If you were a baseball kid in the 1980s, chances are you watched more Cubs games than you meant to. Cable TV was still pretty basic back then, and unless you had who knew all the set top box codes for getting free channels, your options were slim. For me, the big two were WTBS (hello, Braves) and WGN, home of the Chicago Cubs. I can still do a solid Skip Caray impersonation by the way.

Thanks to WGN, I saw way more of Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith, Rick Sutcliffe, and Andre Dawson than I did of my Detroit Tigers, or any American League team for that matter. I knew the ivy. I knew the Wrigley scoreboard. I knew what “the Friendly Confines” meant before I ever stepped foot in Chicago.

And even though I wasn’t a Cubs fan exactly, it was hard not to like them.

Front Cover: Iconic Moments

For the front of this binder, we chose five unforgettable moments that represent the long, winding, and finally-rewarded journey of the Cubs and their fans. Moments like:

• The epic Ryne Sandberg Game in 1984, when he hit two game-tying home runs off the great Bruce Sutter.
• The final out of the 2016 World Series - yes, the curse-breaking one.
• Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game in 1998 - pure dominance.
• The month of June 1998. The month of Sosa. Slammin’ Sammy mashed 20 HRs in 20 days.
• Kyle Schwarber’s titanic blast. Though he’s not in ChiTown anymore, it’s hard to forget the moonshot that actually landed ON THE SCOREBOARD. 
  

Back Cover: Legends of the North Side

Turn the binder around and you get a wall of Cubbies who defined eras and made Wrigley feel like home. We’re talking:

• Ernie Banks, of course - the heart and soul.
• Fergie Jenkins, the ace. So underrated.
• Ryne Sandberg, the best at his position in the 80s.
• Ron Santo, Cubs lifer.
• Sammy Sosa, Summer of '98 is unforgettable
• Mark Grace, absolutely had to have this guy’s rookie card back in the day.
• Lee Smith, I watched Big Lee mow down many a batter in the 80s
  

All of them stylized over a Wrigley backdrop - classic and modern.

The Design: Whitewash, Cubbie blue, and a splash of red

This one's dripping with Cubs DNA. You’ll see the Cubbie blue, the pinstripes, look-at-me red Wrigley, and a nod to that great stadium both vintage and modern. It’s a clean, stand-up-on-your-shelf look that’s also made for autographs (textured matte finish - you're welcome).

Collector-Friendly Size & Fit

Like all of our team binders, this is a sturdy angle-D 3-ring and you can load it up. Whether you’re a vintage nut tracking all the Topps and Donruss runs, or someone who collects Cubs team-issued oddballs, this one will hold it:

• Your favorite, flagship Cubs cards
• Yearbooks and programs
• Autographed 8 x 10s
• And enough room to stash future heartbreak (or glory!)

The Bottom Line

Even if you’re not a die-hard Cubs fan, you probably have a memory or two wrapped up in this team. Thanks to WGN, I watched them through the better part of the 80s. I saw the heartbreak. I saw the Sandberg magic. And decades later, I got to enjoy the payoff.

Shop the Chicago Cubs binder HERE.