The ultimate misdirection play, responsibility for the Cubs' near- century-long championship drought is placed on curses, hexes, billy goats, black cats, and other perceived supernatural forces. Yet, the team's crazy, quirky history is far from unexplainable. Management decisions and on-field strategies have resulted in Wrigley Field's incessant October silence since 1945--the season of the team's last National League pennant. The Cubs' status is unlike any other team in baseball, and the team itself operates like no other team in the game--especially a big-market team with such abundant financial resources at its disposal. Author George Castle takes the reader behind the management philosophies and inside the Cubs clubhouse in a unique manner rarely employed by the media. This book details the Cubs' unbelievable situation in the words of the front office, the many managers, and the players themselves. Incorporating Castle's coverage of the Cubs over the past 25 years, Entangled in Ivy emphasizes the flow of the franchise since the turn of the millennium. The author has developed a wealth of relationships, past and present, at all levels of the organization, and he uses that access to deliver a one-of-a-kind perspective. From 95-loss seasons to the seminal moment of Cubs history--The Bartman Incident--and back again, Castle weaves the story of one of the country's most popular sports franchises and analyzes why its history of shortfalls has continued despite its efforts to succeed. Fresh interviews from Cubs personnel past and present--including former team president Andy MacPhail, current GM Jim Hendry, former manager Dusty Baker, former Cubs great Mark Grace, and several others at all levels of the organization--provide remarkable insight into the greatest mystery in baseball. Entangled in Ivy is a must-read for any fan who desires to go beyond the stereotypes and simple play-by-play, who wants to look at the Cubs from the inside out, who needs to understand why this beloved team has not been able to drink from baseball's holy grail for nearly 100 years.