When someone brings up baseball while walking down the streets of Chicago, there are going to be two different responses from two different fanbases.
On the South Side, fans will say how excited they are to finally have a plan of a young, up-and-coming team. They know that more than a few dark days lie ahead before anyone can start thinking about a World Series, but regardless, there is hope. However, with that hope, comes jealousy. White Sox fans knew that even though they were recognized as the second team in the Second City, they had one thing Cubs fans did not: a World Series title. Now that that is over with, they are eager to get back to rooting for a World Series contender of their own.
The North Siders will be singing a different tune. Bragging and basking in the glory that saw the Chicago Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years affords them that right. They know they are the powerhouse of MLB and will continue to be for the next five years at the bare minimum. And let's be honest here, after all that waiting, they deserve to brag and bask all they want. The Cubs are the poster child franchise of the MLB. And their fans know it.
One of the bigger series the Cubs and White Sox play every year is the one against each other -- the Crosstown Classic. No matter how bad either team may be, Cubs-White Sox games always drew sellout crowds. Growing up, it was more than a series for all the kids in the neighborhood, or the adults at work. It was bragging rights for the year. It was special.
The Crosstown Classic saw its peak during the 2006 season in which the White Sox were defending World Series Champs, and the Cubs were slowly on the rise as well. Everyone remembers that amazing game at Sox Park, Comiskey Park if you will (please do not call it "The Cell" it is a ballpark, not a prison and F Guaranteed Rate). However, for those who don't, here is a quick refresher.
White Sox center fielder Brian Anderson hit a fly ball to left, allowing for A.J. Pierzynski to tag up from third base. The Cubs catcher, Michael Barrett, was blocking the plate as A.J. promptly (and legally) ran him over, and was called safe. Barrett was having none of A.J. as he slapped home plate in celebration. He blocked his path back to the dugout, yelled, "I didn't have the ball, b****," and slugged A.J. in the jaw.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tivag5pOBhM
Naturally the benches cleared on both sides, and when the dust had settled, Barrett, Pierzynski, Anderson, and Cubs first baseman John Mabry were all ejected from the game. Former announcer for the White Sox Darren Jackson was raving just how important brawls like that are for teams every now and then.
"This is the kind of thing that can help each team. The White Sox are already a unit, and have proved they are there for each other. And for the Cubs, this can really cement them together. You never know how a brawl like that pulls a unit together."It was truly one of the coolest moments in the history of the Crosstown Classic, but since then things have really died down. That's all going to change. The rivalry between North and South is sure to gain some steam in the near future with the Cubs now the defending champs, it will be the White Sox who will desperately be trying to beat them and prove themselves. In three years, when both teams (hopefully) are a World Series threat, the rivalry should really be at an all-time high. In fact, it would not be surprising to see another brawl, or at least some hit batters and chippy plays on the base paths. Both teams will be young and talented, and will be striving for greatness and bragging rights for the city along the way. Call me crazy, but a scenario where we see Javy Baez charging the mound after Michael Kopech beans him with a 100 mph fastball would really get the electricity back into this series and the blood pumping in every Chicago baseball fan. The city of Chicago has seen one World Series Championship from each team since 2005. With the Cubs currently at the top and the White Sox on their way, don't be surprised if we get to a point in the near future where the Crosstown Classic and the Fall Classic are one in the same.
