Why do the Giants have the Cubs logo on Rickwood Field game jerseys?

Major League Baseball is gearing up for a very special game this Thursday between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants. Dubbed 'MLB at Rickwood: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues,' the game will be the first regular season MLB game played in the state of Alabama, at Birmingham's historic Rickwood Field.

Rickwood Field was the longtime host of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues, and the timing of this game is no coincidence, as it will be played just one day after the Juneteenth holiday, which commemorates the day in 1865 that African-American slaves were finally given news of their freedom in Galveston, Texas.

Major League Baseball has made a concerted effort in recent years to recognize the contributions of Negro Leaguers. The last two editions of the popular video game MLB: The Show have featured significant modes dedicated to the Negro Leagues, and less than a month ago, MLB integrated Negro League records into its history books, which has shaken up most statistical categories due to the long-overdue inclusion of historically great players such as Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige.

The game at Rickwood Field is a celebration of the Negro Leagues, and an opportunity for fans to learn about one of the forgotten chapters in baseball history. Part of that celebration includes the Negro League-inspired jerseys that each team will wear, which MLB unveiled several days ago.

Why does the San Francisco Giants logo look like the Cubs logo?

The Giants' jerseys are modeled after the San Francisco Sea Lions of the West Coast Negro Baseball League, while the Cardinals' are modeled after the St. Louis Stars of the Negro National League. According to Ebbets Field Flannels, which produces high-quality Negro League replica jerseys, the San Francisco Sea Lions had a cub on their jersey because they purchased them from a semi-pro team called the San Francisco Cubs. So technically it's a Sea Lions logo, but it's actually a cub.

Whether this happened because funds were too scarce at the time to make new jerseys or it was simply more cost-effective to buy used uniforms isn't clear, but the fact that the Sea Lions were forced to play in what were essentially hand-me-downs was emblematic of the second-class citizen status that Black Americans, and by extension, Negro League players, faced at the time and have been fighting to overcome in the decades since.

The Giants have worn Sea Lions throwbacks before, most recently in a 2023 August home game to celebrate African-American Heritage Day, but this is the first time they will feature the cub logo on their caps.

MLB shop has a page dedicated to the game at Rickwood, where fans can purchase jerseys, caps and more from both participating teams.