The Chicago Cubs are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Chicago. They play in the National League Central division. Also known in their early years as the "Chicago White Stockings" (1876–89), "Chicago Colts" (1890–97), and "Chicago Orphans" (1898–1902), pitchers for the Cubs have thrown 15 no-hitters in franchise history. A no-hitter is officially recognized by Major League Baseball only “when a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no hits during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings”. No-hitters of fewer than nine complete innings were previously recognized by the league as official; however, several rule alterations in 1991 changed the rule to its current form.