Last week, I had the pleasure of bringing you the first installment of reader Brad Bierman’s amazing jersey patch collection, which featured the various patches worn by the Athletics over the years. (If you missed that or want to re-read it, that article sets up his project.)
Brad returns today with a look at his Chicago Cubs patch collection, done up in the same beautiful style as the A’s. Enjoy!
Chicago Cubs Patch Collection
by Brad Bierman
When Phil asked if I would have another patch frame board to show this week, I wanted to feature a National League team. Even though its new “Blues Alternate” is technically not a City Connect uniform, I took the liberty of declaring its commemorative “guitar pick” patch as new for 2025, and even though I do not have the advertising patch (Motorola), it’s the legendary Chicago Cubs up in this volume.
First, please indulge me with three rants:
1. I have been torn for three seasons about acquiring the advertising patches because I find them so distasteful, but I also realize the revenue reality and the fact that they are now part of the uniform history of these “clubs.” So, I am assenting to their acquisitions.
2. Same with the CCs. Needless merchandise push, but some interesting patches that are harder to acquire without buying a jersey, and now some teams are into CC version 2.0. A lot of navigating to get a patch.
3. I have never liked cap patches. The space is too small to do a patch justice to begin with, and, unfortunately, teams are moving anniversary patches (White Sox 125th) and All Star Game patches (Braves) to their hats. Ugh. Buy a New Era cap to cut out the ASG patch? Going back to 1978, some ASG jersey patches were certainly nicer than others. But not small ones on a lid. Even with ad patches, there’s room on jerseys.
The Cubs were one of only four teams to wear a commemorative patch in the 1960s, excluding the MLB 100th anniversary patch that each team (except the Pirates) wore in 1969. Only the ’64 Orioles (Star-Spangled Banner Sesquicentennial), the Cubs/White Sox in ’68 (see below), and the ’69 Padres (San Diego 200th Anniversary) wore commemorative patches in the decade.
Here’s a description of each Cubs patch:
1968
Patch commemorating the Illinois Sesquicentennial celebration, 150 years of statehood, in 1968. It was worn on both the home and away jerseys. The White Sox also wore the patch home and away that season.
Cubs 100th Anniversary patch worn on the left sleeve of the home/away jerseys. The right sleeve featured the National league Centennial patch worn by each NL team that season.
Talk about Chutzpah! Days after winning the NL Eastern Division by 6.5 games over the Mets, the Cubs faced the Padres in Game 1 of the NLCS wearing this celebratory patch on their home pinstripes, and after two straight wins at Wrigley donned a road version of opposite colors for their three defeats in San Diego to lose the series 3-2.
Here’s one of those nicer ASG patches I was alluding to in my third rant above.
Legendary team broadcasters Harry Caray and Jack Brickhouse both passed away in 1998, which was also the season of the home run chase between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, so these patches got a lot of air time. The Caray caricature patch was worn on the left sleeve all season, the Brickhouse “Hey Hey” signature phrase patch was worn above the Cubs logo patch on the right sleeve from August 6, 1998-end of season.
Big jump of 13 seasons between the Cubs wearing a commemorative, although they did wear an advertising patch (AIU Insurance Co.) for their 2000 opening series in Japan against the Mets (sorry, you’ll have to wait to see it on my Mets board). This is the Ron Santo memorial patch worn all season on the right sleeve of jerseys. (A separate, but similar-looking Ron Santo HOF patch was worn for two games in the 2012 season. Anyone have one?)
Wrigley Field 100th Anniversary, an example of a simple design and nice embroidery.
Mirroring the Santo patch is the Ernie Banks memorial patch worn all season. I always thought there should have been something a tad more elaborate, or at least including the phrase “Mr. Cub” somewhere on the Cubs ’15 uniforms.
My favorite patch of the bunch because of the Bear within the old school wishbone “C” and like with the A’s last week, i love the mention of “A Century” of, in this case, Cubs baseball at Wrigley Field.
For the first two home games of the season against the Dodgers April 10 and 12, 2017, the Cubs showcased their historic 2016 World Series title with this patch.
Along with the Marlins, the Cubs wore MSD memorial ribbon patches for games March 29-April 1, 2018, in memory of the victims of the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. on February 14, 2018.
As Paul Lukas wrote in his review of the Cubs first City Connect uniform in June 2021, the sleeve patch on the ‘Wrigleyville’ alternate is based on the municipal device of Chicago.
In what is sort of becoming a trend the last eight years or so, when a team dedicates a statue outside its stadium for a former player after HOF induction, the game celebrating the dedication results in a one-game patch. This patch honored Fergie Jenkins worn on May 20, 2022 as his statue was unveiled at Gallagher Way.
Likewise the patch worn on June 23, 2024 to honor Ryne Sandberg’s statue dedication, and occurring on the 40th anniversary of Sandberg’s famous game in which he batted 5-for-6, with two game-tying home runs and 7 RBIs in a 12-11 win over the Cardinals.
Who knows how long the Cubs will end up wearing this uniform? Phil reviewed the unveil this past January. Although I am not a big fan overall, I do like the power blue color and, or course, the guitar pick sleeve patch which spells out “Chicago” and honors the city’s music history.
Have you ever had to buy a jersey just to remove the patch? If so, what did you do with the jersey?
Yes, Skott, once in a while I have to purchase a jersey to get the patch. Depending how hard it is to remove the patch, and how that removal leaves the jersey’s condition, most of the time I donate the jersey to a worthy cause. I am usually able to get a jersey cheaper months after a particular season.
Yes, Skott, once in a while I have to buy a jersey to get the patch. After removal if the jersey is still in good, wearable condition, I donate it to a worthy cause. I can often get a jersey cheaper several months after the completion of a particular season.
That 1984 patch worn in the playoff series against the Padres was a prime example of counting the chickens before they hatched.
They were already the Eastern Division champions when they played the Padres, so while it may have been chutzpah, it wasn’t “counting chickens before they hatched”. As it had been 39 years since the Cubs won anything at all, I’ll cut them some slack for having patches made up immediately.
I can understand the 39 year drought for the Cubs, but in an era when postseason patches were still three seasons away – 1987 World Series – it was unusual to see a team commemorate an Eastern Division title before even winning a league championship to earn a spot in the World Series.
Enjoy the collection. Concerning advertising patches …makes sense that its a part of the jersey. But, man I can’t get with it. Looking forward to your next!
Someday those advertising patches we all hate now will inspire nostalgia in others.
Great collection and I agree: that 100 years of Wrigley Field patch is sublime embroidery.
Nice collection!
I just noticed that the second C in the 2025 patch doesn’t connect to itself at the bottom and I can’t unsee it now.
Andrew, I used the magnifier on my phone in bright light and the thread in the second “C” in the 2025 patch does connect, albeit slightly. Very guitar pick-esque.