As we sit here in Wrigley Field, we’re thinking, “How can we make complete strangers feel as uncomfortable as possible?” The answer, of course, is by taking photos of them. So we embarked on a mission to document as many versions of the Cubs logo as possible. We asked concessionaires about the history and relative popularity of the different versions, and since we’re not allowed to talk to women when our wives are not with us, we took a bunch of photos of guys in logo clothing at the ballpark.
Most of the logos involve the classic Cubs C in blue and/or red either on its own or with a bear (unoffocially the “walking bear” and “mean bear”) or the letters “ubs” to complete the word Cubs.
The two that stand out because they have almost nothing to do with the others are a version from the early 1900s featuring a standing bear holding a bat and what we’re hearing described as the 1969 bear, featuring just the face of an animal that looks more like a raccoon than a bear in light blue and gold. (We’d look these dates up to check for accuracy, but we’re watching the game.) Outside the context of this park, I may not have even recognized them as Cubs logos.
What’s notable is that an organization can have so many versions of a logo while still maintaining a consistent identity, which they achieve through a well-defined color palette and one design element (the letter C). What’s also notable is that a watered-down beer is $6.50.
Are we supposed to pick on Cubs fans or only the No-Good Stinkin’ Yankee ones?
The Cubs are downtrodden enough without being picked on. For the record, the Phillies won that day, 6-1.
That blue hat with the standing bear with the bat in his paw is the 1914 Road hat. And yes I own one. Bought in Wrigley last summer after an amazing stadium tour. Highly recommend for any interpreter, not just baseball fans. And I must say of all the stadiums I’ve attended, Wrigley is by far the best to catch a game in. Fenway is a close second.