The Five Best White Sox Moments of the Crosstown Series

It's finally here, Chicago.

Cubs/Sox has always been big, regardless of where the teams were in the standings of their respective leagues. For six days a year, the city of Chicago shuts down and focuses their attention on baseball.

There are the obvious, overused, banal statements about this series: families are divided, friends are torn apart, and effigies of AJ Pierzynski and Michael Barrett are burned from Waukegan to Joliet.

Well, okay, I've never encountered a Michael Barrett effigy-burning, but you get the idea. Cubs/Sox has always been intense.

This year, though, it's different.

Both teams are in first place—yes, Chicago has two first-place baseball teams.

And this weekend, they play each other. It's more than the "Crosstown Classic." This series actually matters, as, who knows? Maybe both these teams will see each other in October.

We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves, but any time two first-place teams from opposite leagues meet up (Philadelphia and Boston this week), the series is billed as a "possible October matchup."

These upcoming six games are sure to have their share of great, memorable moments. However, since the series doesn't start until tomorrow, let's take a look at the top five White Sox moments in the 11-year history of the Crosstown Classic.

#5: Durham wins it in the 14th: June 9, 2000.

In the longest game in the history of the interleague series, the Sox won 6-5 on a walk-off single by second baseman Ray Durham.

It was the preceding circumstances that made this moment so memorable, though. With two outs and Eric Young on first, Sammy Sosa stepped up to the plate against White Sox closer Keith Foulke, who had a tremendous year closing games for the White Sox.

However, on this night, the only thing tremendous was the two-run home run Sosa hit off Foulke to tie the game at five and send it into extra innings.

The Sox needed to keep pace with Cleveland, which had won the division the last five years and was very close to the division-leading White Sox at the time.

Durham's single off reliever Daniel Garibay kept the magic going for the White Sox, who eventually won the AL Central and made the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

#4: Valentin beats "El Pulpo" with walk-off: June 27, 2003

Although 2003 eventually ended badly for the White Sox, they were on fire come the Cubs/Sox tilt at U.S. Cellular Field.

After Tom Gordon lost a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning, the game was tied heading into the bottom of the ninth. Cubs manager Dusty Baker called on Antonio Alfonseca, nicknamed "El Pulpo" (the octopus) for having six fingers and six toes on each hand and foot, respectively.

On a 1-1 pitch, Valentin stepped up and nailed a hanging slider from Alfonseca, sending it 430 feet to center field to end the game. After making contact, Valentin raised his arms up in the air and triumphantly jogged around the bases.

Valentin was quoted after the game as saying: "We don't get the respect like the North Side gets. What better time to [hit the home run]? Show people that there's another team in town."

#3: Pierzynski drills Cubs; fans trash Wrigley: July 1, 2006

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