Chicago Cubs Logo PNG
The identity of the Chicago Cubs baseball team and its logo reflect its professional specialty and close connection with the city it represents. The minimalist emblem, reminiscent of a stylized rondel, highlights the name and emphasizes its merits.
The Chicago Cubs are a professional-level baseball club founded in 1876. Since 2000, the team has been playing in the MLB and represents the National League’s Central Division. The club is the current leader of the World Series. The team is based in Chicago, Illinois.
The team had many nicknames until one became the official name. Names like “Orphans” and “White Stockings” are just two of many. The club’s name, “Cubs,” was the last suggestion approved by athletes and the public.
Previously, a Chicago newspaper conducted a contest for the best club name. “Cubs” was the winning option. In 1902, this name was first mentioned in the press, but it was long ignored and unrecognized. One of the first to use the name in an article was Fred Hayner, a sports editor for the Chicago Daily News. His initiative made the nickname familiar to everyone within four years.
The franchise’s first owner was William A. Hulbert, who led the team until 1882. Among the team’s owners were Albert G. Spalding, James Hart, Charles W. Murphy, Charles Phelps Taft, and Charles Weeghman, from whom the Wrigley family bought the team. The family owned the club for 60 years. Owners included William Wrigley Jr. (1921-1932), Philip K. Wrigley (1932-1977), and William Wrigley III (1977-1981).
The franchise then passed to the Tribune Company. In turn, the company sold a stake to the Ricketts dynasty, granting a controlling stake in exchange for the possibility of avoiding bankruptcy. Today, the club belongs to Joe Ricketts.
Meaning and History
One of the oldest representatives of the National League has more than 15 logos. A continuous revolution of logos began in 1919. There have been six different versions of logos featuring the letter “C,” and most logos throughout the club’s history have included the name “Cubs” within the letter “C.” Some are entirely different, but all feature a graphically stylized letter “C.” The sign’s font and design evolved from an Old English variant to a modern one. A pivotal moment in the symbol’s development was 1918, the time of the appearance of the inscription “UBS.” This inscription is still used today.
What is Chicago Cubs?
The Chicago Cubs are one of the two Major League Baseball franchises belonging to the most populous city in Illinois. The team has been playing in the National Central League since 1994 and is a founder of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs. Since 1916, the Chicago club’s home stadium has been Wrigley Field.
1898 – 1902
Initially, the club was called “Chicago Orphans,” with the classic Old English letter “C” of dark blue color representing the city of Chicago as its logo.
1903 – 1905
Four years later, the club was renamed “Chicago Cubs.” The Old English letter “C” remains on the logo, slightly lightening the dark blue color.
1906
The style of the letter “C” changes to a classic print, and the color from dark blue to brown. The letter also symbolizes the city of Chicago.
1907
Another version of the Old English font appeared in 1907. The letter “C” has forked edges and an elongated middle.
1908 – 1910
For the first time on the Chicago Cubs logo, a brown bear image appears. A light-brown teddy bear with a baseball bat in its paw was placed inside a large dark-brown letter “C”.
1911 – 1914
The sixth club logo is different from the previous one only in that the bear’s color changes from brown to blue.
1916
In 1916, the logo was completely redesigned. Inside a red letter “C” with a dark blue outline, a dark brown bear on all fours appeared. The image was also outlined with a thin red border.
1917
For the first time in the history of the “Chicago Cubs” emblem, the logo simply depicted the team’s name in dark blue print letters.
1918
In 1918, for the first time in the club’s logo history, the idea of placing the letters “UBS” inside a large, almost closed light brown “C” appeared, thus forming the team’s name “Cubs.” The letters “UBS” were dark blue.
1919 – 1926
The letter “C” takes on a rounded shape and changes from brown to red, with a dark blue outline. The letters “UBS” also change the font, adding more patterns and details.
1927 – 1936
For the next nine years, the club returned to the image of a bear with a baseball bat in its paw, which had previously appeared on the 1911 logo. It is placed inside a large red letter “C” with a dark blue outline, indicating the team’s location, the city of Chicago.
1937 – 1940
Again, the logo features the blue letters “UBS” inside a large red letter “C” with a thin blue outline.
1941 – 1945
In 1941, an image of the head of a growling brown teddy bear appeared. The logo resembles the concept of the Chicago Bears Club.
1946 – 1947
A revised version of the 1937 logo differs in that the figure has a single blue outline, and the letters “UBS” are red.
1948 – 1956
The Chicago Cubs refine the logo’s shape, stretching the letters “UBS” diagonally and enlarging them. Additionally, the white and blue contours on the image are now of the same thickness.
1957 – 1978
The word “Cubs” is placed inside a dark blue circle on a white background. The letters “UBS” return to their previous size and classic print form. The logo takes on a round shape, making the Chicago Cubs’ emblem look more stylish.
1979 – today
For 40 years, this logo has served as the Chicago Cubs’ primary emblem. The image is based on a classic rondel with a central dot and a wide outlining ring. The red letter “C” almost encircles the same-color letters “UBS”. The letter “C” has become even more rounded and thicker, and the outer dark blue circle has thickened several times. The letters “UBS” now occupy more space on the logo than before. Over time, they have undergone many changes in both shape and size. In the end, the designers settled on a simple and strict font, preserving the original concept. All elements are placed on a white background, surrounded by a blue strip.
Font and Colors
One of the oldest National League baseball clubs has seventeen emblems. Although they are all of different types, they have a common element that makes them recognizable. The letter “C” is the single beginning of both words in the phrase “Chicago Cubs.” At different times, designers originally decorated it: until 1908, it was single, then an image of a bear appeared, an inscription in the form of an elongated letter, and a print form.
The most successful was the version with part of the name inside “C.” The original concept for it was to combine the letter with a miniature bear. The result of the idea’s transformation was the emergence of the modern version in the form of a rondel. The stylized word “Cubs” is placed on the blue ring. The first letter is written in uppercase. It is made very large and resembles an open circle, inside which is the rest of the team’s name, “UBS.”
Since 1898, several fonts have been used on the baseball club’s logo. Designers have played with the letter “C” in different ways. The font alternated between serif, Old English, chopped, and grotesque styles. Now, the text on the emblem is made in a sans-serif font. Smooth, streamlined symbols combine well with the circle. The ends of the “C” are longer than usual: they almost close after “B,” so it seems that “S” is separate from the other characters.
The predominant color in the logo is red: it appears most often. The second is blue. It is followed by white, which acts as a background palette. Light brown and beige were also used at different times.
FAQ
What does the “Chicago Cubs” logo represent?
In color, shape, and structure, the “Chicago Cubs” logo resembles a rondel, but not a classic one, a stylized one. Its base is a white circle with a large bold letter C. It is part of the baseball team’s name, but the letters UBS are not to the right; they are inside C. A wide blue ring outlines the borders of the emblem.
When was the “Chicago Cubs” team founded?
The team debuted on April 29, 1870, under the name Chicago White Stockings. However, the official date of its creation is considered to be 1876, when it joined the National League as a founding member. The current name (Chicago Cubs) was given to the franchise in 1907.
Who came first, “White Sox” or “Cubs”?
The Chicago baseball club, later known as the “Chicago White Sox,” debuted in 1870. It was renamed the “Chicago Cubs” in 1907, almost 40 years later.
Who founded the “Chicago Cubs”?
The Chicago White Stockings team, which preceded the Chicago Cubs, was founded by enthusiasts who wanted to compete with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. However, William Ambrose Hulbert made a much more significant contribution to the club’s development. Taking over the club, he made it more organized and helped create the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs.