12 Great Chicago Cubs Sayings
Wrigley Field’s brick walls and ivy hold more than baseballs—they cradle a century of words that Cubs fans trade like currency. These 12 sayings aren’t just noise; they are the living etiquette guide, tactical shorthand, and emotional armor of anyone who claims the North Side.
Each phrase carries a hidden curriculum: when to cheer, when to worry, when to order another Old Style. Master them and you stop sounding like a tourist scrolling through Twitter; you start sounding like a local who knows which barstool has listened to every inning since 1984.
1. “Fly the W” – The Flag That Finishes Every Story
White flag with a blue W runs up the foul-pole hoist after every Cubs win, rain or shine. Learn to watch the pole, not the scoreboard; the moment the flag climbs, strangers high-five like family.
Practical value: snap a photo of the W flag, not the final score, for social media. The image signals you understand the ritual instead of just the result.
2. “Try Not to Suck” – Joe Maddon’s Phrase That Became a Life Philosophy
Spring Training 2015, Maddon scribbled the sentence on a clubhouse whiteboard; within weeks it became a best-selling T-shirt. The genius is the negative framing—permission to fail as long as failure stays within civilized bounds.
Use it at work: replace “be perfect” with “try not to suck” and watch team anxiety drop. The Cubs went on to win the World Series under that relaxed standard, proving the tactic scales beyond baseball.
How to Wear It Without Looking Like a Bandwagoner
Buy the shirt in road-gray, not home-white; the alternate color signals you were around during the 2015 wild-card run. Pair it with a vintage ’80s cap so the phrase looks earned, not purchased yesterday.
3. “That’s Cub” – The Backhanded Compliment That Measures Grit
Front-office executives coined the tag to praise players who do the unglamorous things—take extra reps, study spray charts, run hard on a pop-up with two outs. Fans flipped it: when a beer vendor catches a foul ball bare-handed, the section chants “That’s Cub” in ironic tribute.
Deploy the line when someone delivers under chaos, not under spotlight. It’s the opposite of “That’s Yankee”; it celebrates the scrappy over the sleek.
4. “Let’s Get Some Runs” – Harry Caray’s Karaoke Anthem
He sang it off-key during the seventh-inning stretch of a 1–0 snoozer in 1983, and the broadcast truck kept the mic hot. The clip reran for decades, embedding the plea into fan vocabulary.
Today, entire bars harmonize the line when the Cubs strand two runners. It works because it’s a request, not a demand—Chicago humility wrapped in melody.
5. “The Cubs Haven’t Won in 108 Years” – The Curse as Conversation Starter
Before 2016, this sentence opened every national broadcast, every first date, every taxi-cab confession. The phrase trained fans to expect heartbreak, which paradoxically made victory sweeter.
Now that the drought is over, use the line in past tense to separate real fans from newcomers. Say “hadn’t” instead of “haven’t” and you pass the shibboleth.
6. “Wait Till Next Year” – The Mantra That Became a Marketing Juggernaut
Book publishers, beer companies, and even the team itself slapped the slogan on merchandise during rebuild years. The phrase sells hope without promising delivery, the perfect Chicago hedge.
Smart fans rotate the saying with “This is the year” every March, creating emotional diversification. You can’t be wrong if you own both sides of the bet.
Turning the Phrase Into a Season-Ticket Strategy
Buy a 13-game pack in April, then sell the August Yankees series once the team fades. Tell buyers you’re “waiting till next year” and they laugh instead of haggle, netting you 30 % above face value.
7. “Go, Cubs, Go” – Steve Goodman’s Folk Jingle That Owns the El Tracks
Goodman recorded it in 1984, died three weeks before it hit airwaves, and turned the chorus into a ghost that rides the Red Line after every Friday win. The song’s trick is tempo: 120 beats per minute, perfect for clap-along even when drunk.
Memorize the second verse—fans who belt “So stamp your feet and clap your hands” earn free beers from strangers. Skip the verse and you expose yourself as a Wrigleyville tourist.
8. “Beautiful Day for a Ballgame” – The Greeting That Replaces “Hello”
Ushers at Gate D say it whether it’s 45 °F with drizzle or 95 °F with lake-breeze bliss. The phrase functions as optimism calibration: if you agree, you’re admitted into the tribe.
Reply with “Let’s play two” and the usher nods; that Ernie Banks callback earns you the shortest security line.
9. “You Gotta Be There Every Day” – Banks’ Epitaph for Fandom
Banks played 2,528 straight games without complaining, so the sentence carries moral weight. Fans repeat it to justify weekday matinee escapes from work.
Turn the line into a calendar hack: buy the bleacher 20-game plan that includes only day games, then schedule client calls from the left-field concourse. Productivity rises because sunlight beats fluorescent cubicles.
10. “The Cardinals Suck” – The Rivalry Refrain That Borders on Liturgy
Busch Stadium visitors hear it from the moment they exit the Red Line at Addison. The phrase is so embedded that local breweries print it on IPA labels.
Keep the insult creative: reference 1969 black-and-white footage, not 2016 championship. Historical depth proves you hated long before it was fashionable.
Keeping the Chant Family-Friendly in the Bleachers
Substitute “stinks” when kids occupy the row in front of you; parents join the chant instead of reporting you. The adjustment preserves the tradition without security intervention.
11. “Down to Last Strike” – The 2016 World Series Call That Replaced “Curse”
Joe Buck’s broadcast line echoed Jack Buck’s “I don’t believe what I just saw” from 1988. Cubs fans now use it to frame any comeback, from slow-pitch softball to corporate layoffs.
Drop the phrase during a budget meeting when the project revives after cancellation; colleagues picture Schwarber’s Game 7 triple and suddenly morale rebounds.
12. “We Are Good” – The 2016 Locker-Room Snap That Went Viral
Jason Heyward posted the three-word selfie after the NLCS clinch, and the internet printed 100,000 shirts overnight. The sentence is present tense, no exclamation point—confidence without shouting.
Use it as a Slack status after shipping code; the understatement signals veteran calm, not rookie hype. Copy Heyward’s exact punctuation to stay authentic.
Putting the 12 Sayings to Work on Game Day
Arrive at Addison Red Line platform 90 minutes before first pitch. Chant “Beautiful day for a ballgame” while scanning your Ventra card; the CTA operator often waves you through the turnstile for free.
Inside, order a Chicago-style hot dog, then tweet the photo captioned “Try not to suck, lunch.” The algorithmic combo of Cubs phrase plus food pic triples engagement versus generic stadium shots.
Building a 162-Game Vocabulary Calendar
Assign each saying to a month: “Fly the W” for April wins, “Wait till next year” for May slumps, “Down to last strike” for September nail-biters. Rotate them consciously so your Twitter feed stays fresh across the grind.
Advanced Tactics: Turning Sayings Into Networking Currency
At Wrigley Field corporate rooftops, lead with “That’s Cub” when the intern shags a foul in the buffet line. Executives hear the code, peg you as insider, and open conversation before the second inning.
Follow up with “We are good” while handing over a business card; the understated swagger mirrors the 2016 clubhouse tone and closes deals faster than golf outings.
Avoiding the Rookie Mistake of Overusing 2016 Nostalgia
Millennials who reference Game 7 every sentence sound like baby boomers stuck on 1985 Bears. Instead, cite 2016 once, then pivot to future roster prospects.
Drop “Let’s get some runs” when discussing Nico Hoerner’s on-base percentage; the vintage Harry call links past glory to present analytics without dwelling.
Final Layer: Teaching the Next Generation Without Sounding Preachy
Hand a kid a scorecard and say, “You gotta be there every day—write down every pitch.” The child absorbs Banks’ work ethic through action, not lecture.
When the youngster asks why everyone sings after the seventh inning, reply, “That’s Cub,” and point to the W flag. One phrase answers two questions, preserving mystique while inviting membership.