The Cubs-White Sox Rivalry (also known as the Crosstown Classic , The Windy City Showdown , Red Line Rivalry , City Series , Expressway Series , Crosstown Series , or Crosstown Showdown ) refers to the rivalry between two Major League Baseball teams that play their home games in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Cubs of the National League play their home games at Wrigley Field located on the city's North side, while the Chicago White Sox of the American League play their home games at U.S. Cellular Field (previously known as Comiskey Park) on the city's South Side. The terms "North Siders" and "South Siders" are synonymous with the respective teams and their fans. As of September 3, 2009, the White Sox lead the regular season series 37-35. There have been six series sweeps since interleague play began: four by the Cubs in 1998, 2004, 2007, and 2008, and two by the White Sox in 1999 and 2008. The Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line runs north-south through Chicago's neighborhoods, stopping at Wrigley Field and US Cellular Field.
History
The rivalry between the two teams and their fans dates back to the founding of the American League. In 1900, Charles Comiskey moved his Saint Paul Saints minor league franchise to Chicago. It is believed that the Cubs owner at the time was not happy, and filed a suit against Comiskey. After talks, it was decided that Comiskey could move his team to Chicago, pending that Chicago was not used in the title of the team name, and that the team play south of 35th Street. In response, the team was renamed the "White Stockings," which had been the original name of the Cubs from 1876 to 1889. The establishment of a new team in the city was a direct challenge to the National League franchise, which had been the idea behind the formation of the American League. As the AL gained in popularity (with cheaper prices on admission and alcohol), the NL recognized the equality of the AL. This recognition did little to stem the rivalry between owners, players, and fans.
While teams in New York City (such as the Yankees, Giants, and Brooklyn Dodgers) routinely played against each other in World Series matchups throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the two Chicago teams only met once in the 1906 World Series, a celebrated event that seemingly put the city on hold for a full week. The heavily favored but young Cubs (who had won 116 games in the regular season) lost in six games to the veteran and pitching-strong White Sox, "The Hitless Wonders."
Between 1903 and the beginning of interleague play in 1997, the Cubs and White Sox occasionally met in a "City Series" and later in single charity exhibition games, often on Memorial Day each year called the "Crosstown Classic" or the "Red Line Series." For many years beginning in the 1980s, WGN aired a Cubs/White Sox exhibition called the "Windy City Classic." While fans generally loved these games, as evidenced by high fan attendance, the games did not count toward the teams' rankings in their respective league standings, which took away some of the excitement. At best, they provided bragging rights to the winner.
Since interleague play began in 1997, the White Sox and Cubs have routinely played each other six times each year (one three-game series at each stadium). Based on the availability of tickets and the prices offered through ticket brokers, these games are among the most anticipated of the season. These games have featured a variety of heroics, perceived slights, and errors on both sides that have added fuel to the rivalry.
Barrett vs. Pierzynski
On Saturday, May 20, 2006, a brawl broke out during a White Sox-Cubs game. In the bottom of the second inning, Brian Anderson of the White Sox hit a sacrifice fly, attempting to score catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Pierzynski collided with Cub catcher Michael Barrett as Barrett attempted to tag Pierzynski out, knocking Barrett over and jarring the ball loose. After slapping home plate in celebration, Pierzynski began to walk away, but Barrett blocked his path and punched him in the jaw. Both benches cleared and a brawl broke out. Barrett was suspended for 10 games and Anderson was suspended for five games. Umpires debated for 15 minutes over who would be ejected. When play finally resumed, outfielder Scott Podsednik promptly got on base, loading the bases up, and second baseman Tadahito Iguchi cleared them with a grand-slam. The White Sox won the game, 7–0.
In 2008, the teams played each other as leaders of their respective divisions for the first time ever: the White Sox in the American League Central and the Cubs in the National League Central. Also for the first time in the rivalry's history, both Sunday games to end each series were televised nationally on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. The Chicago Cubs swept the White Sox in the first weekend series at Wrigley Field, and the White Sox subsequently swept the Cubs at US Cellular Field during the second weekend series, thus splitting the series 3–3 and resulting in an all-time interleague series tie of 33–33 through 2008.
Stadiums
The White Sox have always been located on the south side. At the time the White Sox came to town, the Cubs' home field was West Side Park, in an older section of the city which is now the realm of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks. (Coincidentally, for a few seasons in the early 1890s the Cubs home park was within a block of the sites of the future Sox ballparks). In 1916 the Cubs moved from the west to the north side, taking over Weeghman Park, the abandoned Federal League facility (later renamed Wrigley Field), thus setting up the current separation.
When the new Comiskey Park (now called U.S. Cellular Field) was built, many in the media and baseball (including both Cubs and White Sox fans) called the park "sterile", and lacking the beauty and personality of the old park, even though many seats at the old park were cramped, behind posts, or in the outfield. Regardless, this again set up a point of rivalry as Cubs fans had their classic park, while White Sox fans had their modern park. While several renovations to U.S. Cellular Field have silenced many criticisms, such as the improved upper deck and bleachers, the difference between the fields remains a point of rivalry between fans of the teams.
When the Tribune Company bought the Cubs, they immediately started pressing for night baseball, threatening to abandon Wrigley Field otherwise. Night baseball was finally added in 1988, and after some further negotiations with the city, in the winter of 2005-2006 they expanded Wrigley's bleachers for the first time since 1938.
Even the neighborhoods around the stadiums show the difference between the fans. Wrigleyville, a part of the Lakeview neighborhood, surrounds the Cubs' stadium, and comprises middle- and upper-middle-class housing, as well as many restaurants, bars and music venues for fans to visit before and after games. Bridgeport neighborhood directly west of the White Sox home field has a more "blue-collar" reputation. There are bars and restaurants in Bridgeport, too; however, White Sox fans must walk or drive a few blocks from U.S. Cellular Field to get to them.
Until 2004, WGN and FSN Chicago would "switch off" during interleague games: for the Cubs home games, the Cubs commentary team would call the game, while the Sox commentary team would have the call for their home games. Starting in 2005, both WGN and newly created Comcast SportsNet Chicago show the games on each network with both commentary crews at the same time, allowing the viewer to watch the game without an opposing team bias. The stations will switch off each day (For example, in a series at Wrigley Field, WGN would treat the game on Friday as a Cubs home game with CSN treating it as a White Sox away game. On Sunday, WGN will broadcast a White Sox away game and CSN will show a Cubs home game) in order to give WGN America viewers a broadcast from both sides. The Saturday game is traditionally broadcast nationally as a Game of the Week by Fox Sports, providing a neutral perspective. As well, in 2008, ESPN picked up coverage of the Sunday night game in each series, providing another neutral perspective. In addition, CSN will air a neutral two-hour pre-show featuring batting practice and interviews from both teams.
Performance
While New York of the 1940s and 1950s often had two or three teams vying for championships, the two Chicago teams had comparatively little to celebrate for a long time (except for pennants in 1945 (Cubs) and 1959 (Sox)), until the White Sox won the 2005 World Series. Historically, each team's fans felt bad for their own team's relatively poor performance, but could take solace that the other team was doing just as badly. Thus, the rivalry often was one in which fans of one team are just as happy for the poor play of the other team as they are for the good play of their own ( schadenfreude ). This above all is what made the Chicago rivalry unique in Major League Baseball. An examination of other great rivalries (Yankees-Red Sox, Yankees-Mets, Giants-Athletics, Giants-Dodgers, Dodgers-Angels, Cubs-Cardinals) shows that (with the Cardinals-Cubs exception) both teams have made World Series appearances on a fairly regular basis.
The animosity among fans (that fortunately only rarely escalates to violence) is summed up in the lines from the song "The Ball
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