Chicago Cubs All-Time Leaders in Home Runs
9. . Catcher. 1922-1940. Gabby Hartnett. 7. player
Gabby Hartnett is an extremely important player in the history of the Chicago Cubs. He played for 19 seasons with the team, hitting .297/.370/.490 throughout that time. That is an incredibly impressive slash line for a catcher who takes a beating on a regular basis.
Hartnett rose to stardom with the Cubs in 1924, hitting .299/.377/.523 and 16 home runs. He followed that up with a .289/.351/.555 and 24 home run performance with the team in 1925. Offensively, Hartnett’s best season came in 1930 when he hit an incredible .339/.404/.630 with 37 home runs and 122 RBI.
The legendary Chicago Cubs catcher was a six-time All-Star and won the MVP award with the team in 1935. However, he is best remembered for the legendary Homer in the Gloamin’.
In the middle of the 1938 season, Hartnett took over as a player-manager for the Cubs. He led them to an improbable comeback in the National League and put them in a position to win the pennant late in the season.
In a huge late-season game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hartnett broke a ninth-inning tie with a long home run just as the game at Wrigley Field was getting ready to be called for darkness. He launched the ball deep into the darkness of the bleachers, giving the Cubs an important win on their way to a National League pennant. In a scene fit for the big screen, the Homer in the Gloamin’ became one of the most legendary plays in the history of the franchise.