Cubs embrace all of Chicago with new unis
The battle between the north side and south side of Chicago isn't just getting played out on the field between the Cubs and White Sox, but on the very jerseys these teams wear. Eleven days after the White Sox unveiled their all-black pinstriped "Southside" uniforms, the Cubs responded with their own -- and these bad boys pay tribute to the neighborhood they play in: Wrigleyville.
Anyone who has attended a Cubs game knows that the experience begins long before you ever enter Wrigley's gates. There's the iconic stadium marquee that visitors simply must snap a pic with, a bustling bar and nightlife scene that's raging long before and after the final out and, of course, the packed rooftops filled with fans who couldn't get a ticket to that afternoon's ballgame. So, of course it makes sense to have that printed on the front of the uniforms:
Bonus points if you noticed that "Wrigleyville" is written to mirror the very shape of Wrigley's marquee.
The dark blue jersey tops are paired with dark blue pants -- perhaps a nod to the Cubs' 1911-13 road uniforms. (In 1913, they, sadly, replaced the bear-with-a-bat with a block letter "Cubs" on the front.)
But unlike those togs, these unis are to be worn at home because they're meant to represent all 77 neighborhoods in Chicago.
The cap combines the Cubs' iconic "C" logo with a sky blue bill and red star which are inspired by the Chicago flag -- perhaps the best city flag in existence:
It's not the first time the flag has been used as inspiration by the city's teams. The Bulls have worn City Edition jerseys that were inspired by them. And Chicago's NWSL team, the Chicago Red Stars, is literally named for the flag.
However, that's not the end of the local connections: The jerseys also feature a shoulder patch with the iconic Chicago Y. Inspired by Wolf Point, a y-shaped intersection of the Chicago River that cleaves the city into three sections, it's a design that is featured countless times throughout the area -- most famously on the marquee to the Chicago Theatre.
The team will look to further honor Chicago by honoring nine different organizations or youth programs that are making an impact. They will begin with Young Chicago Authors and follow that with the Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN), YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, Healthy Hot Free Meals, SkyART, Inter-American Magnet School, Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), New Life Centers of Chicagoland (NLCC) and UCAN Chicago.
While you can order the gear now, you'll be able to see the Cubs take the field in their spiffy new duds on June 12 when they play the Cardinals. Though it's not known when they'll wear the uniforms again this year, teams are keeping their City Connect uniforms for multiple seasons, so it won't be the last time you see them on the field.
Three teams have already launched their uniforms -- the Red Sox, Marlins and White Sox -- and three more are expected to release City Connect jerseys later this summer with the D-backs (June 18), Giants (July 9) and Dodgers (August TBD) joining in.