Complex sentence: The 1969 Chicago Cubs season started well: the team led the newly created National League East for 105 days, and by mid-August they had a seemingly insurmountable 8½-game cushion and appeared to be a shoo-in for their first postseason appearance in 25 years.
Split into simpler sentences: The 1969 Chicago Cubs season started well: the team led the newly created National League East for 105 days. By mid-August they had a seemingly insurmountable 8½-game cushion, and appeared to be a shoo-in for their first postseason appearance in 25 years.