Before the Ricketts family purchased the Chicago Cubs on July 6, 2009, they were owned by the Tribune Company. A common criticism among fans was that the Tribune Company did not prioritize winning, and instead cared only about making money.
Predictably, fans were thrilled at the idea of a family owning the Cubs, rather than a media conglomerate. Although they are one of the most popular franchises in North American sports, the way the Cubs organization gained such a large following was frustrating to even the most die-hard fans.
At the time of the Ricketts’s purchase of the team, the Cubs were in the midst of the longest championship drought in North American sports at 101 years.
The Chicago Cubs are one of Major League Baseball’s most historic franchises. They were one of the founding members of the National League, establishing themselves as the White Stockings in 1876.
Since they officially became the Chicago Cubs in 1903, they have grown to be one of the most popular sports franchises in North America. Playing their home games at iconic Wrigley Field on the North Side of Chicago, the Cubs regularly draw large attendance numbers.
The Cubs have gone through several large roster overhauls in the last decade. They won back-to-back National League Central Division titles in 2007 and 2008, explaining their spikes in attendance those years.
The Cubs were also experiencing the longest championship drought in the history of North American sports. The 2007 and 2008 seasons were both 100 years since their previous title victories in 1907 and 1908, which convinced many that “this was the year.”
In July of 2009, the Ricketts family (founders of TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation) purchased the Cubs. In 2011, they hired Theo Epstein from the Boston Red Sox to be their President of Baseball Operations.
The rebuild of the roster soon began, and by the 2015 season the Cubs were exceeding expectations and made it to the National League Championship Series before getting eliminated 4 games to 0 by the New York Mets.
Finally, in 2016, the Cubs won the World Series, ending the drought at 108 years. The Cubs spent the entire season dominating the league, winning 103 games while having a historically good offense and pitching staff.
While the Cubs have yet to repeat their 2016 success, there is reason to be optimistic on the North Side. Once called the “Lovable Losers,” the Cubs now see themselves as annual contenders for the World Series.
Chris Katsaros Digital Journalism Blog 