Baseball Art Museum

Fly the W Flag 

1️⃣ Exhibit Name

“Fly the W” Flag (Chicago Cubs)

2️⃣ Collection & Image

Figure 1. “Fly the W Flag” (Woodcut Print)

A blue flag with a white “W”. Raised after every Cubs victory. The tradition dates back to 1937.

3️⃣ Gallery Location

Fan Culture Wing › Signs Hall › United States

4️⃣ Exhibit Background

The Cubs Win Flag is a victory flag that is flown at Wrigley Field after every Chicago Cubs home win. The flag is variously referred to as the Cubs Win Flag, Chicago Cubs W Flag, or Chicago Cubs Win Banner Flag. It has become an important symbol for fans, and the tradition of flying a win or loss flag over the stadium began soon after the construction of the scoreboard in 1937.

The flag has used two different color schemes with the letter “W” on a solid background. Currently, the Win Flag is composed of a large blue letter “W” on a white background while the Loss Flag is a large white letter “L” on a blue background. The flag is raised by a scoreboard crew member immediately after the completion of a game, and in the case of a doubleheader split, both flags are flown.

5️⃣ Period & Location

  • Period: 1937 – present
  • Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the city of Chicago

6️⃣ Material & Dimensions

  • Material: Nylon or polyester fabric, weather-resistant
  • Common size: Approximately 3’ × 5’ (91 cm × 152 cm) for fan versions; larger stadium size on the scoreboard mast

Figure 2. “Fly the W” Flag (Chicago Cubs) – Sand Art Style

7️⃣ Narrative Story

The Origins: A Flag from Catalina Island

The story of the “W” flag begins not in Chicago, but on Catalina Island, California. William Wrigley Jr., who owned the Cubs, also owned the Wilmington Transportation Company, which ferried fans and players to the team’s spring training facility on Catalina Island. The company’s ships bore a blue flag with a white “W”.

When the Wrigley family rebuilt the bleachers and installed the hand-operated scoreboard at Wrigley Field in 1937, they added a masthead and yard arm at the top of the board. Scoreboard operators began using the yard arm to fly a single flag after each home game – a blue flag with a white “W” for a win, and a white flag with a blue “L” for a loss.

A Signal for the City

Before radio, television, and social media, the flag served a practical purpose. Passersby on foot or riders on the nearby elevated train (the “L”) could look up at the scoreboard and immediately know whether the Cubs had won or lost that day. The team also installed lights along the yard arm: a blue light on the left-field side for a win, and a white light on the right-field side for a loss.

The Flag Changes Color

The original flag matched the Wilmington Transportation logo: a blue flag with a white “W”. In the early 1980s, the colors were transposed. When the Cubs retired Ernie Banks’ number in 1982, the team decided that Banks’ flag should match a uniform – white with blue lettering. The “W” flag was changed to a white background with a blue “W”, and the loss flag became a blue background with a white “L”.

A Symbol of Unity and Hope

Over the decades, the “W” flag has evolved from a simple scoreboard signal into a powerful emblem of Cubs fandom. It appears on T-shirts, hats, towels, pins, and even car antennas. In the 21st century, the Cubs began promoting the phrase “Fly the W!” along with the social media hashtag #FlyTheW.

The flag reached its pinnacle of meaning during the Cubs’ historic 2016 World Series run. After the team broke a 108-year championship drought, fans unfurled white “W” flags across the city and beyond. The “W” flag raised outside of Wrigley Field after Game 7 of the 2016 World Series was the first that commemorated a title.

Cubs historian Ed Hartig captured the flag’s significance: “It’s a tradition, it’s something Cub fans have come to understand. You tell another fan, hey, we flew a W today, it’s our communication.” The flag has become a symbol of unity, loyalty, hope, and pride.

Superstitions and Rules

Cubs fans have developed good-humored rules around the flag: never fly it prematurely before a game ends, or risk the wrath of superstitious fans. Do not post it permanently on your office wall, for fear of angering White Sox fans or confusing Cubs fans who haven’t yet seen the day’s outcome. The flag is typically taken down during the next day’s morning commute.

Figure 3. “Fly the W” Flag (Chicago Cubs) – Tapestry Style

Think About It

  • Why do you think a simple letter “W” on a flag became such a powerful symbol for an entire city?
  • How does the “Fly the W” tradition connect Cubs fans across generations, from the 1930s to today?
  • What does the existence of both a “W” flag and an “L” flag tell us about how fans embrace both victory and defeat?

8️⃣ Current Status & Applications

  • Status: The “W” flag remains a permanent fixture at Wrigley Field and has become a widely recognized symbol of Cubs baseball.
  • Applications: The flag appears on fan merchandise, social media campaigns, and city landmarks. During playoff runs, the #FlyTheW hashtag generates millions of impressions.
  • Suggested companion exhibits: Display alongside the “L” flag, the 2016 World Series championship memorabilia, and other team victory traditions.

9️⃣ Significance & Educational Value

  • Significance: The “W” flag represents the intersection of practical communication, fan loyalty, and urban identity. It transformed a simple scoreboard signal into a citywide rallying symbol.
  • Educational value: Encourages visitors to consider how sports traditions emerge from practical needs, evolve with technology, and become vessels for collective hope and memory.

🔟 References