A Tribute to the 1998 Chicago Cubs

Being only 20-years-old, I was all of one in 1989 when the Cubs made the playoffs, so for me 1998 was my first taste of postseason baseball as a Cubs fan.

The 1998 season was quite a season for the North Siders, and it all culminated in a one-game playoff with the San Francisco Giants.

As I watched Steve Trachsel pitch the game of his life and saw the Cubs punch their ticket to the playoffs, it was then that I knew I would be a Cubs fan for the rest of my life.

So here is a look back at what I'm sure will be fond memories to the first Cubs playoff team of my generation.

Manager

Jim Riggleman: 90 wins, 73 losses—Wild Card.

A far cry from the in-your-face Cubs managers of recent years, Riggleman was, in one word, professional. He had a tendency to leave his starters in too long and leave a struggling reliever in even longer, but overall Riggleman was a solid manager and I'm glad to see he is once again coaching for the Nationals.

Catcher

Starter: Scott Servais: .222 BA, 7 HR, 36 RBI in 113 games.

Clearly this was not a strong point for the Cubs. Scott Servais was little more than a stop-gap option behind the plate, trouble is he was a stop-gap option to no one. He ended up as the Cubs' starter for the better part of four years. Litle did Cubs fans know they would miss him only a few months into the Todd Hundley era.

Backup: Tyler Houston: .255 BA, 9 HR, 33 RBI in 95 games.

Houston was one of the Cubs' top pinch hitters and also played some third base, but the majority of his playing time came as Servais' backup. He was a bit of an upgrade offensively but a downgrade on defense.

Backup: Sandy Martinez: .264 BA, 0 HR, 7 RBI in 45 games.

Martinez was strictly a defensive catcher and he called a great game. He was behind the plate for Kerry Wood's 20 strikeout game and it is well documented that Wood only shook him off three times the entire game.

First Base

Starter: Mark Grace: .309 BA, 17 HR, 89 RBI in 158 games.

Grace had one of the best offensive seasons of his stellar career in '98 as his 17 homeruns marked a career-high. He also had a team-high .401 on-base percentage and had the all-important role of protecting Sosa in the cleanup spot.

Second Base

Starter: Mickey Morandini: .296 BA, 8 HR, 53 RBI in 154 games.

Morandini, a notoriously great fielder, had the best offensive season of his career in '98 hitting in the two hole for the Cubs. His 93 runs scored were second only to Sosa and he only made five errors for a .993 fielding percentage.

He became a Cub in the offseason leading up to the '98 season, coming over in a trade with the Phillies for outfielder Doug Glanville.

Third Base

Starter: José Hernandez: .254 BA, 23 HR, 75 RBI in 149 games.

Hernandez was one of the most frustratingly inconsistent players the Cubs have ever had. This season was no different, as his 23 home runs were good but his 140 strikeouts made him a bottom-of-the-order guy. He was very versatile, though, playing every position except pitcher and catcher during the '98 season.

Backup: Kevin Orie: .181 BA, 2 HR, 21 RBI in 64 games.

Terrible, just terrible. He also managed to make seven errors in limited action. Again, simply an awful baseball player.

Backup: Gary Gaetti: .320 BA, 8 HR, 27 RBI in 37 games.

Gaetti came over in late August after being released by the Cardinals and promptly took over as the starter, posting impressive numbers along the way and helping lead the second half charge into the playoffs. Also managed to make only two errors...not seven like Kevin Orie, who was awful.

Shortstop

Starter: Jeff Blauser: .219 BA, 4 HR, 26 RBI in 119 games.

One of the biggest flop signings in recent Cubs history, Blauser was well past his prime when the Cubs signed him to a two year, $8.2 million contract before the '98 season. His poor offensive numbers got him benched once the Cubs picked up Gaetti and moved Hernandez to shortstop.

Backup: Manny Alexander: .227 BA, 5 HR, 25 RBI in 108 games.

Another terrible Cub, Alexander was your prototypical light-hitting utility infielder. He struck out a whopping 66 times in only 264 at-bats.

Left Field

Starter: Henry Rodriguez: .251 BA, 31 HR, 85 RBI in 128 games.

Rodriguez got the bulk of the at-bats in what was probably the most successful platoon in recent Cubs history prior to the Jim Edmonds-Reed Johnson platoon of last season. He gave the Cubs another legitimate power source.

Backup: Glenallen Hill: .351 BA, 8 HR, 23 RBI in 48 games

Hill, with his check swing and rooftop power, made up the other half of the left field platoon and he was also the Cubs' best pinch hitter. The Cubs claimed him off of waivers from the Mariners in early July in one of the better moves of the season.

Center Field

Starter: Lance Johnson: .280 BA, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 10 steals in 85 games.

While he certainly was not the speed threat he was in his prime, Johnson gave the Cubs a bona fide lead-off hitter. He was injured for a good portion of the season but came on strong late when they needed him.

Backup: Brant Brown: .291 BA, 14 HR, 48 RBI in 124 games

Brown, who also played corner outfield and first base, got the bulk of the playing time when Johnson got hurt and put up great numbers offensively, which made up for his sub-par defense in center.

Right Field

Starter: Sammy Sosa: .308 BA, 66 HR, 158 RBI in 159 games.

The 1998 Chicago Cubs were all about Sosa. Fans came from all over the country to see him put on a show and he happily obliged. He won the NL MVP and was every bit deserving. His race with McGwire captured the nation's attention as one of baseball's most hallowed records fell.

Starting Pitcher No. 1

Kevin Tapani: 19-9, 4.85 ERA, 219 innings pitched.

In Tapani, the Cubs had a legitimate ace who helped to take some pressure off the phenom Wood. The '98 season was the best of Tapani's career, which is saying something, as he had a 13 season, 143-win career.

Starting Pitcher No. 2

Kerry Wood: 13-6, 3.40 ERA, 233 K, 166.2 innings pitched

What I wouldn't give to watch 1998 Kerry Wood for an entire career, He was as good as it gets in '98 and his 20-strikeout game was the most dominant performance I have ever seen. If not for an infield single by former Cub Rickey Gutierrez, he would have had the no-no. Wood took home the NL Rookie of the Year Award, narrowly edging out Todd Helton.

Starting Pitcher No. 3

Steve Trachsel: 15-8, 4.46 ERA, 208 innings pitched.

Trachsel pitched a gem when the Cubs needed him most, throwing 6.1 innings of one-hit ball in the one-game playoff with the Giants, en route to the win and the playoff berth. Overall, it was one of Trachsel's best all-around seasons.

Starting Pitcher No. 4

Mark Clark: 9-14, 4.84 ERA, 213.2 innings pitched.

Clark had strikingly similar numbers to Tapani's but was the recipient of some tough luck. He was much better than a 9-14 pitcher on the season and he provided the Cubs with a veteran arm at the back of the rotation.

Starting Pitcher No. 5

Geremi Gonzalez: 7-7, 5.32 ERA, 110 innings pitched.

Gonzalez was, if nothing else, an adequate No. 5 starter. He was only 23-years-old in '98 and managed to make a solid contribution to a playoff team. He even pitched a shutout during the season.

Other Starters:
Terry Mulholland: 6 starts
Don Wengart: 6 starts
Mike Morgan: 5 starts

Left-Handed Relievers

Terry Mulholland: 6-5, 2.89 ERA, 3 saves, 70 appearances, 112 innings.

Mulholland was the Cubs most reliable reliever all season and had the best ERA on the team. He was also a spot starter and overall was invaluable to the team.

Felix Heredia: 3-0, 4.08, 30 appearances, 17 2/3 innings

Bob Patterson: 1-1, 7.52, 1 save, 33 appearances, 20 1/3 innings

Right-Handed Relievers

Terry Adams: 7-7, 4.33, 1 save, 63 appearances, 72 2/3 innings
Adams was the teams set-up man most of the season and did a stellar job as usual. He gave the team some security becasue he also had experrience closing games.

Marc Pisciotta: 1-2, 4.09, 43 appearances, 44 innings

Dave Stevens: 1-2, 4.74, 31 appearances, 38 innings

Closer

Rod Beck: 3-4, 3.02, 51 saves, 81 appearances, 80.1 innings pitched.

The signing of Beck in the offseason was no doubt the biggest move the Cubs made. He led the Majors in appearances in '98 and his 51 saves are second only to Randy Myers' 53 in team history. The '98 season was the best of Beck's impressive career.