Forget the Rivalry, This Year the White Sox and Cubs Just Need Wins

Last year when the two Chicago teams met in June, both were in first place and in command of their respective divisions. Not only were city bragging rights on the line but also the series gave both teams a chance to see how they stacked up against one of the other top teams in baseball.

Both the Sox and the Cubs held serve, sweeping in their respective ballparks—though the Cubs play in a rotting museum, not a stadium.

I love this rivalry. 

As a White Sox fan it is the highlight of my season, the ultimate proving ground for this year’s club. It isn’t that the Cubs are a measuring stick, because well, the only thing the Cubs organization is a measuring stick for is how to not win.

The series does give me insight into which White Sox players can come through in the clutch in a high-pressure series. 

This season is a bit different for both clubs. 

Coming off division championships, neither the Sox nor the Cubs have looked like sure bets to repeat. The Sox can’t hit, then they can’t pitch, then they can pitch but not hit, and then hit but not pitch and so on. The Cubs have been hurt, Carlos Zambrano has been throwing hissy fits, and the bullpen has been a roller coaster ride.

Simply put, both teams need to win every series to get back in the race for their division. Sure the rivalry makes it exciting but there is urgency this year as both teams are flirting with falling out of the race.

Not surprisingly, White Sox fans are more cognisant of this fact. 

We see a young offense missing Carlos Quentin, an up and down starting five that just can’t seem to consistently hand the stellar bullpen the lead, and a gun slinging GM ready to blow the whole thing up at any moment. We know the Sox need to make their move in the next few weeks or else.

As for the Latte drinking crowd over in Wrigleyville, it is a different story.

For some reason Cub “fans” and sports talk show hosts alike continue to suffer under the delusion that the Cubs have the best team in the National League despite what their record is. 

They ignore the overrated pitching staff, yes that’s right, Ryan Dempster is not a guy you want pitching for you in the playoffs (see 2008 NLDS Game One).

Wait, Rich Harden is hurt? 

Wow, never saw that coming. 

Big Z inconsistent and prone to throwing childish fits? 

You could have fooled me. 

The bullpen is awful, Milton Bradley can’t stay on the field, or hit for that matter, Aramis Ramirez, only now the best third baseman in the city, by default due to Josh Fields’ ineptitude, is on the sidelines until the All-Star break at best.

Not to be too harsh on the Cubs, but the point is both teams really haven’t proven themselves to be very good. Regardless of the rivalry both the Sox and Cubs desperately need to string some wins together or Chicago fans, both north and south will get tired of talking and thinking about Jay Cutler well before he ever steps on the field.

Both teams can still turn this thing around (of course it doesn’t really matter if the Cubs do because they won’t win anything in October) but they need wins now. And for the next three games the rivalry, for me, takes a back seat to getting the White Sox back on track.