Cubs' Maddon: 100 wins would be 'really special'

The Chicago Cubs haven't eclipsed the 100-win mark in 86 years, but with the team entering Saturday with a league-leading 98 victories, manager Joe Maddon is hoping to rewrite history.

"Ninety is special," Maddon told Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. "When you think 90 wins, that should get you to the dance. When you get a chance to do 100, that is really special. I don't know how many times it's happened here. It indicates your tenacity per day to do something like that."

With eight games left on the schedule against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds - two sub-.500 teams - the Cubs are likely to reach 100 wins. They'd be just the fourth team to reach the mark since 2005.

"I've been on the bad side of (100 losses), and it's an awful winter," Maddon said. "If a group of guys (wins 100) now, going into next season they know what it feels like and what it takes to do it. It's special."

The Cubs also entered Saturday one win shy of a record 57 wins at Wrigley Field. Their last home game will be played Sunday in the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals.