The Cubs Win Flag is a victory flag that is flown at Wrigley Field after every Chicago Cubs home win. [1] The flag is variously referred to by approximately a dozen names, combining: either Cubs or Chicago Cubs; Win, W, White, White W, or W Win; and flag, banner or banner flag. Other common names for the symbol include Chicago Cubs W Flag and Chicago Cubs Win Banner Flag. [2] [3] It has become an important symbol for fans, and tradition of flying a win or loss flag over the stadium began soon after the construction of the scoreboard in 1937. [4]
The flag has used two different color schemes with the letter "W" on a solid background, and there is a loss indicator flag with a letter "L". Additionally, the flags have been complemented by different color schemes of indicator lights. [4] The flag is also changed after each Cubs win. [5] The flag has become a very symbolic emblem for devout Cubs fans. Some retailers sell slightly different versions that also have the Cubs logo at the bottom. [6]
Flying a flag over Wrigley Field to denote wins and losses is a longstanding tradition. [7] [8] Currently, the Win Flag is composed of a large blue letter "W" on a white background while the Loss Flag is a large white letter "L" on a blue background. [9] Early in the 21st century, the phrase "White flag time at Wrigley!" was used to explain that the Cubs had just won that day's home game. [10] More recently, at least as early as the 2015 season, the Cubs have used the phrase "Fly the W!"; an accompanying social media hashtag "#FlyTheW" has been heavily promoted by the team and its fans. [11] The flag is raised by a scoreboard crew member immediately after the completion of a game, [12] and in the case of a doubleheader split, both flags are flown. [10]
It is customary to fly flags from sunrise until sunset, unless they are directly illuminated. [13] At the beginning of each day, the cross-shaped "masthead" atop the center field scoreboard displays the American flag at the top, and three strands of flags bearing the colors and nicknames of each of the National League clubs, one strand per Division in order of that day's standings. [14] Immediately after the game, one of the strands of flags is lowered, and either the W or the L-lettered flag is raised in its place. The W-lettered flag is raised on the left field side of the board, above the blue light that also indicates a win. [14] The L-lettered flag is raised on the right field side of the board, above the white light that indicates a loss. Once the Win or Loss Flag has been raised, the other flags are lowered and also stowed away inside the scoreboard.
The symbolism of the flag now serves a wide variety of purposes. It is commonly reproduced in 3-by-5-foot (0.91 by 1.52 m) dimensions, [1] [15] and car flag versions are also sold. [16] The flag is also available in 2-by-3-foot (0.61 by 0.91 m) dimension versions. [17] The flag has become a celebratory symbol for Chicago Cubs fans who purchase reproductions and take them to games at home and on the road to show support. [10] The fans wave them after victories at Wrigley Field, [18] and they hang them in the stands during playoff series. Some fans fly a win flag in place of or in addition to the Flag of the United States on days when the Cubs win. [19] Since 1998, the flags have become ever more popular, with demand reaching a level where they are sold at Wrigley Field. [10] In 2007, with the Cubs in playoff contention for the first time in 3 years, the Cubs' victory tune, Go Cubs Go! became more popular among the fans. Due to the song's growing popularity, after wins at home, Cubs TV broadcasters Len Kasper and Bob Brenly would have their microphones shut off, while the camera pans around the stadium to view the jubilant fans as Go Cubs Go! plays in the background. After fans discovered this, they started purchasing "W" flags and waving them after wins at home as an attempt to get on TV. However, in seasons when the Cubs are performing poorly the tradition has led to parody and satire, such as stories of the Cubs retiring the win flag due to signs of neglect.
While not having the popularity of the Win Flag, the Loss Flag has become increasingly popular with clubs who traditionally have rivalries with the Cubs, such as the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, or Chicago White Sox. Fans of those teams wave the blue flag after their team defeats the Cubs at Busch Stadium or Guaranteed Rate Field. However, because of the enormous fan base that the Cubs hold, it is not uncommon to see fans at games on the road waving their "W" flags during Cubs wins on the road.[ citation needed ] Another of the Cubs' rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, actually co-opted the Cubs Win Flag for themselves by waving a Jolly Roger pirate flag after each Pirates win. [20]
The flag is known by many names, with none being more prevalent than the rest, and may often be referred to by more than one name by the same manufacturer. "Chicago Cubs W Win Flag" is the name used on Amazon.com, [2] however the company also refers to the flag as Chicago Cubs 'W' Banner Flag in their marketplace section. [3] CubWorld.com also refers to the flag by the name Chicago Cubs 'W' Banner Flag. [21] Other retailers use the names Cubs Win W Flag, [22] Chicago Cubs Win 3' x 5' Flag, [15] [23] [24] [25] Cubs W Flag, [26] or (Chicago Cubs) W Flag in the case of Sports Fan Warehouse. [27] One retailer even sells an item called the Chicago Cubs W Fan Banner. [28] Another retailer sells two versions of the flag listed as Chicago Cubs Win W Flag and Chicago Cubs Win Flag, yet its advertisements mentions celebrating a Cub win with the Chicago Cubs White "W" Flag. [29] An alternate version that has the Chicago Cubs logo beneath the W can be found under the name Chicago Cubs Win W Banner. [6]
The Cubs' then-owner Philip K. Wrigley ordered the reconstruction of the bleachers and the building of the manually operated scoreboard in 1937. [30] The scoreboard's "masthead" was in place by 1938, displaying the American flag at the top and flags representing the eight clubs of the National League on the left and right strands of the masthead, four apiece. [31] In the 1940s, the practice of raising the Win/Loss flags was begun. [4]
The flags were originally a white "W" on a blue flag and a blue "L" on a white flag. [4] This matched what was then the color scheme of the Cubs "team flags" that flew on the foul poles, and the many little "W.F." flags that flew on the grandstand roof (all of them serving to give the players a sense of the wind speed and direction). Ernie Banks was the first Cub to have his number retired on August 22, 1982, [32] and his number 14 has been flown in blue on a white flag (echoing the pattern of a Cubs home uniform shirt) on the left field foul pole ever since. [10] On August 13, 1987, Billy Williams had his number retired and it flew with the same color scheme, on the right field foul pole. [10] [32] The scheme of the Cubs Win flag was reversed in the early 1980s. The change in the flag color scheme matched the Win flag color with the honored colors of the retired number flags, as the white-on-blue Cubs "team flag" was retired. [10] Subsequent retired Cubs numbers for Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg and Ferguson Jenkins/Greg Maddux also match this color scheme.
In addition to the flags, Wrigley authorized Bill Veeck, the leader of the bleacher reconstruction project, to add colored lights on the crossbar of the masthead so that the Chicago 'L' passengers would be able to see the outcome of Cubs home games after sunset. In his autobiography, Veeck remembered the colors as green for a win and red for a loss. [4] Hartell's book acknowledges Veeck's comments, but reports that contemporary newspapers stated that the colors of the lights were blue and white, as they are now. Eventually the original lights on the masthead were replaced by lights directly on the top of scoreboard, still visible from outside Wrigley field. [4] The lights complement the flags by helping night time passersby learn the result of that day's Cubs game at a glance. [10] The current blue and white Win/Loss lights were added atop the scoreboard in 1978, while the "Wintrust W" light on the left-field video board was implemented in 2015. [10]
On April 23, 2008, the Cubs won for the 10,000th time in the history of the franchise on the road against the Colorado Rockies. [33] Like the 9,000th win, the 10,000th win came in a 7–6 victory at Coors Field. [33] The Cubs were the second franchise to achieve 10,000 regular season wins; the San Francisco Giants/New York Giants were the first. [33] The franchise flew a special 10,000th win flag along with a Cubs Win flag to commemorate the landmark achievement for the franchise. This was unusual not just for the 10,000th win, but also for flying the flag in reference to a road game. The special flag flew from the afternoon of April 24, 2008, until immediately prior to the next home game on April 29, 2008, at 7:05pm against the Milwaukee Brewers. After the flag was taken down, it was autographed by all members of the 2008 Chicago Cubs and auctioned off for charity. [34]
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) Central Division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located on Chicago's North Side. They are one of two major league teams based in Chicago, alongside the American League (AL)’s Chicago White Sox. The Cubs, first known as the White Stockings, were a founding member of the NL in 1876, becoming the Chicago Cubs in 1903.
Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Whales of the Federal League, which folded after the 1915 baseball season. The Cubs played their first home game at the park on April 20, 1916, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7–6 in 11 innings. Chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. of the Wrigley Company acquired the Cubs in 1921. It was named Cubs Park from 1920 to 1926, before being renamed Wrigley Field in 1927. The stadium currently seats 41,649 people and is the second stadium to be named Wrigley Field, as a Los Angeles ballpark with the same name opened in 1925.
The Steve Bartman incident was a controversial play that occurred during a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins on October 14, 2003, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2003 postseason. The play involved a spectator attempting to catch a fly ball and potentially affecting the outcome of the game.
The Cubs–White Sox rivalry refers to the Major League Baseball (MLB) geographical rivalry between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. The Cubs are a member club of MLB's National League (NL) Central division, and play their home games at Wrigley Field, located on Chicago's North Side. The White Sox are a member club of MLB's American League (AL) Central division, and play their home games at Guaranteed Rate Field, located on Chicago's South Side.
George Dallas Green was an American professional baseball pitcher, manager, scout and executive in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played big league baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Senators and New York Mets, from 1960 through 1967. A man of towering stature, at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and 210 pounds (95 kg), Green achieved notoriety for his blunt manner. He possessed a booming voice and achieved many successes over a baseball career that lasted over 60 years.
The Brewers–Cubs rivalry is a Major League Baseball (MLB) rivalry between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs. Both clubs are members of MLB's National League (NL) Central Division. The rivalry is also sometimes known as the I-94 Rivalry, because the two teams' ballparks are located only 83 miles (134 km) from each other off Interstate 94 (I-94).
The following is a franchise history of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball, a charter member of the National League who started play in the National Association in 1870 as the Chicago White Stockings. The Chicago National League Ball Club is the only franchise to play continuously in the same city since the formation of the National League in 1876. They are the earliest formed active professional sports club in North America, predating the team now known as the Atlanta Braves by one year. In their early history, they were called in the press the White Stockings, Orphans, Infants, Remnants and Colts before officially becoming "Cubs" in 1907.
The 1984 Chicago Cubs season was the 113th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 109th in the National League and the 69th at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished with a record of 96 wins and 65 losses in first place of the National League East. Chicago was managed by Jim Frey and the general manager was Dallas Green. The Cubs' postseason appearance in this season was their first since 1945. The Cubs pitching staff included 1984 Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe, and the lineup included 1984 Baseball Most Valuable Player Award winner second baseman Ryne Sandberg. Frey was awarded Manager of the Year for the National League for leading the Cubs to 96 victories. The Cubs were defeated in the 1984 National League Championship Series by the San Diego Padres three games to two.
The 1988 Chicago Cubs season was the 117th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 113th in the National League and the 73rd at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished fourth in the National League East with a record of 77–85, 24 games behind the New York Mets.
The 1938 Chicago Cubs season was the 67th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 63rd in the National League and the 23rd at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished first in the National League with a record of 89–63. The team was swept four games to none by the New York Yankees in the World Series.
The history of Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball's National League, begins well before the Cubs played their first game in that venue.
The 2015 Chicago Cubs season was the 144th season for the franchise, the 140th in the National League and the 100th at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Joe Maddon in his first year as Cubs manager and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of the National League Central.
Since purchasing the Chicago Cubs baseball team and Wrigley Field in 2009, the Ricketts family have been pursuing an extensive renovation of the stadium and the surrounding venue. At its outset, the 1060 Project was projected to cost $575 million and was to be completed in four phases during consecutive off-seasons. Funding was generated from advertising revenue and increased corporate sponsorship in the form of additional signage placed in and around the stadium.
The 2016 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff in which the Chicago Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League (NL) pennant and the right to play in the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. As the Division Series winner with the best regular season record in the National League, the Cubs earned home-field advantage regardless of opponent. The series was the 47th in league history. FS1 televised all of the games in the United States.
The 2017 Chicago Cubs season was the 146th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 142nd in the National League and the Cubs' 102nd season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Joe Maddon, in his third year as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of the National League Central.
The 2019 Chicago Cubs season was the 148th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 144th in the National League and the Cubs' 104th season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Joe Maddon, in his fifth year as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of Major League Baseball's National League Central.
The 2020 Chicago Cubs season was the 149th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 145th in the National League and the Cubs' 105th season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by David Ross, in his first year as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of Major League Baseball's National League Central. The Cubs opened the season on July 24 against the Milwaukee Brewers and finished the season on the road against the Chicago White Sox.
The 2021 Chicago Cubs season was the 150th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 146th in the National League, and the Cubs' 106th season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by David Ross, in his second year as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of Major League Baseball's National League Central.
The 2022 Chicago Cubs season was the 151st season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 147th in the National League, and the Cubs' 107th season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by David Ross, in his third year as Cubs manager as members of Major League Baseball's National League Central. The Cubs began the season at home against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 1 and finished the season on the road against the Cincinnati Reds on October 5. With their loss on September 17, the Cubs were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the second consecutive season. The Cubs finished the season 74–88, 19 games out of first place.
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