Top Five Chicago Cubs by Last Name: "C"

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 Joe Carter on the following list, despite the fact that he spent part of one season 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 Larry Cheney (1911-1915)
76-51, 16 Sv, 2.74 ERA, 111 ERA+, 1.232 WHIP

3B Ron Cey (1983-1986)
.254 BA, 84 HR, 286 RBI

OF Jose Cardenal (1972-1977)
.296 BA, 61 HR, 343 RBI, 129 SB

No. 5: Kiki Cuyler

Seasons With Cubs: 1928-1935
Stats With Cubs: .325 BA, 79 HR, 602 RBI, 161 SB
*1x All-Star
*Hall of Fame

Cuyler came to the Cubs in 1928 after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Pirates.

After a subpar first season in Chicago, Cuyler went on to hit over .300 in five of the next six seasons, topping 200 hits twice and proving to be one of the game's top contact hitters.

He led the league in steals three times while in Chicago and also totaled an impressive 66 triples in just over seven seasons.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1968 by the Veterans Committee.

No. 4: Phil Cavaretta

Seasons With Cubs: 1934-1953
Stats With Cubs: .292 BA, 92 HR, 896 RBI
*3x All-Star
*1945 NL MVP

Cavaretta is among the longest-tenured Cubs in team history, as his 1,953 games played with the team rank sixth all-time.

He broke into the big leagues at just 17 years old and was an everyday player by the next season.

In his 20 seasons with the Cubs, he hit over .300 just five times, but he only hit under .270 once, as he was a consistent middle of the order bat throughout his career.

Everything came together for Cavaretta in 1945, when he put together a line of .355 BA, 6 HR, 97 RBI en route to winning not only the batting title, but also the NL MVP as he helped the Cubs to an NL pennant.

While he was never the traditional power-hitting first baseman, Cavaretta more than carved his place in Cubs history during his 20 seasons with the team.

No. 3: Larry Corcoran

Seasons With Cubs: 1880-1885
Stats With Cubs: 175-85, 2.26 ERA, 128 ERA+, 1.089 WHIP

In his four full seasons with the Cubs, Corcoran put together some of the most impressive pitching seasons in baseball history, as he won an amazing 170 games in five seasons.

Below are his lines for those five seasons:

1880: 43-14, 1.95 ERA, 125 ERA+, 268 Ks
1881: 31-14, 2.31 ERA, 119 ERA+, 150 Ks
1882: 27-12, 1.95 ERA, 147 ERA+, 170 Ks
1883: 34-20, 2.49 ERA, 132 ERA+, 216 Ks
1884: 35-23, 2.40 ERA, 130 ERA+, 272 Ks

After Corcoran started the 1885 season 5-2, the Cubs dealt him to the Giants, and he went on to go just 2-4 over the next three seasons before retiring.

No. 2: John Clarkson

Seasons With Cubs: 1884-1887
Stats With Cubs: 137-57, 2.39 ERA, 151 ERA+, 1.053 WHIP
*Hall of Fame

Clarkson, like Corcoran, had some of the most amazing single-season totals in baseball history in during his time in Chicago.

The stat lines for his three full seasons with the team are below:

1885: 53-16, 1.85 ERA, 163 ERA+, 308 Ks
1886: 36-17, 2.41 ERA, 149 ERA+, 313 Ks
1887: 38-21, 3.08 ERA, 145 ERA+, 237 Ks

His 53 wins in 1885 are the second most ever in a single season, behind Old Hoss Radbourn's 59 in 1884.

Clarkson went on to win 149 more games with Boston after leaving the Cubs and won a total of 328 in his 12-year career.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963 by the Veterans Committee.

No. 1: Frank Chance

Seasons With Cubs: 1898-1912
Stats With Cubs: .297 BA, 20 HR, 590 RBI, 402 SB
*Hall of Fame

Chance was the heart and soul of the legendary late 1900s Cubs, as he was not only their starting first baseman but also their manager from 1905-1912.

He was among the best base stealers of his time, stealing at least 25 bases nine times and leading the league twice with totals of 67 and 57.

Beyond his numbers, though, were his leadership abilities, and he is among the most successful player/managers in baseball history. He ended his managerial career with a 768-389 record and a pair of World Series titles. His .664 winning percentage is the best ever for a Cubs manager.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946 by the Old Timers Committee.