So, the other day I got this itch. You know how sometimes a random thought just lodges itself in your brain? Well, I started thinking about the Chicago Cubs, my team through thick and thin, mostly thin for a long time, let’s be honest. And I thought, wait a minute, who actually won the MVP award while wearing a Cubs uniform? I could name a couple off the top of my head, sure, but I wanted the whole picture. Felt like a bit of personal trivia I ought to know cold.
Didn’t want to just do a quick online search and call it a day. Nah, that’s too easy and you forget it instantly. I decided to actually sit down and piece it together, kinda like a little project. Grabbed a pen and a pad – yeah, I still use ’em sometimes.
Starting the Dig
First name, easy peasy. Kris Bryant. 2016. That year is burned into my memory, for obvious reasons. Wrote him down. Okay, one down.
My mind then jumped back further. Ryne Sandberg! Ryno! Had his poster back in the day. He definitely won it. When was that… ’84? Sounds right. Penciled him in. Felt good, like dusting off old memories.
Then, another name surfaced. Andre Dawson. The Hawk. Intense dude. Pretty sure he snagged one too. But which year? Had to break out the phone for a quick fact-check on that one… Yep, 1987. Even on that last-place team, incredible. Added him to the growing list.
Going Way Back
Alright, who else? This is where it got a bit trickier. Had to really rummage through the mental archives. Ernie Banks! Mr. Cub! Of course! How could I forget Ernie? He won it twice, didn’t he? Back-to-back? Seemed right. Another quick check confirmed it: 1958 and 1959. Put his name down twice. Man, what a player.
Now we’re getting into the era before I was really paying close attention, stuff you hear about from older fans or read in books. Hank Sauer? The name clicked vaguely. Looked him up. Boom, 1952. Added. What about Phil Cavarretta? Sounded familiar too. Checked the history books again… 1945. Right smack in the middle of the war. Added him.
Okay, digging even deeper now. Who was the first Cub MVP? That required a more targeted search. Found him: Frank Schulte, way back in 1911. Wow. Added. Then there was Rogers Hornsby. Legendary hitter, but did he win it with the Cubs? Yep, quick check says 1929. On the list he goes. And the catcher, Gabby Hartnett? Another check… 1935. Got him too.
The Final Tally
So, I looked down at my notepad. Felt pretty satisfying, seeing the names laid out like that. Here’s what I ended up with:
- Frank Schulte (1911)
- Rogers Hornsby (1929)
- Gabby Hartnett (1935)
- Phil Cavarretta (1945)
- Hank Sauer (1952)
- Ernie Banks (1958)
- Ernie Banks (1959)
- Ryne Sandberg (1984)
- Andre Dawson (1987)
- Sammy Sosa (1998) – Wait, hold on. I nearly forgot Slammin’ Sammy! That home run race year was insane. How could I miss that? Scribbled him in after Dawson. Okay, now the list feels right.
- Kris Bryant (2016)
Ran through it one more time, checked against a couple of reliable sources online just to be absolutely sure. Yep, that seemed to be the complete list of Cubs who won the National League MVP award. It was kinda cool to actually go through the process, connect the names to the eras. From Schulte a century ago to Bryant bringing it home before the Series win. Quite a journey for the old ball club. That little list is staying on my desk for a bit, a nice reminder.
