Chicago Cubs Logo PNG
The Chicago Cubs’ identity and logo reflect its professional focus and close connection to the city it represents. The minimalist emblem, reminiscent of a stylized rondel, highlights the name and emphasizes the team’s strengths.
The Chicago Cubs are a professional-level baseball club founded in 1876. Since 2000, the team has played in MLB and represents the National League’s Central Division. The club is currently leading 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” won. In 1902, the press first mentioned this name, 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.
William A. Hulbert, the franchise’s first owner, 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, Joe Ricketts owns the club.
Meaning and History
One of the National League’s oldest teams has more than 15 logos. The logo’s continuous evolution began in 1919. The club has had six different versions of logos featuring the letter “C,” and most logos throughout its 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 the Chicago Cubs?
The Chicago Cubs are one of two Major League Baseball franchises in Illinois’ most populous city. 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 has played at Wrigley Field.
1898 – 1902
Initially, the club was called “Chicago Orphans,” with the classic Old English letter “C” in dark blue 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, with a slightly lighter shade of dark blue.
1906
The letter “C” changes to a classic print style, and the color shifts from dark blue to brown. The letter also symbolizes 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, a brown bear image appears on the Chicago Cubs logo. 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 differs from the previous one only in that the bear’s color changed from brown to blue.
1916
In 1916, the club completely redesigned the logo. Inside a red letter “C” with a dark blue outline, a dark brown bear on all fours appeared. The image also had a thin red border.
1917
For the first time in the history of the “Chicago Cubs” emblem, the logo simply showed the team’s name in dark blue print.
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” became rounded and changed from brown to red, with a dark blue outline. The letters “UBS” also changed the font, adding more patterns and details.
1927 – 1936
For the next nine years, the club returned to the bear with a baseball bat in its paw, as it had in the 1911 logo. It is placed inside a large red letter “C” with a dark blue outline, indicating the team’s location: 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 a growling brown teddy bear’s head 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 are now 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” became rounder and thicker, and the outer dark blue circle thickened several times. The letters “UBS” now occupy more space on the logo than before. Over time, they changed significantly in both shape and size. In the end, the designers settled on a simple, strict font that preserves the original concept. All elements sit on a white background, framed 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.” Over time, designers decorated it in different ways: until 1908, it was a single letter; then a bear image appeared, followed by an elongated letterform and a print version.
The most successful version had part of the name inside the “C.” The original concept for it was to combine the letter with a miniature bear. The idea evolved into the modern version as 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, the baseball club’s logo has used several fonts. Designers have played with the letter “C” in different ways. The font alternated between serif, Old English, chopped, and grotesque styles. Now, the emblem text is 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 the “B,” so the “S” seems separate from the other characters.
The logo’s predominant color is red; it appears most often. The second is blue. White follows, serving as the 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; it is stylized. 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 insidethe C. A wide blue ring outlines the emblem’s borders.
When was the “Chicago Cubs” team founded?
The team debuted on April 29, 1870, under the name Chicago White Stockings. However, its official founding date is 1876, when it joined the National League as a founding member. The franchise was given its current name (Chicago Cubs) 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”?
Enthusiasts founded the Chicago White Stockings, which preceded the Chicago Cubs, 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.