Chicago Cubs (U.S.) (original) (raw)


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[[Chicago Cubs official flag]](../images/u/us@b-cub.gif)
image by Randy Young, 25 March 2019

Introduction: Chicago Cubs

Chicago White Stockings (1876-1889), Chicago Colts (1890-1897), Chicago Orphans (1898-1902), Chicago Cubs (1903-present)

The Chicago Cubs compete in Major League Baseball as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division. The franchise was created in 1876 as a founding member of the National League.

The team currently plays their home games at Chicago's Wrigley Field (1916-present). Before that, they played at West Side Park (1885-1891 and 1893-1915), South Side Park (1891-1893), Lakefront Park (1878-1884), and 23rd Street Grounds (1876-1877).

The Cubs have won three World Series championships in the team's history, including against the Detroit Tigers in 1907 and 1908, and against the Cleveland Indians in 2016. The 108-year championship drought between 1908 and 2016 is the longest in Major League Baseball and the longest in any major North American professional sport. Additionally, the Chicago Cubs have won 17 National League pennants in the team's history.

Note: Be aware that in the early years baseball teams used pennants rather than flags, and a host of manufacturer's variants of these pennants and later fan flags were marketed for the Reds and their fans. They include flags, banners, and pennants too numerous to all be shown here.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019

About the flag

The official flag of the Chicago Cubs is more complicated than your typical Major League Baseball team. The flag is blue with thin red stripes along the top and bottom edges of the flag. In the middle is a white lozenge between the words "CHICAGO" and "CUBS" above and below, respectively, in white capital letters. Within the white lozenge is the team's red "C" logo and three blue stars, representing the team's three World Series Championships. Flanking the lozenge on the blue field are 17 red stars — nine on the hoist side and eight on the fly side — representing the team's 17 National League pennants. This version of the flag was adopted following the Cubs' 2016 season that resulted in their 17th National League pennant and third World Series Championship.

This is the one and only official flag of the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise; all other flags using the team's various logos are unofficial or for fan use.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019
Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/4/20/17259562/cubs-updated-team-flag

Previous flags

[[Chicago Cubs previous flag]](../images/u/us@b-cub1.gif)
image by Randy Young, 25 March 2019

The previous flag of the Chicago Cubs, from the time it was adopted in 1946 until after the 2016 season, was of the same basic design as the current flag, but featuring only two blue World Series stars and 16 red National League pennant stars.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019
Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/4/20/17259562/cubs-updated-team-flag

Win and Loss flags

It is tradition at Wrigley Field to fly a flag denoting the outcome of the most recent game involving the Cubs. For Cubs victories, a white flag bearing a blue capital "W" for "Win" is flown, while a loss results in a blue flag bearing a white capital "L." Many fans have adopted the practice and fly similar flags at their homes, showing their depth of support for the team.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019

Commemorative flags

A number of commemorative flags exist for the Chicago Cubs and their fans. Most common among these are the pennants that are awarded to the teams that capture the American League and National League championships, as well as the winners of the annual World Series between the two league pennant winners.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019

World Series flags

[[Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series commemorative flag]](../images/u/us@b-cub11.gif)
image by Randy Young, 25 March 2019

In the case of the Chicago Cubs, the flags that fly at their home stadium to celebrate their World Series victories take the form of a blue broad pennant, edged with a red border on the top, bottom, and fly, with the year of the World Series championship in large, white numbers. Above the year are the words "CHICAGO CUBS" in white, capital letters, and the words "WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS" in similar lettering below the year.
Randy Young, 24 March 2019

Fans of the Chicago Cubs have a number of designs to choose from if they're looking for flags to celebrate the team's 2016 World Series title, with two examples shown above.
Randy Young, 5 May 2019

Division Championship flags

[[Chicago Cubs 2016 National League Champion pennant]](../images/u/us@b-cub12.gif)
image by Randy Young, 25 March 2019

In Major League Baseball, a team that wins their respective league championship prior to reaching the World Series is said to have "won the pennant." This refers to the original reward for said team, which was the authorization to fly at their home field a pennant denoting the team as the champions. This tradition continues today, with teams that have "won the pennant" flying at their home stadiums pennants representing their historical championships. The National League pennants flown by the Cubs at Wrigley Field are dark blue triangular pennants, with a baseball near the hoist, bearing the year of the pennant in dark blue numbers and the red letters "N" and "L" for "National League." White letters stretching out from the baseball toward the fly point spell out the word "CHAMPIONS." The example above is for the 2016 National Leauge Championship.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019

[[Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series commemorative flag]](../images/u/us@b-cub9.gif)
image by Randy Young, 25 March 2019

Additionally, Cubs fans have a special flag with which to commemorate the team's 2016 National League pennant — their first since 1946. The flag is mostly blue, with the upper hoist corner in red, separated by white and red diagonal stripes. The red, triangular canton of the flag contains the logo for the 2016 World Series, in which the Cubs participated as the National League champion. Centere in the blue portion of the flag is the Cubs' "C" logo, the words "2016," "NATIONAL LEAGUE," and "CHAMPIONS," and the Major League Baseball logo.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019

Fan flags

Stars and Stripes team flags

[[Chicago Cubs stars and stripes flag example]](../images/u/us@b-cub3.gif)
image by Randy Young, 25 March 2019

These popular variants of the American national flag have been produced for all the MLB teams and displayed by their enthusiastic fans. In the canton of the first illustrated here, the white stars of the national flag have been overlaid with the team's "C" and bear logo. The 13 red and white stripes have been replaced with blue and white stripes. This design can be found incorporating any of the team's logos in the canton.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019

Logo flags

[[Chicago Cubs logo flag example]](../images/u/us@b-cub6.gif)
image by Randy Young, 25 March 2019

Many team flags for the Cubs feature any of the team's logos centered on a blue or white field. These flags are often used as de facto "official" flags by fans wanting to show their support for the team.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019

There are any number of Cubs fan flags that feature variations of the team's logos. The example on the left above features a variation of the red "C" logo on a blue field, this time with a blue and white bear within the mouth of the "C." The example on the right features the 1980s team logo on a white field with blue pinstripes, reminiscent of the team's uniforms from that era.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019

Man Cave flags

[[Chicago Cubs Man Cave flag example]](../images/u/us@b-cub10.gif)
image by Randy Young, 25 March 2019

These flags tend to be more popular among NFL football fans, but can also be found for baseball fans. The flags feature the team's colors and logo and declare the area to be part of the "Man Cave" for fans of that team.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019

A House Divided

[[Chicago Cubs-St. Louis Cardinals divided loyalties flag]](../images/u/us@b-car9.gif)
image by Randy Young, 24 March 2019

A series of flags has been created for those fans who live in households with members who support rival teams. These flags feature the logos of the two rival teams on a field that appears to be ripped in half, with the words "A HOUSE DIVIDED" in white letters across the top.
Randy Young, 24 March 2019

Yacht flag

[[Chicago Cubs yacht flag]](../images/u/us@b-cub8.gif)
image by Randy Young, 25 March 2019

For those Chicago Cubs fans who own yachts or sailboats and want to display their team loyalty, a separate flag is sold for them. The flag takes the form of a blue and red burgee with the Cubs' "C" logo near the hoist.
Randy Young, 25 March 2019

Golf cart/Boat flags

More flags for those baseball fans who own boats and want to display their team loyalty afloat, these flags are also available for them. The flags take the form of either a broad pennant or a square boat flag with either a cap or team logo near the hoist. Each uses the individual team's colors in their designs.
Note: Because of the small size of these nautical broad pennants. usually about a foot tall (approximately 30.48 centimeters), they have also gained popularity as "golf cart" flags. It should also be noted that a broad pennant, or any other flag shape, is only called a "burgee" if it designates an organized boating club.
Pete Loeser, 13 May 2019