Today, it’s called the BP Crosstown Cup (it’s official name), BP Crosstown Classic, or The Windy City Showdown. It’s also been called the Red Line Series, City Series, Crosstown Series, Crosstown Cup, Gatorade Windy City Classic, Busch Crosstown Classic or Crosstown Showdown.
In other words, the Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox rivalry has a had a lot of names. But throughout it all, the White Sox seem to keep getting the best of the Cubs. The Cubbies won today, but they lost the 2011 edition of the series. The all time series stands in favor of the Sox 49-41, 45-39 in the regular season. The Southside also has a 400-376 run differential all time. And they won the meeting which mattered the most by far, the 1906 World Series.
The Sox retained the BP Cup, so they’ve had it for the two years the trophy has been in existence. It goes to the winner of the season series, and the Sox have taken the last three. In terms of season series, the Southsiders own an 8-3-4 advantage. This year may have lacked any signature moments, but there are three which have stood out over time:
the infamous Carlos Zambrano and his childish tirade at U.S. Cellular Field last year, Michael Jordan taking his “hiatus” (covert league cough, cough, suspension, cough cough) from the Chicago Bulls to pursue a baseball career. He played in the Sox minor league system and got a hit in the 1994 meeting, when it was still an exhibition series, and finally the marquee moment in the rivalry history, the Sox A.J. Pierzynski colliding at the plate with the Cubs Michael Barrett, and the punch-to-the-face in response.
You remember that in 2006?
However, 2008 was by far the best year in the rivalry from a baseball standpoint. It was the first and only time, they met when both teams were in first place, and both teams went on to win their divisions that year. (First time since 1906 that both Chicago teams reached the playoffs in the same year) In the ’08 regular season meetings, each home team swept the visitor, so the series ended a 3-3 tie.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports You can follow him on Twitter