20 Years Later, It’s Amazin’ Cubs Who Clinch NL East Title

The magic number for the Chicago Cubs is 1989.

The Cubs, given hardly a chance at the start of the year, overcame injuries and highly regarded contenders to culminate their season of surprises by clinching the National League East championship Tuesday night.

Chicago won its second division title in six seasons, beating Montreal, 3-2, before a crowd of 11,615, bolstered by three tour groups from Chicago.

The victory came soon after the second-place St. Louis Cardinals lost. And the Cubs celebrated in style.

“You can’t beat this. Nothing is better than the present,” said Ryne Sandberg, the only everyday starter left from Chicago’s last division championship in 1984.

The Cubs became the first team to be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. It was an amazing turnaround for a club that was 77-85 last year.

“I thought we had a lot of holes at the beginning of the year,” right fielder Andre Dawson said. “I knew we had a lot of things to get behind us.”

The Cubs did, making Don Zimmer a champion for the first time as a manager in 11 seasons.

“This is my 41st year in baseball, and a lot of good things and a lot of bad things have happened to me,” Zimmer said. “But this tops everything that I’ve ever done in the game.”

Chicago will open the playoffs next Wednesday night at Wrigley Field, with San Francisco the most likely opponent. The Cubs and Giants split 12 games this season.

In Chicago, although police had vowed to keep crowds from forming, about 2,000 screaming, jubilant Cub fans jammed the intersection of Addison and Clark streets outside the main entrance to Wrigley Field, shrieking: “Bring on ‘Frisco, bring on ‘Frisco!”

And in neighborhood saloons and fashionable watering holes throughout the city, crowds also huddled around TV sets and raised their glasses in cheer, a bit surprised that the Cubs, who so frequently had flubbed chances to win pennants, had not blown the division race.

Deafening cheers went up and beer flew at the Cubby Bear Lounge across the street from Wrigley Field with the final out in Montreal.

“We knew they could do it, they’re going all the way now, you can forget about ‘69,” said Kathleen Danahy of Chicago.

In 1969, the Cubs blew the 9 1/2-game lead they had in mid-August. The New York Mets won the division title and the World Series.

Fans from several other bars near Wrigley Field spilled into the streets minutes after the game ended.

“This is great! I used to go to all the Cubs’ games when they never won. They never won,” said Jerry Schaefer of Chicago. “You could sit anywhere. Now you can’t get a ticket.”

City officials wanted to head off a boisterous celebration such as the one in 1984, which drew complaints from local residents and businessman about late-night revelers and property damage.

A city-sponsored “Clinch Rally” was planned for Daley Plaza on the day after the Cubs clinched the title, but fans were not waiting.

“This is a major, major thing. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Franci Nenko said. “We’re going to go all the way. This is like something you dream about.”

After Mike Fitzgerald made the final out of the game, the Cubs darted out of the dugout and met in celebration at the mound.

Sandberg scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. He singled with two out and was running when Dwight Smith followed with a single to right field. When Hubie Brooks bobbled the ball for a split second, Sandberg kept going and beat second baseman Tom Foley’s relay to the plate.

Zimmer was among the first to greet Sandberg as the Cubs spilled onto the field.

Greg Maddux (19-12) allowed seven hits in 8 1/3 innings, and Mitch Williams got two outs for his 36th save.

It was the second time this season that Maddux and Sandberg had teamed up to help win a big game. On Aug. 7, the Cubs took sole possession of first place for good when they beat co-leader Montreal behind Sandberg’s home run and Maddux’s seven-hitter.

“I think every time we were about to fold, we came back to win,” Maddux said. “We’re a young team and the guys are hungry. They want the things the older guys have.”

Times staff writer Bob Secter contributed to this story from Chicago.