HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Cubs–White Sox rivalry (also known as the Crosstown Classic, The Windy City Showdown, Chicago Showdown, North–South Showdown, City Series, Crosstown Series, Crosstown Cup, or Crosstown Showdown) refers to the
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) geographical rivalry between the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
and
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
. The Cubs are a member club of MLB's
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
(NL) Central division, and play their home games at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
, located on
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
's North Side. The White Sox are a member club of MLB's
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
(AL) Central division, and play their home games at Rate Field, located on Chicago's South Side. The terms "North Siders" and "South Siders" are synonymous with the respective teams and their fans, setting up an enduring rivalry. As of May 18, 2025, the Cubs lead the regular season series 75–74. There have been nine 3-game series sweeps since interleague play began: five by the Cubs in 1998, 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2025, and four by the White Sox in 1999, 2008, 2012 and 2021. There have been three season series sweeps, all by the Cubs in 1998 (3 games), 2013 (4 games) and 2024 (4 games). The
Chicago Transit Authority The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of public transport, mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago "L" and List of Chicago Transit Authority bus routes, CTA bu ...
's Red Line train has stops within a block of both ballparks: Addison station for Wrigley Field and
Sox–35th station Sox–35th is an Chicago "L", 'L' station on the Chicago Transit Authority, CTA's Red Line (CTA), Red Line. It is situated at 142 West 35th Street in the Armour Square, Chicago, Armour Square neighborhood. The station opened on September 28, 196 ...
for Rate Field.


History

While teams in New York City (such as the Yankees,
Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...
, and
Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
) routinely played against each other in
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
matchups throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the two Chicago teams only met once in the 1906 World Series, a celebrated event that seemingly put the city on hold for a full week. The heavily favored but young Cubs (who had won 116 games in the regular season) lost in six games to the veteran and pitching-strong White Sox, the "Hitless Wonders". From 1903 until 1942, excluding the years one team or the other won the pennant, the Cubs and White Sox played each other in a best-of-seven postseason City Series. These series were officially sanctioned by the
National Baseball Commission The National Baseball Commission was the governing body of Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball from 1903 to 1920. It consisted of a chairman, the presidents of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and American League ...
and, later, the
Commissioner of Baseball The commissioner of baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as " organized baseball". Under the direction of the commiss ...
. The first series was played in 1903 and was a best-of-15. That year, the Cubs had a 6–3 series lead before the White Sox came back to force a 7–7 tie. Thanks to a rainout, they did not play the decisive 15th game as the players' contracts expired on October 15. Starting in 1905, the series became best-of-seven and remained that way until 1942. In all, they played 25 City Series with the White Sox winning 18 and the Cubs winning six to go along with the tie of 1903. The 1912 version marked the first time in a Major League Baseball postseason series that a team overcame a 3–0 series deficit as the White Sox won the final four games of the series. 1985 saw the start of an annual "Windy City Classic" charity game. The series alternated between the respective teams' ballparks, with Comiskey Park hosting the first year followed by Wrigley Field the next. The Sox would go 10–0–2 in this affair that lasted through 1995 (two games were played in 1995). One exhibition between the teams at Wrigley Field on April 7, 1994, was notable for the White Sox having
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
playing right field – Jordan was playing for a White Sox minor-league affiliate, the Birmingham Barons, during the first of his nearly two seasons of his first retirement from the NBA before his comeback with the Bulls. Since inter-league play began in 1997, the White Sox and Cubs have routinely played each other four or six times each year (one two or three-game series at each stadium). Based on the availability of tickets and the prices offered through ticket brokers, these games are among the most anticipated of the season. In 2008, the teams played each other as leaders of their respective divisions for the first time ever: the White Sox in the American League Central and the Cubs in the National League Central. Also for the first time in the rivalry's history, both Sunday games to end each series were televised nationally on
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
's ''
Sunday Night Baseball ''Sunday Night Baseball'' is an exclusive weekly telecast of a Major League Baseball game that airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ESPN during the regular season. The games are preceded most weeks by the studio show '' Baseball Tonight: Sun ...
''. The Chicago Cubs swept the White Sox in the first weekend series at Wrigley Field, and the White Sox subsequently swept the Cubs at U.S. Cellular Field during the second weekend series, thus splitting the series 3–3 and resulting in an all-time inter-league series tie of 33–33 through 2008. The Crosstown Cup trophy was introduced in 2010 and the White Sox won the trophy the first three seasons before the Cubs finally won it in 2013. The Cubs winning the 4 games of their 2013 series marks the inter-league series at 49–45 to the White Sox. In 2014 the White Sox reclaimed the Crosstown Cup after winning the first three games of their four-game series. They won the first two games at Wrigley Field 3–1 in 12 and 4–1 respectively, came back to U.S. Cellular Field to win 8–3 before getting blown out in the final game 12–5. In 2010, 2011, and 2012, the trophy was sponsored by oil and gas company BP and was known as the BP Crosstown Cup. From 2013 to 2018 there was no corporate sponsor. In 2019 the trophy was sponsored by the financial holding company Wintrust and was therefore called the Wintrust Crosstown Cup. In 2020, the teams faced each other as leaders of their divisions for the first time since 2008 in the Pandemic shortened season with the White Sox taking the three game series at Wrigley and the Cubs taking the three game series on the Southside. Both teams also made the playoffs in the same season for the first time since 2008 but both were eliminated in the Wild Card Round. On August 8, 2021, MLB aired a game on ABC for the first time since with the game between the White Sox and Cubs at Wrigley Field with the White Sox winning the game 9–3. In a game on August 27, 2021, the White Sox and Cubs combined for 30 runs in a 17–13 White Sox victory at Guaranteed Rate Field, the most runs scored in a game between the two teams. It was also the most runs scored by the White Sox against the Cubs. It also included a combined six home runs, four from the Cubs, and two from the White Sox. It also saw White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal hit two home runs and tying a White Sox franchise record with 8 RBI's in his first game since July 5 the same year after coming back from a knee injury.


Barrett vs. Pierzynski

The rivalry turned physical on May 20, 2006, when a brawl broke out during a White Sox-Cubs game at U.S. Cellular Field. In the bottom of the second inning, Brian Anderson of the White Sox hit a sacrifice fly, attempting to score catcher A. J. Pierzynski. Pierzynski collided with Cubs' catcher Michael Barrett. Barrett dropped the ball in the collision and Pierzynski was safe. After slapping home plate in celebration, Pierzynski began to walk away, but Barrett blocked his path and punched him in the jaw. Both benches cleared and a brawl broke out. Umpires debated for 15 minutes before ejecting Pierzynski, Barrett, White Sox outfielder Brian Anderson and Cubs first baseman John Mabry from the game. When play finally resumed, outfielder Scott Podsednik promptly got on base, loading the bases up, and second baseman Tadahito Iguchi cleared them with a grand-slam. The White Sox won the game, 7–0. Michael Barrett was suspended for 10 games, while Brian Anderson was suspended for five and A. J. Pierzynski was fined. In 2006, Pierzynski was named one of the five
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
players in the All-Star Final Vote. Soon afterwards the Chicago White Sox organization began an election campaign using the slogan "Punch A.J.", inspired by the May 20, 2006 collision and slugging incident between Pierzynski and Michael Barrett. Pierzynski received 3.6 million votes, the most votes in the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
, subsequently sending him to his second All-Star appearance.


Stadiums


White Sox

The White Sox have always been located on the south side. At the time the White Sox came to town, the Cubs' home field was West Side Park, in an older section of the city which is now the West Campus of the
University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the Universi ...
and near the
United Center The United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) ...
, home of the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
and
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
. (Coincidentally, for a few seasons in the early 1890s the Cubs home park was within a block of the sites of the future Sox ballparks). In the Cubs moved from the west to the north side, taking over Weeghman Park, the abandoned
Federal League The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that played its first season as a minor league in 1913 and operated as a "third major league", in competition with the e ...
facility (later renamed
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
), thus setting up the current separation. When the new Comiskey Park (now called Rate Field) was built, many in the media and baseball (including both Cubs and White Sox fans) called the park "sterile", and lacking the beauty and personality of the old park, even though many seats at the old park were cramped, behind posts, or in the outfield. Others contend that in contrast Wrigley Field is dirty, uncomfortable, and generally unpleasant to be in. Regardless, this again set up a point of rivalry as Cubs fans had their classic park, while White Sox fans had their modern park. Former Sox manager Ozzie Guillén said of Wrigley, "But one thing about Wrigley Field, I puke every time I go there", further polarizing this point of contention. While several renovations to Rate Field have silenced many criticisms, such as the improved upper deck and bleachers, the difference between the fields remains a point of rivalry between fans of the teams.


Cubs

When the Tribune Company bought the Cubs, they immediately started pressing for night baseball, threatening to abandon Wrigley Field otherwise. Night baseball was finally added in 1988, and after some further negotiations with the city, in the winter of 2005–2006 they expanded Wrigley's bleachers for the first time since 1938. Even the neighborhoods around the stadiums show the difference between the fans. Wrigleyville, a part of the Lake View neighborhood, surrounds the Cubs' stadium, and comprises middle- and upper-middle-class housing, as well as many restaurants, bars and music venues for fans to visit before and after games. In contrast, the
Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...
neighborhood directly west of the White Sox home field has a more "blue-collar" reputation. There are bars and restaurants in Bridgeport, too, but White Sox fans must walk or drive a few blocks from Rate Field to get to them. Until April 2011, the White Sox opened a brand-new bar and restaurant located at Gate 5 of Rate Field, known as ChiSox Bar & Grill. The new bar and restaurant do not require a game ticket to enter.


Television coverage

Until 2004,
WGN-TV WGN-TV (channel 9) is a television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States, serving as the local outlet for The CW. It is owned and operated by the network's majority owner, Nexstar Media Group, and is sister station, sister to the company ...
and the now-defunct
FSN Chicago Fox Sports Net Chicago (often branded as FSN Chicago) was an American regional sports network that was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and was owned by Cablevision for most of its history (from 1987 to 2005). News Corporation acquired a minori ...
would "switch off" during interleague games: for the Cubs home games, the Cubs commentary team would call the game, while the Sox commentary team would have the call for their home games. Starting in 2005, both WGN and then newly created
NBC Sports Chicago NBC Sports Chicago (formerly Comcast SportsNet Chicago) was an American regional sports network that broadcast regional coverage of professional sports teams in the Chicago Chicago metropolitan area, metropolitan area, as well as college sports ...
show the games on each network with both commentary crews at the same time, allowing the viewer to watch the game without an opposing team bias. The stations generally switched off each day. For example, in a series at Wrigley Field, WGN would treat the game on Friday as a Cubs home game with NBCSC treating it as a White Sox away game; on Sunday WGN would broadcast a White Sox away game and NBCSC showed a Cubs home game; with the other game alternating between the two channels). The shared game status ended following the 2019 season of both teams, the last time WGN broadcast the FTA matchups of both teams, with NBCSC becoming the full time home of the White Sox while the Cubs move on to a team-owned cable channel,
Marquee Sports Network Marquee Sports Network is a regional sports network operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group and the Chicago Cubs, launched on February 22, 2020. It replaced a trio of channels (cable channel NBC Sports Chicago and broadcast partners WLS-TV and WGN S ...
. Starting in 2025, the White Sox games would air on the new Chicago Sports Network.


Performance

While New York of the 1940s and 1950s often had two or three teams vying for championships, the two Chicago teams had comparatively little to celebrate for a long time, except for pennants in 1945 (Cubs) and 1959 (Sox), until the White Sox won the 2005 World Series and the Cubs won the 2016 World Series. Historically, each team's fans felt bad for their own team's relatively poor performance, but took solace in that the other team was doing just as badly. Thus, the rivalry often was one in which fans of one team are just as happy for the poor play of the other team as they are for the good play of their own (''
schadenfreude Schadenfreude (; ; "harm-joy") is the experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, pain, suffering, or humiliation of another. It is a loanword from German. Schadenfreude ...
''). This above all is what made the Chicago rivalry unique in Major League Baseball. An examination of other great rivalries ( Yankees–Red Sox, Mets–Yankees, A's–Giants, Dodgers–Giants) shows that both teams have made World Series appearances on a fairly regular basis. The animosity among fans (that only rarely escalates to violence) is summed up in the lines from the song "The Ballad of the South Side Irish", echoing sentiments often expressed by at least one side of any number of sports rivalries in America: "When it comes to baseball I've got two favorite clubs, the 'go-go White Sox'... and whoever plays the Cubs." Ardent fans such as the late columnist
Mike Royko Michael Royko Jr. (September 19, 1932 – April 29, 1997) was an American newspaper columnist from Chicago, Illinois. Over his 42-year career, he wrote more than 7,500 daily columns for the '' Chicago Daily News'', the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', an ...
, a Cubs fan, and late writer Nelson Algren, a Sox fan, would take their shots at the other team. Royko once wrote that the reason Sox fans have a "bad attitude" is that when they would go to games at Comiskey Park, the stench of the
Union Stock Yards The Union Stock Yard & Transit Co., or The Yards, was the meatpacking district in Chicago for more than a century, starting in 1865. The district was formed by a group of railroad companies that acquired marshland and turned it into a vast cen ...
would fill their nostrils and remind them of the status of their team. The stockyards closed in 1971. Several Cubs and White Sox fans have made a cottage industry selling shirts, hats, and other souvenirs that include slogans intended to take swipes at the opposing teams, rather than support their own. ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' reported that 36% of Cubs fans were rooting against the White Sox during the 2005 World Series. White Sox Fans wave the Blue Cubs Loss flag after their team defeats the Cubs in mockery of the Cubs Win Flag tradition, in reverse the white Win Flag is waved by the Cubs fans in every win against the White Sox and " Go, Cubs, Go" is played during home victories as well. Team owners naturally encourage such rivalries (two-time Sox owner Bill Veeck was a master at it) in the hope that they will translate to increased gate receipts, and the Cubs-Sox inter-league games have borne out that theory. President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, an avid White Sox fan, has taken verbal jabs at the Cubs on several occasions. When the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
(managed by former Cub Joe Girardi) visited the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
in honor of their 2009 World Series championship, Obama said, "It's been nine years since your last title—which must have felt like eternity for Yankee fans. I think other teams would be just fine with a spell like that. The Cubs, for example." Obama however, has stated that while he is aware that many people hate the other team, he does not hate the Cubs and wants them to win as long as they are not playing the White Sox. On the other hand, his wife, First Lady
Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...
, has been a lifelong Cubs fan and following the Cubs' 2016 World Series victory, Barack went as far as to invite them to the White House, tweeting that the Cubs' historic win was "change that even ecan believe in". The Cubs came to the White House four days before the end of Obama's presidency.


"Cursed" teams

While not meant in the most literal sense to most fans, there is an overall feeling that both teams' misfortunes began with unfortunate events which some claim have cursed both teams into their poor play. This adds to the overall downtrodden feelings that fans feel for their own teams, making it much easier to revel in the poor play of the other. The two teams have the longest droughts in the MLB. The Cubs had a 108-year drought that went from 1908 to 2016, and the White Sox had an 88-year drought that went from 1917 to 2005. The Chicago Cubs won ten National League championships between 1901 and 1945, and also had among the best winning percentages in the NL up to that time (3,796–3,022 for a 0.557 winning percentage). The Cubs had a 2 games to 1 lead over the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
in the 1945 World Series, when on October 6, 1945, Cubs fan and local tavern owner Billy Sianis was prevented from reaching his seat because he was accompanied by his pet billy goat. Local legend says that he responded by placing a curse on the Cubs to never again win the World Series, which they were not able to do until 2016. The Cubs, on more than one occasion, have featured a tongue-in-cheek promotion where billy goats are brought into the stadium to be offered as an apology. Some historians argue that the genesis of the curse goes back much farther; that the allegedly underhanded way they won the 1908 pennant (leading to their last World Series win) angered the "baseball gods". For lack of a standard term, this could be called the curse of Fred Merkle, since he was at the center of the controversy. Every post-season they have participated in since then seems to have featured a disaster of some kind, from Hack Wilson losing a fly ball in the sun, to
Babe Ruth's called shot Babe Ruth's called shot is the home run hit by Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees against the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, held on October 1, 1932, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. During his at-bat, Ruth made ...
, to the " Steve Bartman incident". When they won the division in
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, their first title since 1945, manager Jim Frey shouted in the champagne-soaked clubhouse, "The monkey's off our back!" Some fans took that as the kiss of death... which it proved to be, as the Padres late-inning rally in the final game in San Diego featured a ground ball slipping under the glove of first baseman Leon Durham... an eerie precursor to a similar and much-more-memorialized incident with the Red Sox and ''former'' Cubs first baseman Bill Buckner that would occur two years later. That requires a quick mention of the " Ex-Cubs Factor", an offshoot of the main Cubs "curse": that any team reaching the post-season since the 1945 Series, and having three or more ex-Cubs, was almost certainly doomed to lose in either the playoffs or the Series due to "a critical mass of Cubness". The 1960 Pirates had been the lone exception until 2001, when the Diamondbacks effectively ended talk of that curse by winning the Series in a dramatic finish that featured two of the three ex-Cubs, one of them (Luis Gonzalez) providing the series-winning RBI. The White Sox had the best winning percentage of any American League team from 1901 to 1920 (1,638–1,325 for a 0.553 winning percentage), but quickly slipped to among the worst teams after that. Many point to the
Black Sox scandal The Black Sox Scandal was a match fixing, game-fixing scandal in Major League Baseball (MLB) in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for p ...
surrounding the
1919 World Series The 1919 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 1919 Major League Baseball season, 1919 season. The 16th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion 1919 Chicago White Sox season, ...
as the point in history that changed the White Sox fortunes. Eight White Sox players conspired to intentionally lose the World Series, and in 1920 were banned from baseball for life. While the White Sox won 4 AL titles in the first 20 years of their existence, they would win only one more league championship in the twentieth century. The term "curse" has seldom been used as such, since the scandal was perceived to be something the players did to themselves rather than being wrought by the front office conducting ill-advised transactions or committing public relations gaffes. In fact, many White Sox fans take offense to the term "curse". Still, a pall seemed to settle on the franchise (along with a slim budget), and it would be the last years of the Eisenhower administration before they would win the league championship again. When the White Sox clinched the pennant in 1959, broadcaster Jack Brickhouse capped his play-by-play with, "A forty year wait has now ended!" The 2005 pennant ended a forty-''six''-year wait for the next one, while the 2005 World Championship ended an 88-year wait for a World Series victory. This adds a decidedly interesting twist on the rivalry as there were, until 2005, very few fans for either team who were alive to see one side actually claim a title while the other waited.


Club success

Note: Pennants won by both teams include pennants won before the modern
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
.
As of October 2, 2023.


Summary of results

Updated to most recent meeting, May 18, 2025.


Season-by-season results

Note: In the history of the Crosstown cup, if the series is tied, the cup is awarded to the previous season winner. , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1906 World Series , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , White Sox, 30 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
42 , Only World Series meeting between the two franchises. , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 21 , ''no games'' , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
63 ,
Interleague play Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. ...
was introduced in the , the first time the Cubs and White Sox played each other in the regular season. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 30 , style=";" , Cubs, 30 , ''no games'' , Tie
66 , Cubs sweep the season series for the first time. Cubs sweep also extended their winning streak to 9 games. , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , White Sox, 30 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
108 , First year of 6-game home-and-home series. , - , , Tie , 33 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
1311 , On June 9, White Sox beat the Cubs 6–5 in 14 innings, the longest game recorded in the rivalry. , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
1713 , , - , , Tie , 33 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
2016 , , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
2418 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , Cubs, 30 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
2622 , Cubs sweep White Sox at Wrigley Field. , - , , Tie , 33 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
2925 , White Sox win 2005 World Series, their first in 88 years and ending the Curse of the Black Sox. , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
3327 , A. J. Pierzynski, Michael Barrett incident.
On July 2, Cubs beat the White Sox 15–11, their most runs in a game against the White Sox. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 51 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , Cubs, 30 , style=";" , White Sox
3432 , Cubs sweep White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. , - , , Tie , 33 , style=";" , Cubs, 30 , style=";" , White Sox, 30 , style=";" , White Sox
3735 , First time the two teams played as leaders of their respective divisions
Both teams won their division
Both teams qualified for playoffs in the same season for the first time since
First time the home team wins all games of the season series. , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
4137 , Cubs' home game on June 16 was postponed and rescheduled to September 3 due to rain. , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
4539 , First Crosstown Cup series.
Carlos Zambrano tirade
After their loss to the Cubs on June 13 at Wrigley Field, White Sox go on a 11–game winning streak, which was snapped with the Cubs' victory on June 27 at U.S. Cellular Field. , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
4941 , , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , White Sox, 30 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
5343 , White Sox sweep the Cubs at Wrigley Field , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 40 , style=";" , Cubs, 20 , style=";" , Cubs, 20 , style=";" , White Sox
5347 , Series changed to four-game format with two in each ballpark except in years the AL Central plays the NL Central (2015, 2018, 2020, 2021).
Game on May 28 at U.S. Cellular Field was rescheduled to July 8 due to rain.
Cubs sweep the season series for the second time. , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 31 , style=";" , White Sox, 20 , Tie, 11 , style=";" , White Sox
5648 , White Sox sweep the Cubs at Wrigley Field. , - , , Tie , 33 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
5951 , White Sox retain the Crosstown Cup. , - , , Tie , 22 , style=";" , Cubs, 20 , style=";" , White Sox, 20 , style=";" , White Sox
6153 , White Sox retain the Crosstown Cup
Cubs win the 2016 World Series, their first in 108 years, and ending the Curse of the Billy Goat.
Away team wins all games in the season series for the first time. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 31 , Tie, 11 , style=";" , Cubs, 20 , style=";" , White Sox
6256 , Cubs sweep at Guaranteed Rate Field. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
6460 , , - , , Tie , 22 , Tie, 11 , Tie, 11 , style=";" , White Sox
6662 , Cubs retain the Crosstown Cup. First time the season series is split at both locations. , - , , Tie , 33 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
6965 , Cubs retain the Crosstown Cup.
On September 25, Cubs beat the White Sox 10-0, their largest margin of victory in a game against the White Sox.
Both teams qualified for playoffs for the first time since the season.
Series at Guaranteed Rate Field Series at Guaranteed Rate Field marked the conclusion of the season. , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 51 , style=";" , White Sox, 30 , style=";" , White Sox, 21 , style=";" , White Sox
7466 , On August 27, the White Sox beat the Cubs 17–13, their most runs scored in a game against the Cubs and also the most runs scored combined in a game between the two teams with 30 runs.
On August 29, the White Sox beat the Cubs 13–1, their largest margin of victory in a game against the Cubs.
White Sox sweep at Wrigley Field. , - , , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 31 , style=";" , White Sox, 20 , Tie, 11 , style=";" , White Sox
7767 , White Sox sweep at Wrigley Field. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 31 , Tie, 11 , style=";" , Cubs, 20 , style=";" , White Sox
7870 , All MLB teams start playing each other in a season; a four-game series format is used for interleague rivals.
Cubs sweep at Guaranteed Rate Field. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 40 , style=";" , Cubs, 20 , style=";" , Cubs, 20 , style=";" , White Sox
7874 , Cubs sweep the season series for the third time. The White Sox lost a record-breaking 121 games, the most in modern MLB history. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 30 , style=";" , Cubs, 30 , ''Upcoming, July 2527'' , style=";" , White Sox
7877 , Return of six-game format with each team hosting a three-game weekend series. , - , Regular Season games , style=";" , Chicago Cubs , style=";" , 7574 , style=";" , Tied, 3838 , style=";" , Cubs, 3736 , , - , Postseason games , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , White Sox, 30 , style=";" , Cubs, 21 , , - , Postseason series , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 10 , style=";" , White Sox, 10 , style=";" , Cubs, 10 ,
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
: , - , Regular and postseason , style=";" , White Sox , style=";" , 7877 , style=";" , White Sox, 4138 , style=";" , Cubs, 3937 ,


Notable players who played for both teams


See also

*
Major League Baseball rivalries Throughout its history, Major League Baseball rivalries have occurred between many teams and cities. Rivalries have arisen for many different reasons, the primary ones including geographic proximity, familiarity with opponents, various incidents, ...
* Bay Bridge Series,
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
vs.
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
* Freeway Series,
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
vs.
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
* Subway Series/ Mets–Yankees,
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
vs.
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
, etc. * Beltway Series,
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
vs.
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
* Citrus Series,
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
vs.
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
* Show-Me Series, St. Louis Cardinals vs.
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
* Ohio Cup,
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
vs.
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
* Lone Star Series,
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
vs. Texas Rangers


Former Chicago-based rivalry

* Bears–Cardinals rivalry


Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cubs-White Sox rivalry Chicago White Sox Baseball in Chicago Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball in Chicago Major League Baseball rivalries 1997 establishments in Illinois