If you’re from the Chicago area and you like baseball, you know that there is an intense rivalry between the White Sox and Cubs, and even more so between the two fan bases. For years, both clubs have lived through the pain and agony of losing seasons and the excitement of a few playoff teams. You can look back and talk about the 2003 Cubs and the “Bartman game” or go back to when the Sox won the World Series in 2005, but both teams know that at this point, it’s all old news. What this year has brought to the table so far has been two winning teams from Chicago, both in their own ways. Some fans may not like the idea of two successful teams at once in the city, but with both the White Sox and Cubs off to the hot starts that they are, it’s not such a bad thing to see two playoff-caliber teams heading into the summer.
As a White Sox fan, I may be biased, however the Sox seemingly to be one of the more surprising teams in baseball so far this season. The Cubs, on the other hand, have been chosen by many experts to win the World Series, so their success isn’t coming at much of a surprise to the general public. Two good ball clubs in Chicago is good for the city, and good for the fan bases. It brings a higher intensity to the rivalry that is Sox/Cubs. The Cubs tend to bring the national spotlight to baseball in Chicago, and they love the attention. On the other side of the city, the Sox are playing in the shadow of the good ol’ Cubbies, and surpassing expectations without much attention. As the summer months start to heat up, if both teams continue to play well, that’ll just be even better.
With both teams winning, it drives each fan base to need to become more creative as to why their team is better. So far, the Cubs overall have much better hitting, while the Sox have better pitching. However, things will continue to intensify in both aspects with pitchers like Chris Sale (Sox) and Jake Arrieta (Cubs) taking the rubber every fifth day and hitters like Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant hitting for the Cubs while Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier do the same on the South Side. This is good for Chicago, who as of recently have seen success from other pro sports teams like the Bulls playoff teams and of course the Blackhawks dominance in recent years. As a baseball fan in Chi-town, you have the choice of two teams to choose from as your favorite to pair up with all your other favorite sports teams. At a time like now, everyone wins. It brings attention to the city and an extra charge to the fight between fans that will truly never be won completely.
Chicago fans have to face it; you have two good baseball teams. Take advantage of this time and enjoy the push to the playoffs as much as you can.
