1994 Chicago Cubs season

The 1994 Chicago Cubs season was the 122nd for the franchise. One of the highlights of the season was Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes hitting three home runs on Opening Day^[1]--all off Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets. The Cubs still lost the game 12-8.^[2] Rhodes would only hit five more homers that season and the Cubs would set a record by losing their first 12 home games.^[3]

Offseason

• October 12, 1993: Steve Lake was released by the Chicago Cubs. ^[4]
• November 24, 1993: Glenallen Hill signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago Cubs. ^[5]
• December 14, 1993: Mike Maksudian was signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago Cubs. ^[6]
• January 24, 1994: Dave Otto was signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago Cubs. ^[7]
• March 30, 1994: Anthony Young was traded by the New York Mets with Ottis Smith (minors) to the Chicago Cubs for Jose Vizcaino. ^[8]

Regular season

The Cubs finished the strike-shortened season with a 49-64 record.^[9] They scored 500 runs (4.42 per game) and allowed 549 runs (4.86 per game).^[10]

One of the most-memorable moments in Cubs history occurred April 29. 1994, after a heart-breaking 6-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field..^[11] The Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth only to have Glenallen Hill swing at the first pitch he saw and ground into a game-ending double play. The loss was the ninth consecutive home defeat for the Cubs to start the season and dropped the club to 6-15.^[12] Manager Tom Trebelhorn had vowed to meet fans outside the ballpark if the Cubs lost another home game and was true to his word, wading into a crowd of some 200 angry fans gathered at a fire station on Waveland Avenue just outside Wrigley's left-field wall. The confrontation started ugly, but within a half hour, Trebelhorn, who was known for his quick humor and good nature, won over most of his detractors.^[13] The team went on to lose three more home games before snapping the record streak with a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on May 4, 1994, but by then Trebelhorn's "Firehouse Chat" was a memorable moment in Cubs' history. The season, which ended when Major League players went on 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike Aug. 12, was Trebelhorn's only as manager of the Cubs. He was replaced in 1995 by Jim Riggleman.

Season standings

Notable transactions

• May 16, 1994: Willie Wilson was released by the Chicago Cubs. ^[14]
• July 27, 1994: Mike Sharperson signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago Cubs. ^[15]

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Farm system

Notes

References

• 1994 Chicago Cubs season at Baseball Reference