Who reigns supreme in Chicago, Cubs or White Sox?

Editor on 09 4, 2009

Thanks to Mason for the article

The Cubs will always be the main focus for baseball fans in Chicago. Why? Outside of the fact that White Sox fans spend the majority of their lives behind bars unable to support their club in person, being a Cub fan in Chicago is the “it” thing to do with all the part-time emo college kids. However, there are several other factors as to why the Cubbies will always remain the focal point of Chicago baseball.

Stadiums/Fans:

Wrigley Field- Wrigley has history on its side in this argument. The ivy lining the outfield fences, rooftop seats across the street, and those unusual winds from Lake Michigan that make even the most routine fly ball interesting. Every fan, whether their allegiance rests with the Cubs or not, wants the chance to sit in the bleachers at Wrigley. Despite them being filled primarily with drunk college guys and girls wearing Fukudome jerseys (because his name looks like it could potentially be pronounced “F*ck you do me.” Yeah, stay classy Chicago), there’s no denying the atmosphere surrounding you at a Cubs game. With the always entertaining 7th inning stretch that always seems to bring out the best of whichever B-list celebrity does the singing, the “W” flag that is raised following every victory, and the manual scoreboard that brings with it the fun old-school vibe, it’s always a good time at this field. Wrigley may not be the best kept stadium in the league, but that’s the sacrifice you make when you keep a stadium around as long as they have with this park.

U.S. Cellular Field- On the other hand you have U.S. Cellular Field. U.S. Cellular may have seen its share of great baseball memories recently; a World Series title along with Mark Buehrle’s no-hit and perfect games to name a few, but the park itself is trash (for lack of a better word). While Wrigley is mainly filled with intoxicated idiots, the White Sox’s home ballpark isn’t much better. At least at Wrigley you can wear an opposing team’s colors without earning a trip to the emergency room (regardless of your age or gender).

Stadium nicknames- Wrigley is also known as The Friendly Confines, Wrigleyville, and to a lesser extent, “America’s Largest Gay Bar” (no, I am not making that up). U.S. Cellular boasts just one nickname, that being “The Cell.” We’ll have to give this one to White Sox fans simply based on the fact that “The Cell” is actually pretty decent. Not to mention that the stadium’s nickname accurately depicts its fans’ second home, behind bars, giving enjoyment to Cubs fans and White Sox fans alike.

Stadium/Fan verdict- Overall the point goes to the Cubs simply based on the fact that everyone should want to experience Wrigley at least once. The same cannot be said for U.S. Cellular Field. Most casual baseball fans probably can’t even identify the field if shown a picture, much less tell you the name of that dump. Cubs 1, White Sox 0.

Teams:

Cubs- The Cubs’ seem to always have the slogan “Next Year” on their minds. Although you could argue that this is a direct result of always having a team worthy of contention, it also speaks volumes about their overall success. The Cubs have their excuses; Bartman interfering with a potential crucial out in the NLCS (even though Alou probably wouldn’t have caught it and there were a number of other fans also trying to catch it) and the “Billy Goat Curse” being the most notable ones. However, as I stated earlier, the Cubs always seem to be in the thick of the playoff race year in and year out, always keeping fans interested.

White Sox- The White Sox lose points based on the fact that most of their team is made up of “douche bags.” However, while they may not always find themselves contending in the American League’s Central division, their fans do have the ability to say that they witnessed their team a World Series Championship in their lifetimes. The Sox lead the all-time series 40-37, hold the record for the largest margin of victory (12-2, 6/24/2005), and have won the previous two meetings. These two clubs have met in the post-season only once, a 4 games to 2 victory for the White Sox in the 1906 World Series. I’d say that’s enough to end this argument right here.

Teams verdict- The White Sox won the 2005 World Series. The Cubs seem to think that the season is over after 162 games. Point goes to the White Sox. Cubs 1, White Sox 1.

Managers:

Cubs- Oh, Sweet Lou. Lou Piniella has won six division titles, three in each league (Reds 1, Mariners 3, Cubs 2). Lou won the 1990 World Series over the Athletics (with the Reds not the Cubs, obviously). Piniella’s teams have won 90 or more games eight times. More importantly than statistics, Piniella has been the subject of countless entertaining sound bites and rants towards umpires during his time as an MLB manager. This guy doesn’t just do a great job of managing his players, he always keeps baseball fans laughing with his antics.

White Sox- Oswaldo “Ozzie” Guillen, the White Sox’s skipper, is the first Latin-born manager to win a World Series and has a temper and loud personality that rivals that of Piniella’s, but this guy isn’t always a loveable character. Although anyone that speaks negatively of Jay Mariotti is OK in my book, Guillen does talk a little bit too much for most people’s tastes. Ozzie always seems to have a controversial opinion or comment regarding almost any topic, and sometimes it just seems like he talks just for the sake of talking. Personality aside, Guillen is not quite as good as Piniella is when it comes to in-game managerial decisions, and that hurts him in this argument.

Managers verdict- Both have won a World Series, and although Guillen’s playoff winning percentage is much higher than Piniella’s, Lou simply trumps Ozzie in almost every other statistical category. The point has to go to the Cubs. Cubs 2, White Sox 1.

Final Count: Cubs 2, White Sox 1

The fact of the matter is that if you take away that 2005 World Series title, the White Sox have been just as, if not less successful, than the Cubs since their last championship in 1917. Chicago residents will always consider the Cubs their team, while considering the White Sox a minor footnote in their state’s baseball history.