Top Five Chicago Cubs by Last Name: "B"

With such a rich and lengthy history, the Cubs have seen roughly 2,000 players don the Cubbie blue over the years.

Because of that, I thought it would be fun to name who I feel are the top five players for all 26 letters of the alphabet, going by last name.

To qualify, the player needs only to have played at least one game for the Cubs. However, only stats and accomplishments that took place while the player was with the Cubs will be considered.

Because of that, you will not find someone like Lou Brock on the following list, despite the fact that he is a Hall of Famer and did spend part of four seasons with the Cubs.

I welcome suggestions regarding anyone I may have left off the list and look forward to continuing the series in the coming weeks.

Honorable Mention

SP Sheriff Blake (1924-1931)
81-91, 3.95 ERA, 106 ERA+, 1.523 WHIP

RP Rod Beck (1998-1999)
112 Appearances, 58 Saves, 4.32 ERA, 102 ERA+, 7.7 K/9

RP Joe Borowski (2001-2005)
175 Appearances, 44 Saves, 3.73 ERA, 114 ERA+, 8.7 K/9

C Michael Barrett (2004-2007)
.284 BA, 57 HR, 208 RBI

1B Larry Bittner (1976-1980)
.273 BA, 20 HR, 213 RBI

2B Gene Baker (1953-1957)
.266 BA, 37 HR, 180 RBI

SS Tom Burns (1880-1891)
.266 BA, 39 HR, 679 RBI

No. 5: Bill Buckner

Seasons With Cubs: 1977-1984
Stats With Cubs: .300 BA, 81 HR, 516 RBI
*1x All-Star

Buckner will forever be remembered as a member of the Red Sox, and for one play, despite putting together a solid career.

As much as he is linked to the Red Sox and Dodgers, he actually spent just as many seasons with the Cubs as he did with the Dodgers, and three more than he did with Boston.

In his seven full seasons in Chicago, he hit over .300 four times, including winning the batting title in 1980 with a .324 average. And while he wasn't a home run hitter, he topped 60 RBI seven times, with a solid 105 in 1982.

So while his time in Chicago may not be what fans remember him for, he does deserve some recognition for the way he performed on the North Side.

No. 4: Glenn Beckert

Seasons With Cubs: 1965-1973
Stats With Teams: .283 BA, 22 HR, 353 RBI
*4x All-Star
*1x Gold Glove

While Banks, Williams, Jenkins, and Santo got the headlines on the fabled 1969 team, Beckert was a key cog throughout the 1960s.

He and Don Kessinger formed what is among the best double play combinations in team history, as they both won Gold Gloves at some point in their career.

Despite not hitting for much power, Beckert was an ideal two-hole hitter who didn't strike out much and hit for a solid average, including hitting for a .342 clip in 1971, which was good for third in the NL.

No. 3: Guy Bush

Seasons With Cubs: 1923-1934
Stats With Cubs: 152-101, 27 Saves, 3.81 ERA, 106 ERA+, 1.403 WHIP

Bush was a swingman for twelve seasons with the Cubs, as he made 428 appearances, with 252 starts, and was effective in almost any role.

He won double-digit games nine different times, with over 15 wins seven times and a high of 20 wins in 1933, as he was consistently effective.

Three different times he garnered MVP votes, and while his name is not mentioned with the Cubs greats, he was a valuable member of the North Siders for over a decade.

No. 2: Mordecai Brown

Seasons With Cubs: 1904-1912, 1916
Stats With Cubs: 188-86, 39 Saves, 1.80 ERA, 153 ERA+, 0.998 WHIP
*Hall of Fame

"Three Fingers" Brown as he was known, thanks to a farming accident that caused him to lose part of two fingers, was among the best pitchers in Cubs history, and he was the ace of the early 1900s Cubs' staffs.

From 1906-1911, Brown won at least 20 games each season, and put together a combined record of 148-55. Perhaps even more impressively, he had an ERA under 2.00 in all but one season during that span, as he was absolutely dominant.

He also led the league in saves four times while he was with the Cubs, and went 4-2 with three shutouts in six World Series appearances, making him a more than worthy Hall of Famer.

No. 1: Ernie Banks

Seasons With Cubs: 1953-1971
Stats With Cubs: .274 BA, 512 HR, 1636 RBI
*11x All-Star
*2x MVP
*Hall of Fame

How could anyone other than Mr. Cub top this list?

Banks ranks among the best power hitters in the history of the game, as he hit over 30 HR seven different times, including five seasons with over 40 bombs.

He twice led the National League in HRs and RBI, and took home the NL MVP in back-to-back seasons in 1958 and 1959.

In the end, as good as the numbers were, he may be best remembered for his incredible love for the game and his great personality. Banks played the game the way it was meant to be played, and he put up some amazing numbers in the process.