News Release

7-17 Contact:
February 20, 2017 Christopher Wills
217-558-8970
For Immediate Release
chris.wills@illinois.gov

A state divided Cubs vs.

Cardinals
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to explore
historic baseball rivalry with exhibit opening March 24
SPRINGFIELD Blue vs. red, bear vs. bird, north vs. south the competition between
the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals has divided Illinois for generations. Now the
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will offer an exciting new look at
this piece of baseball history in Cubs vs. Cardinals: The Rivalry.

The exhibit opens March 24. Visitors will see rare artifacts and photographs. Theyll
learn about legendary players like Mordecai Brown and Rogers Hornsby and newer
stars like Jake Arrieta and Yadier Molina. Theyll also be able to interact with the exhibit
by sharing their own Cards-Cubs memories, answering trivia questions and playing a
home run derby as their favorite team.

Baseball is the American pastime and a huge part of

history and culture. Few sports stories can top the
length, passion and sheer fun of the Cubs-Cardinals
rivalry, said Alan Lowe, executive director of the
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
Were excited to offer our visitors an unprecedented
look at this piece of the Illinois story.
The Rivalry was developed in conjunction with the National Baseball Hall of Fame,
the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals, an unprecedented partnership from all
three organizations for an exhibit of this type.

We are thrilled to collaborate with the prestigious Abraham Lincoln Presidential

Library and Museum on The Rivalry exhibit, said Jeff Idelson, president of the
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. In bringing artifacts from Cooperstown
to Springfield, we are able to animate the stories associated with one of baseballs most
celebrated rivalries and two of the most enthusiastic fan bases these teams represent.

Items planned for the exhibit include:

The second-base bag stolen by Cardinals star (and former Cub) Lou Brock on
Sept. 10, 1974, to break the modern record for steals in a season
The cap worn by Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood when he struck out 20 batters on May
6, 1998
A chart kept by Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog to track the hitting trends of
Cubs slugger Andre Dawson
A watch fob owned by Mordecai Three Finger Brown with medallions for the
Cubs 1907 and 1908 World Series victories and 1906 pennant win
Shoes worn by Cardinals outfielder Vince Coleman when he set the major league
record for stolen bases by a rookie in 1985
Gear worn or used by such greats as Rogers Hornsby, Hack Wilson, Stan Musial,
Fergie Jenkins, Bob Gibson, Sammy Sosa, Albert Pujols and more.

The artifacts in this exhibit will amaze baseball fans, said Illinois State Historian
Samuel Wheeler. The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown has, literally,
opened its vault to us, as have the Cardinals and the Cubs.

The Chicago White Stockings took the field in 1871 and the St. Louis Brown Stockings
followed in 1882. But the exhibit begins even before the teams (which later took on the
names Cubs and Cardinals) were officially created. It will carry visitors through 150
years of highs and lows championships, memorable trades, broken racial barriers,
famous broadcasters, home run races and more.

The exhibit will be housed in the ALPLMs Illinois Gallery, a space dedicated to rotating
exhibits on state history. There will be no extra fee to see Cubs vs. Cardinals: The
Rivalry. It is part of the regular museum admission price.
A series of special events, some light-hearted and others thought-provoking, will
accompany the exhibit. We plan to host an expert on baseball during the Civil War,
screen the movie Field of Dreams, commemorate the accomplishments of
groundbreaking players like Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente and more.

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