history.

Notable transactions

* November 11, 1968: Dave Rosello was signed as an amateur free agent by the Cubs. * January 15, 1969: Joe Campbell and

Chuck Hartenstein Charles Oscar Hartenstein (May 26, 1942 – October 2, 2021) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five different teams between the 1966 and 1977 seasons. Listed at , , Hartenstein bat ...

were traded by the Cubs to the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

for Manny Jiménez. * March 28, 1969:

Charley Smith Charles William Smith (September 15, 1937 – November 29, 1994) was an American professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, St. Lo ...

was purchased by the Cubs from the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

Regular season

Season summary

Hoping to improve on the previous year's 84–78 record, the Cubs began the 1969 season by winning 11 of their first 12 games, and on August 16, they were 75–44, up by a season high nine games over second place

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. By September 2, they had a record of 84–52, well on pace to exceed the previous season's mark, but their lead over the Mets had fallen to five games. From there the Mets went on a tear. The Cubs ultimately lost 17 of the last 25 games of the season, while the Mets went 23–7 to overtake the Cubs and finish eight games ahead of them. It was one of the most astounding late season collapses in history, with the seventeen-game turnaround being one of the biggest ever. The Cubs finished 92–70, while the Mets won the National League East and would go on to win the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

Summer of '69

Throughout the summer of 1969, led by future Hall of Famers

Ernie Banks Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...

Ferguson Jenkins Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins Order of Canada, CM (born December 13, 1942) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher and Coach (baseball), coach. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 to 1983 for the Philadelphia Phillies, C ...

Ron Santo Ronald Edward Santo (February 25, 1940 – December 3, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman who played for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 through 1973 and the Chicago White Sox in 1974. In 1990, Santo became a member of the ...

Billy Williams Billy Leo Williams (born June 15, 1938) is an American former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National L ...

, and the game calling skills of

Randy Hundley Cecil Randolph Hundley Jr. (born June 1, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, and the San Diego Padres. ...

behind the plate, the Chicago Cubs had built a substantial lead in the newly created

. At the conclusion of each victory 3rd baseman Santo would jump and click his heels in celebration. After starting pitcher

Ken Holtzman Kenneth Dale Holtzman (November 3, 1945 – April 15, 2024) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from through for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, ...

's no-hitter on August 19, the Cubs led the division by games over the

and games over the New York Mets.

The Rise

The 1969 season was bookended by a pair of homers that was memorable on one side and infamous on the other. On opening day at Wrigley Field on April 8, the Cubs trailed the Phillies 6–5 in the bottom of the 11th inning. With a runner on base, Willie Smith hit a game-winning home run into the right field bleachers. This event essentially "lit the fuse" to the Cubs' successful first five months of the season. They would win the next three games, and 11 out of their first 12, and create a cushion that would extend to games in mid-August.

The Fall

After the game of September 2, the Cubs' record was 84–52 with the Mets in second place at 77–55. But then a losing streak began just as a Mets winning streak was beginning. The Cubs lost the final game of a series at Cincinnati, then came home to play the resurgent Pittsburgh Pirates (who would finish in third place). After losing the first two games by scores of 9–2 and 13–4, the Cubs led going into the ninth inning in the series finale. A win would be a positive springboard since the Cubs were to play a crucial series with the Mets the very next day. But

Willie Stargell Wilver Dornell Stargell (March 6, 1940 – April 9, 2001), nicknamed "Pops" later in his career, was an American professional baseball left fielder and first baseman who spent all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1962– 1982 ...

drilled a 2-out, 2-strike pitch from the Cubs' ace reliever, Phil Regan, onto Sheffield Avenue to tie the score in the top of the ninth. The Cubs would lose 7–5 in extra innings. Meanwhile, the Mets had taken two of three against Philadelphia over the same weekend. Burdened by a four-game losing streak, the Cubs traveled to Shea Stadium on September 8 for a short two-game set. The Mets won both games, and the Cubs left New York with a record of 84–58 just game in front. Disaster followed in Philadelphia, as a 99-loss Phillies team nonetheless defeated the Cubs twice, to extend Chicago's losing streak to eight games. In a key play in the second game, on September 11, Cubs starter

Dick Selma Richard Jay Selma (November 4, 1943 – August 29, 2001) was a professional baseball player who was a pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1965 to 1974. He played for the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, Californ ...

threw a surprise pickoff attempt to third baseman

, who was nowhere near the bag or the ball. Selma's throwing error opened the gates to a Phillies rally. After that second Philly loss, the Cubs were 84–60 and the Mets had pulled ahead at 85–57. The Mets would not look back. The Cubs' eight-game losing streak finally ended the next day in St. Louis, but the Mets were in the midst of a ten-game winning streak, and the Cubs, wilting from team fatigue, generally deteriorated in all phases of the game. The Mets (who had lost a record 120 games in their inaugural season 7 years earlier), would go on to win the

. The Cubs, despite a respectable 92–70 record, would be remembered for having lost a remarkable games in the standings to the Mets in the last quarter of the season.

Bad luck

Banks stated, however, that after an error by Young, Santo "went crazy. Young was so upset, he ran out ... I had never seen something so hurtful." According to Banks, "They say one apple can spoil the whole barrel, and I saw that," with the incident dividing the team into factions. The Book ''Baseball Hall of Shame 2'' places the blame squarely (and perhaps unfairly) at the feet of one man, stating, "In the heat of battle, Leo Durocher, field general of the Cubs, went AWOL once too often. It was because of his lack of leadership that his team lost the fight for the 1969 pennant." Durocher did not believe in using the

platoon system A platoon system in baseball or American football is a method for substituting players in groups (platoons), to keep complementary players together during playing time. In baseball, it is usually used to optimize batting performance against pitch ...

. He believed in putting his best eight players on the field every day. Five of the Cubs' regular players finished the season with over 150

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Associat ...

. Two more had more than 130 games played. In his book, ''

The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract ''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'' is a reference book written by Bill James featuring an overview of professional baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine ...

'', baseball historian

Bill James George William James (born October 5, 1949) is an American baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books about baseball history and statistics. His a ...

cited manager Durocher's method of using his regular players every day without any rest days as a factor in the Cubs' collapse. Overuse of the pitching staff may have played a part. During the first 118 games (74–43 record on August 13), the Cubs averaged about 4.7 runs a game and gave up only 3.5 runs per game, a 1.2 run per game advantage over the opposition. The last 45 games (18–27 record) saw a major reversal, with 3.7 runs per game for the team and 4.5 runs per game for the opposition (average Cub score would be a negative −0.8 runs per game versus opponents, almost a complete reversal from earlier play). Both the hitters and pitchers may have wilted as the season wound down. Perhaps most ominously, during one of the Cubs' games against the Mets, a black cat ran onto the field near Santo, and after the cat appeared, the Cubs' collapse began. Earlier in the game, Santo was beaned by Mets pitcher Jerry Koosman. This only fueled the myth of the Curse of the Billy Goat for many years afterwards.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

* June 11, 1969: Adolfo Phillips and Jack Lamabe were traded by the Cubs to the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...

for Paul Popovich.

Draft picks

* June 5, 1969: 1969 Major League Baseball draft ** Jim Todd was drafted by the Cubs in the 10th round. ** Pat Bourque was drafted by the Cubs in the 33rd round. Player signed June 9, 1969.Pat Bourque
at ''Baseball Reference''

Roster

Game log

, - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 1, , April 8, ,

Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

, , 7 – 6 11, , Regan (1–0), , Lersch (0–1), , , , 40,796, , 1–0 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 2, , April 9, ,

, , 11–3 , ,

Hands A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each "han ...

(1–0), , Wise (0–1), , , , 6,297, , 2–0 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 3, , April 10, ,

, , 6–2 , , Holtzman (1–0), , Fryman (0–1), , , , 5,422, , 3–0 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 4, , April 11, , Expos, , 1 – 0 12, , Abernathy (1–0), , Sembera (0–1), , , , 7,281, , 4–0 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 5, , April 12, , Expos, , 7–3 , , Grant (1–0), , Jenkins (0–1), , Sembera (2), , 28,599, , 4–1 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 6, , April 13, , Expos, , 7–6 , , Regan (2–0), , Stoneman (0–2), , , , 27,664, , 5–1 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 7, , April 14, ,

Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

, , 4–0 , , Holtzman (2–0), , Veale (1–1), , , , 3,114, , 6–1 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 8, , April 15, ,

, , 7–4 , , Aguirre (1–0), , Ellis (1–1), , Abernathy (1), , 4,362, , 7–1 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 9, , April 16, , @ Cardinals, , 1–0 , , Jenkins (1–1), , Carlton (1–1), , , , 16,418, , 8–1 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 10, , April 17, , @ Cardinals, , 3–0 , ,

(2–0), , Giusti (1–1), , Regan (1), , 11,350, , 9–1 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 11, , April 19, , @ Expos, , 6 – 5 11, , Regan (3–0), , Shaw (1–2), , , , 16,005, , 10–1 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 12, , April 20, , @ Expos, , 6–3 , , Jenkins (2–1), , Morton (0–1), , , , N/A, , 11–1 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 13, , April 20, , @ Expos, , 4–2 , , Wegener (1–0), , J. Niekro (0–1), , McGinn (1), , 28,025, , 11–2 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 14, , April 22, , @

, , 7–5 , , Hartenstein (1–0), ,

(2–1), , , , N/A, , 11–3 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 15, , April 22, , @

, , 6–5 , , Dal Canton (2–0), , Nye (0–1), , Kline (2), , 7,906, , 11–4 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 16, , April 24, , Cardinals, , 3–2 , , Giusti (2–1), , Holtzman (2–1), , , , 11,656, , 11–5 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 17, , April 25, , @ Mets, , 3–1 , , Jenkins (3–1), ,

Seaver Seaver is a surname, and may refer to: *Benjamin Seaver (1795–1856), American politician from Massachusetts; mayor of Boston 1852–53 *Blanche Seaver (1891–1994), American philanthropist and musician *Ebenezer Seaver (1763–1844), American po ...

(1–2), , , , 18,548, , 12–5 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 18, , April 26, , @ Mets, , 9–3 , ,

(3–1), , Cardwell (0–3), , , , 16,252, , 13–5 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 19, , April 27, , @ Mets, , 8–6 , , Regan (4–0), , Koonce (0–2), , , , N/A, , 14–5 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 20, , April 27, , @ Mets, , 3–0 , , McGraw (2–0), , Nye (0–2), , , , 37,437, , 14–6 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 21, , April 28, , @

, , 2 – 1 10, , Abernathy (2–0), , Wise (2–2), , , , 4,438, , 15–6 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 22, , April 29, , @

, , 10–0 , , Jenkins (4–1), ,

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

(2–2), , , , 3,811, , 16–6 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 23, , April 30, , @

, , 3–1 , , Fryman (3–1), ,

(3–2), , , , 2,930, , 16–7 , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 24, , May 2, , Mets, , 6–4 , , Holtzman (3–1), , Gentry (2–1), , Regan (2), , 14,702, , 17–7 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 25, , May 3, , Mets, , 3–2 , , Regan (5–0), , Koonce (0–3), , Abernathy (2), , 23,228, , 18–7 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 26, , May 4, , Mets, , 3–2 , ,

(3–2), ,

(3–3), , , , N/A, , 18–8 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 27, , May 4, , Mets, , 3–2 , , McGraw (3–0), , Selma (2–3), , , , 40,484, , 18–9 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 28, , May 6, , Dodgers, , 7–1 , , Holtzman (4–1), , Sutton (3–3), , , , 7,253, , 19–9 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 29, , May 7, , Dodgers, , 4 – 2 12, , Brewer (1–1), , Jenkins (4–2), , McBean (2), , 9,747, , 19–10 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 30, , May 9, ,

, , 11–1 , , Bolin (2–2), ,

(3–4), , Gibbon (2), , 5,189, , 19–11 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 31, , May 11, ,

, , 8–0 , , Holtzman (5–1), , Sadecki (2–4), , , , 18,572, , 20–11 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 32, , May 12, ,

Padres {{About, the Roman Catholic priests' organization, other uses, Padres (disambiguation) ''Padres Asociados para Derechos Religiosos, Educativos, y Sociales'' ( Spanish for "Priests Associated for Religious, Education, and Social Rights") is a Chica ...

, , 2–0 , , Jenkins (5–2), , Ross (1–2), , , , 3,887, , 21–11 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 33, , May 13, ,

, , 19–0 , , Selma (3–3), , Kelley (2–3), , , , 5,080, , 22–11 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 34, , May 14, ,

, , 3–2 , , Nottebart (1–0), , Podres (3–3), , , , 9,622, , 23–11 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 35, , May 16, , @

Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

, , 11–0 , , Holtzman (6–1), , Dierker (5–4), , , , 17,053, , 24–11 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 36, , May 17, , @

, , 5–4 , , Wilson (3–4), , Nottebart (1–1), , Gladding (5), , 18,307, , 24–12 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 37, , May 18, , @

, , 6–5 , , Ray (1–0), , Regan (5–1), , Gladding (6), , 13,126, , 24–13 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 38, , May 20, , @ Dodgers, , 7–0 , , Holtzman (7–1), , Sutton (4–4), , , , 21,266, , 25–13 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 39, , May 21, , @ Dodgers, , 3–1 , , Osteen (6–2), ,

(3–5), , , , 16,688, , 25–14 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 40, , May 22, , @ Dodgers, , 3–0 , , Jenkins (6–2), , Singer (5–4), , , , 17,974, , 26–14 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 41, , May 23, , @

, , 6–0 , , Selma (4–3), , Ross (1–4), , , , 7,936, , 27–14 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 42, , May 24, , @

, , 7–5 , , Abernathy (3–0), , Kelley (2–4), , Regan (3), , 4,432, , 28–14 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 43, , May 25, , @

, , 10–2 , , Podres (4–3), , Nye (0–3), , , , N/A, , 28–15 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 44, , May 25, , @

, , 1–0 , , Abernathy (4–0), , J. Niekro (1–3), , , , 13,115, , 29–15 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 45, , May 27, , @

, , 5–4 , , Linzy (2–1), , Regan (5–2), , Herbel (1), , 6,608, , 29–16 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 46, , May 28, , @

, , 9–8 , , Holtzman (8–1), , Robertson (1–1), , Regan (4), , 4,447, , 30–16 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 47, , May 30, ,

Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The club was founded in Boston, ...

, , 2–0 , ,

(4–5), , Reed (5–3), , , , 36,075, , 31–16 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 48, , May 31, ,

, , 3–2 , , Jenkins (7–2), , P. Niekro (7–4), , , , 29,778, , 32–16 , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 49, , June 1, ,

, , 13–4 , , Selma (5–3), , Jarvis (5–3), , , , 24,349, , 33–16 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 50, , June 3, ,

, , 4–2 , ,

(5–5), , Lemaster (3–7), , , , 8,320, , 34–16 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 51, , June 4, ,

, , 5–4 , , Jenkins (8–2), ,

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk ...

(2–3), , , , 13,360, , 35–16 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 52, , June 6, , Reds, , 14–8 , , Holtzman (9–1), , Cloninger (3–7), , Regan (5), , 22,185, , 36–16 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffc;" , 53, , June 7, , Reds, , 5–5 , , , , , , , , 25,514, , 36–16 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 54, , June 9, , Reds, , 4–1 , , Culver (4–4), , Jenkins (8–3), , Granger (6), , 14,879, , 36–17 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 55, , June 10, , @

, , 3–1 , , Holtzman (10–1), , Reed (5–5), , Regan (6), , 27,007, , 37–17 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 56, , June 11, , @

, , 5–1 , , P. Niekro (10–4), ,

(5–6), , , , 28,707, , 37–18 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 57, , June 12, , @

, , 12–6 , , Selma (6–3), , Hill (0–1), , Abernathy (3), , 27,671, , 38–18 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 58, , June 13, , @ Reds, , 14 – 8 10, , Regan (6–2), , Pena (1–1), , Nye (1), , 17,134, , 39–18 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 59, , June 14, , @ Reds, , 9 – 8 10, , Regan (7–2), , Granger (1–2), , Jenkins (1), , 16,008, , 40–18 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 60, , June 15, , @ Reds, , 7–6 , , Carroll (8–3), , Regan (7–3), , , , N/A, , 40–19 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 61, , June 15, , @ Reds, , 5 – 4 *, , Nye (1–3), , Arrigo (0–1), , Johnson (2), , 26,511, , 41–19 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 62, , June 16, , @

, , 9–8 , , Dal Canton (4–0), , Regan (7–4), , Blass (1), , 8,810, , 41–20 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 63, , June 17, , @

, , 1–0 , , Veale (4–7), , Jenkins (8–4), , Dal Canton (3), , N/A, , 41–21 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 64, , June 17, , @

, , 4–3 , , Blass (7–3), , Abernathy (4–1), , , , 26,817, , 41–22 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 65, , June 18, , @

, , 3 – 2 10, , Gibbon (2–3), , Regan (7–5), , , , 12,198, , 41–23 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 66, , June 20, , Expos, , 2–0 , ,

(6–6), , Robertson (1–4), , , , 18,890, , 42–23 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 67, , June 21, , Expos, , 3–2 , , Reed (2–1), , Jenkins (8–5), , Shaw (1), , 33,750, , 42–24 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 68, , June 22, , Expos, , 7–6 , , Selma (7–3), , Shaw (1–5), , , , N/A, , 43–24 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 69, , June 22, , Expos, , 5 – 4 6, , Face (4–1), , Reynolds (0–1), , McGinn (2), , 22,079, , 43–25 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 70, , June 23, ,

, , 5–4 , , Regan (8–5), , Dal Canton (5–1), , , , 12,500, , 44–25 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 71, , June 24, ,

, , 3–2 , ,

(7–6), , Bunning (6–5), , , , 17,530, , 45–25 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 72, , June 25, ,

, , 5–2 , , Jenkins (9–5), , Veale (4–8), , , , 26,434, , 46–25 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 73, , June 26, ,

, , 7 – 5 10, , Regan (9–5), , Dal Canton (5–2), , , , 29,473, , 47–25 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 74, , June 27, , Cardinals, , 3–1 , , Carlton (8–5), , Holtzman (10–2), , , , 29,224, , 47–26 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 75, , June 28, , Cardinals, , 3–1 , ,

(8–6), , Giusti (3–7), , , , 29,285, , 48–26 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 76, , June 29, , Cardinals, , 3–1 , , Jenkins (10–5), , Gibson (10–5), , , , N/A, , 49–26 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 77, , June 29, , Cardinals, , 12–1 , , Selma (8–3), , Grant (4–8), , , , 41,060, , 50–26 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 78, , June 30, , @ Expos, , 5–2 , , Reed (3–1), , Lemonds (0–1), , McGinn (3), , 12,508, , 50–27 , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 79, , July 1, , @ Expos, , 11–4 , , Renko (1–1), , Holtzman (10–3), , Face (4), , 19,858, , 50–28 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 80, , July 2, , @ Expos, , 4–2 , ,

(9–6), , Stoneman (4–11), , , , 16,101, , 51–28 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 81, , July 3, , @ Expos, , 8–4 , , Selma (9–3), , Wegener (3–6), , Regan (7), , 12,194, , 52–28 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 82, , July 4, , @ Cardinals, , 3 – 1 10, , Jenkins (11–5), , Gibson (10–6), , , , 28,177, , 53–28 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 83, , July 5, , @ Cardinals, , 5–1 , , Briles (7–7), , Holtzman (10–4), , , , 35,767, , 53–29 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 84, , July 6, , @ Cardinals, , 4–2 , , Carlton (10–5), ,

(9–7), , Hoerner (9), , N/A, , 53–30 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 85, , July 6, , @ Cardinals, , 6–3 , , Taylor (1–0), , Nye (1–4), , , , 48,294, , 53–31 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 86, , July 8, , @ Mets, , 4–3 , , Koosman (6–5), , Jenkins (11–6), , , , 37,278, , 53–32 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 87, , July 9, , @ Mets, , 4–0 , ,

(14–3), , Holtzman (10–5), , , , 50,709, , 53–33 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 88, , July 10, , @ Mets, , 6–2 , ,

(10–7), , Gentry (8–7), , , , 36,012, , 54–33 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 89, , July 11, ,

, , 7–5 , , Boozer (1–0), , Abernathy (4–2), , Wilson (4), , 24,509, , 54–34 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 90, , July 12, ,

, , 7–4 , , Jenkins (12–6), , Wise (6–7), , Regan (8), , 26,732, , 55–34 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 91, , July 13, ,

, , 6–0 , , Holtzman (11–5), , Fryman (8–6), , , , N/A, , 56–34 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 92, , July 13, ,

, , 6–4 , , Colborn (1–0), , Palmer (1–4), , Nye (2), , 34,913, , 57–34 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 93, , July 14, , Mets, , 1–0 , ,

(11–7), ,

(14–4), , Regan (9), , 37,473, , 58–34 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 94, , July 15, , Mets, , 5–4 , , Gentry (9–7), , Selma (9–4), , Taylor (8), , 38,608, , 58–35 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 95, , July 16, , Mets, , 9–5 , , Koonce (4–3), , Jenkins (12–7), , Taylor (9), , 36,795, , 58–36 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 96, , July 18, , @

, , 9–5 , , Regan (10–5), , Wilson (2–3), , , , 16,751, , 59–36 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 97, , July 19, , @

, , 5–3 , , Wise (7–8), ,

(11–8), , , , 4,801, , 59–37 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 98, , July 20, , @

, , 1–0 , , Jenkins (13–7), ,

(9–10), , , , N/A, , 60–37 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 99, , July 20, , @

, , 6–1 , , Selma (10–4), , Champion (3–5), , , , 12,393, , 61–37 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 100, , July 24, , Dodgers, , 5–3 , , Holtzman (12–5), , Sutton (12–10), , Regan (10), , 26,476, , 62–37 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 101, , July 25, , Dodgers, , 4–2 , , Osteen (13–8), , Jenkins (13–8), , Brewer (16), , 20,844, , 62–38 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 102, , July 26, , Dodgers, , 3 – 2 11, , Regan (11–5), , Brewer (3–4), , , , 29,172, , 63–38 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 103, , July 27, , Dodgers, , 6–2 , , Drysdale (5–3), , Jenkins (13–9), ,

Mikkelsen Mikkelsen is a Danish- Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Mikkel" (equivalent of Michael). People with the name Mikkelsen include: People * Andreas Mikkelsen, Norwegian rally driver * Bård Mikkelsen, Norwegian businessperson * Brian M ...

(1), , 30,291, , 63–39 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 104, , July 28, ,

, , 4 – 3 10, , Nye (2–4), , Marichal (13–6), , , , 9,439, , 64–39 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 105, , July 29, ,

, , 4–2 , , Linzy (9–6), , Abernathy (4–3), , , , 34,008, , 64–40 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 106, , July 30, ,

, , 6–3 , , Perry (13–7), , Nye (2–5), , , , 31,642, , 64–41 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 107, , July 31, ,

, , 12–2 , , Jenkins (14–9), , Bolin (5–7), , , , 24,168, , 65–41 , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 108, , August 1, ,

, , 5–2 , ,

(12–8), , Kirby (3–14), , Regan (11), , 16,921, , 66–41 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 109, , August 2, ,

, , 4–1 , , Holtzman (13–5), , Santorini (4–10), , , , 26,984, , 67–41 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 110, , August 3, ,

, , 4–3 , , Selma (11–4), , J. Niekro (6–8), , Regan (12), , 32,566, , 68–41 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 111, , August 4, , @

, , 9–3 , , Jenkins (15–9), ,

(7–5), , , , 31,722, , 69–41 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 112, , August 5, , @

, , 5–2 , ,

(13–8), , Lemaster (8–11), , Regan (13), , 26,041, , 70–41 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 113, , August 6, , @

, , 5–4 , , Nye (3–5), , Billingham (4–6), , Selma (1), , 29,449, , 71–41 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 114, , August 8, , @ Dodgers, , 5–0 , , Singer (14–7), , Jenkins (15–10), , , , 35,173, , 71–42 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 115, , August 9, , @ Dodgers, , 4–0 , ,

(14–8), , Foster (3–7), , , , 48,748, , 72–42 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 116, , August 10, , @ Dodgers, , 4–2 , , Sutton (14–11), , Holtzman (13–6), ,

(2), , 27,595, , 72–43 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 117, , August 12, , @

, , 4–0 , , Jenkins (16–10), , Santorini (4–12), , , , 9,794, , 73–43 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 118, , August 13, , @

, , 4–2 , ,

(15–8), , J. Niekro (6–10), , , , 9,625, , 74–43 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 119, , August 15, , @

, , 3–0 , , Marichal (14–8), , Holtzman (13–7), , , , 12,224, , 74–44 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 120, , August 16, , @

, , 3–0 , , Jenkins (17–10), , Perry (15–9), , , , 16,236, , 75–44 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 121, , August 17, , @

, , 5–3 , , Linzy (10–6), ,

(15–9), , , , N/A, , 75–45 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 122, , August 17, , @

, , 3–1 , , Selma (12–4), , Bryant (2–1), , Regan (14), , 25,586, , 76–45 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 123, , August 19, ,

, , 3–0 , , Holtzman (14–7), , P. Niekro (16–11), , , , 37,514, , 77–45 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 124, , August 20, ,

, , 6–2 , , Reed (12–8), , Jenkins (17–11), , , , 34,709, , 77–46 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 125, , August 21, ,

, , 3–1 , , Britton (7–4), ,

(15–10), , , , 29,866, , 77–47 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 126, , August 22, ,

, , 8–2 , , Dierker (16–9), , Selma (12–5), , , , 19,897, , 77–48 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 127, , August 23, ,

, , 11–5 , , Holtzman (15–7), , Gladding (2–4), , , , 27,665, , 78–48 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 128, , August 24, ,

, , 10–9 , , Regan (12–5), , Gladding (2–5), , Aguirre (1), , N/A, , 79–48 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 129, , August 24, ,

, , 3–2 , , Wilson (16–8), , Johnson (0–2), , , , 40,439, , 79–49 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 130, , August 25, , Reds, , 9–8 , , Nolan (4–5), ,

(15–11), , Ramos (2), , 30,479, , 79–50 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 131, , August 26, , Reds, , 8–7 , , Merritt (15–5), , Selma (12–6), , Granger (17), , 31,473, , 79–51 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 132, , August 27, , Reds, , 6–3 , , Cloninger (9–14), , Holtzman (15–8), , Carroll (7), , 31,867, , 79–52 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 133, , August 28, , Reds, , 3–1 , , Jenkins (18–11), , Arrigo (2–6), , , , 29,092, , 80–52 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 134, , August 29, , @

, , 2–1 , ,

(16–11), , Jarvis (10–9), , , , 36,413, , 81–52 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 135, , August 30, , @

, , 5–4 , , Johnson (1–2), , Reed (13–9), , Regan (15), , 26,630, , 82–52 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 136, , August 31, , @

, , 8–4 , , Holtzman (16–8), , P. Niekro (18–12), , Regan (16), , 33,142, , 83–52 , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 137, , September 2, , @ Reds, , 8–2 , , Jenkins (19–11), , Cloninger (9–15), , , , 11,604, , 84–52 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 138, , September 3, , @ Reds, , 2–0 , , Maloney (8–4), ,

(16–12), , , , 5,960, , 84–53 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 139, , September 5, ,

, , 9–2 , , Blass (14–8), , Holtzman (16–9), , , , 10,411, , 84–54 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 140, , September 6, ,

, , 13–4 , , Veale (11–11), , Jenkins (19–12), , , , 24,566, , 84–55 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 141, , September 7, ,

, , 7 – 5 11, , Dal Canton (8–2), , Johnson (1–3), , , , 28,698, , 84–56 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 142, , September 8, , @ Mets, , 3–2 , , Koosman (13–9), ,

(16–13), , , , 43,274, , 84–57 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 143, , September 9, , @ Mets, , 7–1 , ,

(21–7), , Jenkins (19–13), , , , 51,448, , 84–58 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 144, , September 10, , @

, , 6–2 , , Wise (13–11), , Holtzman (16–10), , , , 4,164, , 84–59 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 145, , September 11, , @

, , 4–3 , , James (1–0), , Selma (12–7), ,

(1), , 4,255, , 84–60 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 146, , September 12, , @ Cardinals, , 5–1 , ,

(17–13), , Taylor (7–3), , , , 31,717, , 85–60 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 147, , September 13, , @ Cardinals, , 7–4 , , Grant (8–11), , Jenkins (19–14), , Hoerner (15), , 46,548, , 85–61 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 148, , September 14, , @ Cardinals, , 2 – 1 10, , Gibson (18–11), , Holtzman (16–11), , , , 43,764, , 85–62 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 149, , September 15, , @ Expos, , 8–2 , , Wegener (5–12), , Selma (12–8), , , , 12,011, , 85–63 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 150, , September 16, , @ Expos, , 5–4 , ,

(18–13), , Robertson (5–14), , Regan (17), , 5,216, , 86–63 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 151, , September 17, ,

, , 9–7 , , Jenkins (20–14), , Champion (5–10), , Nye (3), , 6,062, , 87–63 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 152, , September 18, ,

, , 5–3 , ,

(13–16), , Regan (12–6), , , , 5,796, , 87–64 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 153, , September 19, , Cardinals, , 2 – 1 10, , Holtzman (17–11), , Gibson (18–12), , , , N/A, , 88–64 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 154, , September 19, , Cardinals, , 7–2 , , Torrez (9–4), , Selma (12–9), , , , 15,376, , 88–65 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 155, , September 20, , Cardinals, , 4–1 , , Carlton (17–10), ,

(18–14), , Grant (7), , 28,194, , 88–66 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 156, , September 21, , Cardinals, , 4–3 , , Jenkins (21–14), , Taylor (7–5), , , , 28,287, , 89–66 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 157, , September 23, , Expos, , 7–3 , , Stoneman (11–18), , Holtzman (17–12), , , , 3,047, , 89–67 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 158, , September 24, , Expos, , 6–3 , ,

(19–14), , Renko (6–7), , , , 2,217, , 90–67 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 159, , September 26, , @

, , 2–0 , , Ellis (11–17), , Jenkins (21–15), , , , 4,973, , 90–68 , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 160, , September 27, , @

, , 4–1 , , Blass (16–10), , Holtzman (17–13), , Moose (4), , 4,157, , 90–69 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 161, , September 28, , @

, , 3–1 , ,

(20–14), , Veale (13–14), , , , 24,435, , 91–69 , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffbbbb;" , 162, , October 1, , Mets, , 6 – 5 12, , Taylor (9–4), , Selma (12–10), , Johnson (1), , 10,136, , 91–70 , - style="text-align:center; background:#bbffbb;" , 163, , October 2, , Mets, , 5–3 , , Decker (1–0), , Cardwell (8–10), , , , 9,981, , 92–70 , - , - style="text-align:center;" , ''Legend: = Win = Loss = Tie = Postponement
Bold = Cubs team member''

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

''Note: Pos. = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases''

Other batters

''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Pitching

Starting pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Other pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Relief pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Awards and honors

League leaders

– National League leader, strikeouts (273)

All-Stars

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...

Don Kessinger Donald Eulon Kessinger (born July 17, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from to , most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs, where he was a six-time Al ...

, starting shortstop *

, starting third baseman *

, reserve *

Glenn Beckert Glenn Alfred Beckert (October 12, 1940 – April 12, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Chicago Cubs for nine seasons from 1965 to 1973, before ending his ...

, reserve *

, reserve

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Tacoma

Notes

References

*
1969 Chicago Cubs at Baseball Reference1969 Chicago Cubs
on ''Baseball Almanac''

External links

''Miracle Collapse: The 1969 Chicago Cubs''

"Fans Still Carry the Torch for Also-Ran '69 Cubs"
''Baseball Digest'', June 1993 {{DEFAULTSORT:1969 Chicago Cubs Season Chicago Cubs seasons Chicago Cubs season