The Chicago Cubs are shaking up their home jersey options and reintroducing a colorway the team has not worn on the field in nearly 45 years.
The Cubs unveiled a new “Blues Alternate” jersey Thursday night featuring baby blue tops that debut April 5 and will be worn for Friday home games this season. Conversely, the Cubs are retiring their City Connect navy “Wrigleyville” jerseys.
The new jersey, for which players submitted design input, ties the history to the Chicago blues movement in multiple ways. The sleeve patch is shaped as a guitar pick with an electric bolt splitting the middle of “Chicago,” which the team said “represents the electrification of the blues.” The Cubs opted to use letters and numerals from the early- to mid-1900s, using that time period to inspire the jersey logo and hat.
The socks to accompany the jersey are emblazoned with the blues anthem “Sweet Home Chicago” and a six-string guitar stripe.
“The baby blues are back. We’re thrilled to revisit this popular colorway, while also paying tribute to the Blues music that has shaped our city’s cultural landscape,” executive vice president of marketing and communications Jennifer Martindale said in a statement.
“This uniform is more than a celebration of the Cubs past; it’s a nod to an iconic Chicago artform. We hope fans enjoy this unique blend of sports and music history.”
The franchise became the first modern major-league team to don baby blue, wearing them in 1941-42. They wore them again in 1976 and then utilized light blue road jersey with white pinstripes from 1978-81. As part of the Cubs’ 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field in 2014, they wore a throwback of that uniform for one game.