How the Cubs became the Cubs

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - The identity of Chicago's National League team is so ingrained that it's hard to imagine the franchise not being called the Cubs, but for the first quarter century of the team's existence it wasn't. They were known at various times as the White Stockings, the Colts, even the Orphans - more on that in a moment.

The Cubs moniker can be traced to the Chicago Daily News of this date in 1902. The term for young bears was used by a sportswriter at spring training that year to describe a team with a bunch of young but promising players. The story's headline read:

Manager of the Cubs
is in Doubt Only on Two Positions

A search of newspaper archives at Chicago's Newberry Library shows that that March 27, 1902 story is the earliest known use of the term "Cubs" to describe the team. The article mentioned it once more in describing the intentions of the manager:

"Frank Selee will devote his strongest efforts on
the team work of the new Cubs this year."

The name caught on, which wasn't surprising considering the club was known as the Orphans at the time. Here's how that came about. As a charter member of the National League in 1876 the team was known as the Chicago White Stockings. A few years later star Cap Anson became the team's player/manager, and sportswriters began to refer to the team as Anson's Colts, and eventually just the Colts. Anson was also known as "Pop." When he left the team in 1897 the team became known as the Orphans. Get it? You knew "Cubs" would stick when rival papers such as the Chicago Tribune (the team's future owner) began to use it.

Interestingly, when the Cubs relinquished the name White Stockings, the new American League franchise grabbed it, shortened it, and have been known as the White Sox ever since. In addition, when the National Football League came to town in the 1920's, the team chose Bears because they played in the home of the Cubs.

Contributing Sources:
The Chicago Daily News, Thursday, March 27, 1902 (Thanks to the Newberry Library, Chicago)

The New York Times, "Nicknames of Baseball Clubs," by Joseph Curtin Gephart,
Retrosheet has a treasure of information

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