Reviewing From Decades Past: 2000 Season Recap

The 2000 Cubs were under the leadership of a new skipper in 2000, Don Baylor. Unfortunately, the results were the same. The 2000 Cubs finished 65-97, dead last in 6th place. The Baylor era was not off to a very good start.

Topps didn't have a very good season in 2000 either. There were only 478 cards in the base set and another 135 in the traded set. Of the 613 cards issued, only 23 were Cubs. I may need to use cards from some of the other sets.

There was no team card to show, and none of manager Don Baylor either. In fact, none of the 23 brands I've got had a 2000 team or manager card.



There's not much good to say about the season:
...It was the first time in team history that the Cubs lost 95+ games two seasons in a row.
...They won only 15 of the final 58 games.
...Sammy Sosa won his first NL Home Run crown, with 50 round trippers.
...Jon Leiber led the league in innings pitched (251)
...Mark Grace struck out only 28 times in 621 plate appearances, best in the league.
...the pitchers game up a franchise high 231 homers.



Yet despite this mess, the Cubs drew 2,734,511 fans, good for second best in team history. Box seats now ran $25 (up from $15 in 1990). Bleacher seats saw a huge jump, going from $6 in 1990 to $15 in 2000.

Tomorrow we get to see the position players.