by John Osbron

Created on: July 26, 2008

In the year 1870 an independent professional baseball team was born by the name of the Chicago White Stockings, and 138 and still growing years of history would follow. With no organized league to join in 1870 they made their business by playing against other independent ball clubs that would play them and charge and admission to watch. They played their home games at Ogden Park and Dexter Park Race Course.

In 1871 the National Association was founded as an organized baseball league where teams played each other by a schedule and the team with the most wins at the end of the season won the pennant. The Chicago White Stockings joined the National Association at its beginning in 1871 and played at Union Baseball Grounds. They finished the season with a record of 19-9 and came in third place despite having the second best winning percentage. Boston played three more games than Chicago but was awarded second because of their 20 wins despite their 10 losses and one tie. However, on October 9, 1871 the Great Chicago Fire as it is known today swept across the city killing approximately 300 people and burning Union Baseball Grounds along with all of the teams equipment and possessions to the ground. They were forced to sit out the 1872 and 1873 seasons because they did not have a home field to play at and were suffering from extreme financial problems from losses in the fire. However, in 1874 the Chicago White Stockings were able to play again as they had been able to replace all of the lost equipment and found a stadium to play at, known as the 23rd Street Grounds. The White Stockings played the last two years the National Association survived at the 23rd Street Grounds and their first two years in the new National League there as well. In 1874 and 1875 the White Stockings finished 5th and 7th respectively.

In 1876 the new National League was formed as the National Association went under and the White Stockings along with the Boston Red Stockings (currently the Atlanta Braves), the Athletic of Philadelphia, the Hartford Dark Blues, the Mutual of New York, and the St. Louis Brown Stockings. The White Stockings kicked their National League tenure off with a bang as they won the very first National League pennant finishing with a remarkable 52-14 record. In the pre-modern era (1876-1902) the White Stockings, Colts, Orphans and Cubs as they were finally known as in 1902 racked up 6 National League pennants.

From 1906-1913 the Cubs were a baseball powerhouse never falling

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