The 1974 Cubs were not a very good team, and that was by design after the teams of the previous several years had contended and failed to make the postseason.
Stars like Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo, Glenn Beckert, Bill Hands and Randy Hundley were traded away.
Sure, there were still some decent players on the club — Rick Monday, Jose Cardenal and Rick Reuschel — and a solid acquisition from the Jenkins trade in Bill Madlock, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. The pitching staff was just slightly north of horrendous. The 826 runs they allowed were eclipsed, but just barely, by the awful Padres, who gave up 830.