CHICAGO – One of the bigger fashion topics of the 2021 baseball season figured to come on Monday for the Cubs, when their team’s “City Connect” jerseys were due to be released.
Promptly at 9 a.m., the team revealed their look that they’ll sport on select dates over the next four months.
With the release of the video above, the team confirmed their alternate jerseys as part of a new effort by Nike and Major League Baseball to salute the cities to which they play. The Cubs’ features a few salutes to Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods, including the six-pointed star in the cap and the Chicago municipal device symbol that’s featured in a number of parts of the city.
“Wrigleyville” is spelled out on the chest of the jersey with the same font as Wrigley Field’s marquee.
The Cubs joined with the crosstown White Sox, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, and Red Sox as the first seven clubs to don the “City Connect” jerseys. They’ll wear them for the first time this Saturday, June 12th when they host the Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
“One of the pillars of the Cubs organization is to ‘be a good neighbor,’” said Cubs Vice President of Marketing Lauren Fritts in a release from the team. “We’re aware of the impact we have not only on the neighborhood surrounding us, but on all of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. Cubs fans don’t just reside on the North Side, and the work we do as an organization and through Cubs Charities isn’t specific to just one neighborhood.
“Rather than simply unveil a new jersey, we wanted to use City Connect as a platform to unite our diverse city and celebrate those doing good in their neighborhood.”
As part of the “City Connect” uniform initiative, the Cubs will highlighting nine different city organizations during games in the 2021 season: Young Chicago Authors, Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN), YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, Healthy Hot Free Meals, SkyART, Inter-American Magnet School, Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), New Life Centers of Chicagoland and UCAN Chicago.
Young Chicago Authors will be the first saluted on June 12th, which will include ceremonial first pitches, in-game video content in the ballpark and on social media.