Cubs Rivalry Bobbleheads Released On Would-Be Opening Day

CHICAGO — Opening Day on the North Side didn't occur in its traditional form on Monday — when the Chicago Cubs were scheduled to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of the year at Wrigley Field — but a pair of bobbleheads depicting the Cubs and their two primary National League Central division rivals were still released as a way to keep baseball on the minds of the many who are already missing it due to the new coronavirus pandemic.

The rivalry bobbleheads feature the Cubs' mascot, Clark facing off with Fredbird from the St. Louis Cardinals in one and Bernie Brewer from the Milwaukee Brewers in the other. They were made available for purchase here on March 30 and cost $60 apiece.

"No one knows when the MLB season will start, but we wanted to give fans a reason to smile and something to look forward to on what would have been Opening Day at Wrigley Field,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “The Cubs vs. Cardinals and I-94 Rivalries are some of the most intense in baseball and sports, and these bobbleheads are the perfect way to commemorate the passion and excitement while fans patiently wait for the words we’re all longing to hear right now—‘Play Ball’!”

The bobbleheads were produced exclusively for the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum by FOCO, an official licensee and manufacturer of MLB merchandise.

Sklar said it was important to move forward with the release of the bobbleheads because baseball fans "need something to enjoy during these unprecedented times, and bobbleheads make millions of fans smile each year.

"The bobbleheads will remind people that the baseball season will eventually begin, and we’ll appreciate it even more when we can head out to the ballpark with our friends and family, sit back, and enjoy America’s pastime."