Will it be a three-peat for Lou Piniella and the Central Division champs in 2009? Having conquered their division in 2008 and 2009, the Chicago Cubs of recent years have preserved the storied history of the franchise, and as such, the Chicago Cubs continue to be one of the most popular Major League Baseball (MLB) teams today.

And they are one of the most marketable, as well.

Chicago Cubs jerseys, in fact, are among the hottest selling items in the MLB’s official stores. Ebay auctions for authentic Chicago Cubs jerseys also command healthy bids. The same is true for similar auctions over at Yahoo’s virtual shop. Over at CubWorld, a website dedicated to official Chicago Cubs merchandise, restocking on Chicago Cubs jerseys is said to be a daily habit. And in the Windy City itself, Chicago Cubs jerseys are rarer than memorabilia from the 1893 World’s Fair.

The most popular Chicago Cubs jerseys seem to be the generic ones – Home and Away uniforms as well as practice apparels. These jerseys don’t bear the name and the number of any particular player, making them ideal gifts for just about any Chicago Cubs fan.

When it comes to players from the current roster, Alfonso Soriano – who has the richest contact in Chicago Cubs history – owns the most purchased jersey. The lead-off hitter isn’t considered the face of the franchise, but his stable presence and his leadership qualities have made him a heralded personality in Chi Town.

Catching up with Soriano’s popularity is Kosuke Fukudome. The amiable Japanese with a solid catching hand has sold the most number of Chicago Cubs jerseys in 2007, the year he joined the team. Fukodome commands a global following, making him a highly marketable commodity for the organization. That he wears the number 1 – a very catchy jersey number – only ups the salability of his merchandise.

And rounding up the top 3 most popular Chicago Cubs jerseys is Geovany Soto’s number 18 uniform. The 2008 National League Rookie of the Year is being hailed as the future of the franchise. Blessed with fantastic aptitude for the game, this catcher raised his stock when he called a no-hitter game against the shocked Houston Astros during his rookie year.

When shopping online for Chicago Cubs jerseys, you’ll be better off using the services of established sellers. The MLB store and CubWorld are the two most trusted online distributors of Chicago Cubs products, and their reputation is your guarantee that you will receive nothing but original, official and licensed Chicago Cubs merchandise.