Cubs announce 56 inductees into their newly-created Hall of Fame

Monday, I posted here about the Cubs’ plans to open a Hall of Fame at Wrigley Field, along with other ceremonies to take place Thursday when they will be premiering a documentary about the restoration of Wrigley. Season-ticket holders were invited to this showing, so I’ll be attending.

Today, the team announced that 56 people will be the first to get plaques in the team’s Hall of Fame, which will be located on the left field bleacher concourse.

The new Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame includes 56 plaques which represent individuals who dedicated their time to Cubs baseball, both on and off the field. Baseball legends, former players and managers, beloved broadcasters and announcers, team owners and front office executives will grace the walls of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame, immortalized in historic Wrigley Field for decades to come. The plaques included in the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame represent 41 individuals previously enshrined in the original Cubs Hall of Fame (1982-86), nine additional individuals enshrined in the Cubs Walk of Fame (1992-98), five Cubs recently recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and a new 2021 inductee, Margaret Donahue, who broke gender barriers as Major League Baseball’s first female officer who was not a team owner.

All 56 individuals who will have plaques at this new Cubs Hall of Fame can be seen at this link. (Too long a list to post here, please do click on the link to see all the names.)

The list goes back to the 19th Century and honestly, at this juncture I don’t think they left anyone significant out, at least not for this initial list. I’m sure many more will be added each year. The list was compiled with the help of one of the most knowledgeable people on Cubs history, official team historian Ed Hartig.

“It was an honor to work alongside the Cubs to formalize the approach to how the team bestows recognition upon those who have contributed to the rich history of the ball club,” said Hartig, who assisted with the creation of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame. “Over the years, there have been a number of ways ownership has chosen to celebrate achievements both on and off the field, and with the new Cubs Hall of Fame, we embrace these tributes and chart the course for the future.”

You’ll be able to see the plaques at Wrigley Field beginning Friday, when the Cubs host the Royals.