Cubs fans started the 2012 season full of hope. There was a new President of Baseball Operations, Theo Epstein, who had helped guide the Boston Red Sox to two World Series wins, and a new general manager in Jed Hoyer. But as it turned out, Cubs fans had very little to cheer about in 2012, finishing the season with only 61 wins and 101 losses. However, there were some games of note and even a couple of new records.
Darwin Barney now holds the record for most consecutive errorless games with 141 games in a single season. He surpassed Ryne Sandberg on August 5. Sandberg had 90 errorless games. The errorless streak also helped Barney win his first gold glove at second base.
The Cubs also still hold the record for going the most games without being no-hit. The streak stands at 7,501 games. There were times fans thought this would be the year the Cubs would finally be no-hit, but the streak lives. It seemed fans only started paying attention to the no-hit streak when there was really nothing else to cheer for. This gave them something to cheer for.
Cubs fans showed up in Cooperstown, NY, for Ron Santo’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 22. Cubs fans agree Santo deserved the honor before he passed away, but they showed up in his memory and to support the Santo family. Santo’s widow, Vicki, gave a moving speech on behalf of the family.
This past season saw the retirement of Kerry Wood in May and the departure of Ryan Dempster at the trading deadline in July. Both pitchers were among Cub favorites and were sorely missed. Wood’s last game was an emotional one for him, his family and all Cubs fans. After striking out the one hitter he faced his last time on the mound, his son, Justin, ran out onto the field. It was a touching moment for everyone.
Fans also got to see prospects Josh Vitters and Brett Jackson make their debuts in Cubs uniforms. Whether they will be in the starting lineup on Opening Day 2013 remains to be seen. They also got to meet Anthony Rizzo, who may just be the next club house leader.
Fans that showed up for the game on September 18 and waited out a rain delay that lasted more than three hours were treated to the first Cubs game at Wrigley Field to start at 10:42 p.m. It ended about 1:30 a.m. making it the latest starting game and earliest finishing game in Cubs history. And fans that ventured back to Wrigley the evening of September 19 were among only a few who could say they had seen the Cubs lose two games in one day and there wasn’t even a double header.
Please see the accompanying slide show for some of the more interesting games from the 2012 season.
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