Cross Town Rivalry

The White Sox beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field 6-2 yesterday. The White Sox are one of the best teams in baseball and the Cubs are one of the worst. I, many times to my chagrin and regret, am a Cubs fan. You've heard me whine here earlier this year about the deplorable situation called Cubs baseball, which, by the way, is being very generous to call it baseball this year.

I thought that Chicago was a town divided by strict and absolute baseball loyalties. However, the heads of Chicago citizens have sprouted White Sox caps to an unparalleled and unprecedented degree this year. Coincidentally, the White Sox won the World Series last year.

Where were all the fans with their White Sox gear a few years ago? In my neighborhood, downtown Chicago, there were always far more Cubs caps on the street than White Sox. Yesterday, I and my Cubs cap were drowned in a sea of White Sox black and white.

I grew up a Cubs fan, but most of the guys in my family were White Sox fans so I was also sympathetic towards the White Sox, and have remained so except when they play the Cubs. This year the sympathy is starting to wear off, not because I dislike the Sox, but because the fans are filled with more than a little hubris. Plus, there are many more of them than I ever reckoned in the past. I am beginning to long for the good old days when neither team had a prayer.

At any rate, if you come to Chicago and care to look me up, just look for the frumpy geezer wearing the loser Cubs cap. I shouldn't be hard to spot in a crowd.

Now let's get some runs, Cubs!