Alexis Egeland

The Republic | azcentral.com

Chase Field, an iconic spot in downtown Phoenix, has a few icons of its own.

There's Paul Goldschmidt, of course, the iconic Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star.

There's the roof, allowing people to escape the Arizona heat and watch the game indoors, in an air-conditioned space.

And the Diamondbacks Legend caricatures with the giant heads racing along the first base line after the fifth inning of every game.

But one of the most iconic elements of the Diamondbacks fan experience is in a spot where some people wouldn't think to look.

Each home game, in the upper deck of the stadium, Cindy McBride is waving her flags.

What is the story behind the flags?

Handcrafted and individualized

Cindy McBride, 68, of Phoenix is known as "Rally Sally" or "the flag lady," because of her spirited support of her hometown team.

Since 2002, McBride has been waving her handcrafted flags from the upper deck of Chase Field.

"I used to just dance around up here during the games, and then started making costumes as well," McBride said. "One day I thought, 'Why not try flags?' And it went from there."

She handcrafts each flag herself, and personalizes them for each player.

For example, Goldschmidt's flag is gold, sheer white, and blue. McBride explained that the gold represents his nickname, "Goldy," the sheer white represents strength (a biblical reference), and the blue was used because, "with his talent, the sky is the limit."

If a player leaves the team, McBride said she gives them the option of taking the flag with them.

"They get their flag if they want it," she said. "It's theirs. I'll have no use for it anymore."

The flags are beginning to become a trend for more than just the players — McBride now has a flag for the umpires, too. She said that other groups throughout the stadium have requested flags as well, including the grounds crew and concessions workers.

A form of ministry

McBride said that one of the best parts of her experience as "the flag lady" has been the opportunity it has given her to share her Christian faith.

"I've been extremely fortunate because I've gotten to meet people from all over the world," she said. "It lets me minister and share my faith with so many people that I never would have been able to before."

A big way that McBride uses her flags as a form of ministry is through the design of the flags. She said that the sheer, almost translucent parts of the flags are a biblical reference.

"In the Bible, this translucence represents strength, so I tried to find a fabric that most closely matches that for my flags," she said.

McBride said the main way she ministers to people is just by being herself.

"When you are a Christian, people can see the difference in you," she said. "Maybe you seem more joyful or peaceful, and they'll notice that. I hope that when people see me or come talk to me, they'll notice that difference."

Another member of the game-day staff

Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Diamondbacks, said he loves having McBride at the games.

"She is truly one of a kind," Hall said. "This is the type of fan that every team hopes to have. Shows up win or lose. Even in difficult seasons like this one, she’s always there."

Hall said that McBride has been waving her flags at nearly every home game since he joined the team's staff in 2005. He remembers trying to help pay for the materials for new flags when the team changed its colors in 2006.

"She seemed offended when I offered to have the team pay for her new flags," Hall said. "She said, 'This is my gift to you and the players, and I wouldn’t feel right if you paid for it.' "

Hall referred to McBride as another member of the game-day staff, saying that she's always trying to make people's first experience at Chase Field memorable.

"She will text me during the game, saying, 'Any chance you can show these people (on the screen)? It’s their first game,' ” he said. "She’s always looking out for others, making sure people’s first time at Chase Field is great."

Hall said he can't imagine a Diamondbacks game without McBride and her flags.

"She's family, you know?"

A tradition in the stands

Her fans drop by as the innings pass.

Two young girls, who said they were in high school, ran up excitedly, clearly starstruck.

"Hi," one of the girls said, "we're from Colorado, but we saw you up here and loved your flags. We just wanted to come up and talk to you because we think what you're doing is so cool. We've never seen anything like this at a Rockies game."

McBride laughed and chatted with the girls a bit before shaking their hands and sending them back to their parents.

A few batters later, Amy Pike, 34, walked up.

"Hi, can I ask you something? My name is Amy and this is my cousin John, and he's been watching you wave these flags since he was five years old," Amy said, pulling over a man who had walked up nervously behind her.

"Oh, well that just makes me feel old," McBride laughed.

The three began to chat, while John Pike, now 27, explained to McBride that his father has been a Diamondbacks season ticket holder since the inaugural season in 1998.

"I remember watching you up here since I was like 5," John told McBride. "You were always one of my favorite parts of the games, and I always wanted to come up and meet you."

He then explained that when he worked in the Diamondbacks team shop from 2006 to 2010, there was a framed newspaper article hanging on the shop's wall.

"I don't know if it's still there," he said, "but there was an article up about you (McBride). It just talked about the flags and the story behind them, and had a picture of you facing the field, wearing a jersey."

Before heading back to his seat, John asked if he could get a hug from "the flag lady." McBride obliged, and John's face lit up like a kid's on Christmas morning.

"Oh my God, I'm so excited," he exclaimed as they hugged.