I’m a die hard Sox fan, and with the exception of what I call “the years of transgression”, I always have been and always will be. During the “Y.OT.,” I rooted for the Cubs; I even had a hat and wore it all the time. I remember growing a really big ‘fro and stuffing it under this cap so it would mushroom out around the sides just like Jose Cardinal. I dreamed of being like Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins or Mr. Cub himself—Ernie Banks. I think my mind was clouded by some sort of pre-pubescent state of dementia.
I’d sit and watch the games with my grandmother and sister; they loved the cubs. My mother didn’t care much for sports, and my father (like me now) was a big Sox fan. He’d take me to old Comiskey Park or we’d go on trips with our church. Those were fun times. We’d ride down to the stadium in school buses, and everyone got a two piece dinner from KFC. I always thought it was cool to ride in a big yellow school bus with my dad. He bought me a Sox cap, but I never wore it until I became a fan. Then I’d beg him for a new one every time we went to a game.
Late Sox owner Bill Veeck was famous for his sometimes outrageous promotions designed to bring more fans to the park. He’d have hat day, bat day, give away replica t-shirts that looked like jerseys, dog days where fans could bring man’s best friend to the game with them. Then there was the shower up in the stands where overheated fans could refresh themselves with a quick sprints. Finally, there was “Disco Demolition,” the promotion that nearly destroyed the field and caused the game to be postponed because fans stormed the diamond and just went nuts. That was part of what made going to Sox games more fun than the drunken debacles that were commonplace for Northsiders.
We rarely went to Cubs' games back then because my father felt they (Northsiders) didn’t want us up there, so he wouldn’t go. My sister would cry, “Daddy, Daddy, can we please go see the Cubs?” Eventually we did go to a couple of games, but it wasn’t like going to see the Sox. Slowly, the combination of what my father said about the Northside and my experience when I finally went to Wrigley turned my affinity for the Cubs into a sense of rivalry; a bitter intense disdain for all Cubdome. The nail in the coffin for me was when late broadcast great Harry Carrey became like Judas to Sox fans when he left the Southside booth for one in the so-called “Friendly Confines.”
I’d finally become a combatant in Chicago’s civil war, Southside vs. Northside. I used to wish the Sox could play the Cubs and give them a good ol’ woodshed thrashing. But it would never happen because interleague play didn’t exist back then and the only way they could meet on the field of dreams would be in the World Series. Like that was going to happen.
I’ve remained an active operative in this conflict; even while living on the Northside during the mid '90s. I thought of myself as a covert agent charged with the task of subverting the gleeful fervor felt by Cubs fans. I had infiltrated their stronghold and began planting seeds of dissent everywhere I could. I’d go to places like the Cubby Bear, Metro, Demon Dogs or other Wrigleyville watering holes proudly sporting my Sox gear. Feeling a little like Clint Eastwood, I’d have a look on my face like, “I dare you to say something; go ‘head, make my day.” No one ever manned up, but I could feel the hate all around me. It was great!
In 1997, my boyhood dreams of seeing the Sox play the Cubs were realized when baseball began interleague play. This paved the way for the quintessential Southside/Northside battle of good vs. evil, David vs. Goliath Chicago style, in the guise of The Crosstown Classic. Now we could finally see who the better team was, who had the best fans, which side is the best side?
The series starts this week and according to some, it’s lost some luster. The long lines for tickets that reporters would document outside Wrigley Field aren’t there this year, and I’m glad. I think it has a lot to do with the economy, but the reality is neither team is doing very well right now. The Cubs were picked by nearly everyone to be the squad to beat in the National League. It’s as if they were being crowned the NLCS champs even before the first pitch was thrown. The Cubs made some decent off-season moves and were coming off a season where they lead from start to finish until they were swept in the first round of the playoffs. With iconic skipper Lou Piniella at the helm, their future remained bright and many thought this was the year the Cubs would finally "exorcise their demons" and put the “goat curse” to rest. Maybe they should just go over to the Wild Hare and borrow some curry power and roast that goat over home plate and serve it to bleacher fans with some rice and peas.
The Sox are coming off a respectable year of their own; making it to the post-season after winning their division. However, unlike the Cubs, Sox GM Kenny Williams didn’t make any stellar moves over the winter and stands pat with players he had. Additionally, he keeps using Jermaine Dye, one of his best players as trade bait. Sure, it makes sense from a business standpoint, but strategically, it would be a mistake. His bat has been one of the few hot spots for a team whose play seems to be reflecting our weather. Sunny and warm one day, a week of rain, some hotness followed by cold spells. Like our summer, when will the real White Sox make their presence known? I have a feeling it will be this week when they sweep the Cubs and head back to the Southside inspired to take on the rest of the league, making another run at a championship. As for the Cubs, I could care less if they never win another game as long as they exist.
For me my support of the “Southside Hitmen” is unwavering. Win or lose I’ll still be a fan. Cub fans may not like this posting and that’s ok. Some of them may even think they have the better team, and will win the Northside component of this year’s Crosstown Classic. If this happens, I’ll be fine with it and can wait until they venture down to the Southside and take us on in The Cell. And even if on the outside chance they get the best of us this season, as a Sox fan, there’s something I know that will always prove we are the better team, and the Southside is the best side of town. We’ve won the World Series in my lifetime. Just four years ago the Sox were World Champions, and it was intense!
How long has it been since the Cubs were World Champs? It’s time to get those coals ready. Make sure you marinate that goat before you cook it and save a plate for me.
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