RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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When the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs took the field Monday at Wrigley Field, they both did so as World Series contenders, in the sense that any team that lands a spot in October has a shot at the Fall Classic.
Fans from both sides of the city arrived confident in their teams and energized by a rivalry they say has taken on new life this season. Monday's game went into a 10th inning, and the White Sox fell to the Cubs 5-7.
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But White Sox won two of three games in the first Crosstown Classic series in May, and with both clubs in playoff contention, fans viewed the three-game set as especially meaningful.
Outside Wrigley Field, supporters described a spirited rivalry that remains competitive while bringing Chicago baseball fans together.
"It can get kind of intense, but this is, this is still a good time," Cubs fan Kellie Foster said. "It's a Chicago rivalry, so it's always going to be a good time."
Cubs fan Ron Viel said the rivalry has regained some of its prominence.
"For a long time, the Cubs dominated, and then it kind of fell off the map, but I think it's renewed," Viel said.
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Fans entered the series with reason for optimism. The White Sox sat atop their division, while the Cubs led the Wild Card race.
"I think it adds to the atmosphere, adds to that Crosstown Classic rivalry of who's going to win which games," White Sox fan Sarah Hamilton said.
Another fan said the city feels different this season.
"Right now, this is a different feeling. The city has chemistry. The city has magic."
The matchup drew fans from across the city, including couples and families divided by team loyalties.
Blake Platt and Faith Mason attended the game together despite supporting opposite teams. Mason, a Cubs fan, expressed confidence in her team's chances.
"This is our first game together. So it's exciting. They're gonna lose in our territory," Mason said.
Bridgeport residents Rita Estrada, a White Sox fan, and her Cubs-supporting husband described life in a divided baseball household.
"Lot of tension because I'm always telling him who's going to win, you know, and he just never listens," Estrada said with a laugh. "But we all know wives know best. Happy wife, happy life."
When asked if he might end up sleeping on the couch, her husband replied: "No. I got the king-sized bed." He then laughed.
For some fans, rooting for opposite teams has not affected long-standing friendships. White Sox fan Leticia Mara and Cubs fan Michelle Reyna Meyers have remained friends for three decades despite their baseball allegiances.
"She was diehard Sox and I was diehard Cubs and I was like oh Lord, how do we make this work. So, we just decided to have mutual respect," Reyna Meyers said.
Fans also looked ahead to the possibility of both teams reaching the postseason. If that happens, it would be the first full season since 2008 that Chicago has had two baseball teams in the playoffs.
Many were already imagining another Crosstown Classic showdown in October.
"That would be amazing to see them in the World Series," Cubs fan Scott Samhamel said. "That would just end the city."
Sox fan Dale Richardson said, "That would be very special for the city, everybody around here."
The demand for tickets was evident at Wrigley Field, where Cubs fan Frank Gambino secured a seat through the box office.
"Section 100-something for $100. Sold," Gambino said.
Many fans acknowledged the competitiveness of the two clubs.
"I don't know. It's two good ball clubs. It's gonna be close. Good game. Who pulls it out? Gotta go with my White Sox," Sox fan Evan Bognar said.
Curt Rosenbaum and his son planned to attend the game with a large group of relatives. Rosenbaum said the teams' success this season makes the rivalry even more meaningful.
"That's what makes this game more special is both teams are playing well," Rosenbaum said.
The Cubs and White Sox have met only once in the World Series, in 1906, when the White Sox won four games to two. 120 years later, fans are hoping for similar postseason magic.
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