CITY CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (1903-1942)
The City Series represents the most competitive games ever played between the two teams. Held concurrent with the World Series, the (usual) best-of-seven series was Chicago’s own World Series, played for city bragging rights. Just as in the World Series, the players received part of the gate receipts, with 60% of the Players’ Pool going to the winner. The 1906 World Series games between the Cubs and White Sox are included.
To that end, the very first City Series in 1903 was marred by accusations of games thrown. Cubs pitcher Jack Taylor won his first City Series start, but lost the last three (the series finished in a 7-7 tie); subsequent accusations that he laid down for side money precipitated a trade to the St. Louis Cardinals. As a result, the Cubs refused to play the 1904 series.Cubs (Colts) President Hart in explanation of his team s refusal to play a 15th game said Tinker was to be married In Kansas City that afternoon and absolutely refused to postpone the wedding. Kling insisted on along with him, and Evers was to leave for home at 5:30 the day of the last game, so there was no chance of patching up a team without them.
Cubs vs. White Sox, City Championship series, Chicago, Oct. 9, 1909, South Side Park
NOTABLES
Only 3,142 freezing fans watched the Cubs’ Mordecai “Three-Finger” Brown pitch a one-hit gem in the final game of the 1909 series. The only hit was a solid single by Parent over second base in the fifth inning.
The Cubs won 92 games in 1911 while the south-siders were barely over .500. It was expected this series would be a blow-out. It was. But not as expected. The White Sox took all four games.
The White Sox won the 1912 City Series, 4-3, amid similar accusations, that the Cubs who were up 3-0 before losing four straight laid down in protest of unpopular manager Frank Chance.
1909 and 1913 City Championship Scorecards
In 1914, the White Sox won the City Series 4-3 after losing three of the first four games.
The 1924 City Series were the first games ever broadcast on local radio.
The opening game of the 1925 City Series was a 19-inning tie.
No series was played in 1927 because the Cubs did not issue a challenge (the team losing the previous series was expected to initiate a challenge the following year). On September 20, president Bill Veeck, Sr. issued an official statement:
- The Cubs will not play a City Series this year. The season of 1927 contained so many splendid possibilities that anything other than a World Series would be an ill-fitting climax. Unless the miracle of miracles happens and the big series is played at Wrigley Field, the work of completing the second deck of the grandstand will start Oct. 3.
White Sox president, Charles Comiskey, responded;
- The White Sox are satisfied that the City Series will not be played this year. As far as we are concerned, nothing is to be gained by the Sox defeating the Cubs in another City Series. It is up to the Cubs to challenge, that right being reserved for the defeated team in the last series and the Sox trimmed the Cubs in 1926.
The Cubs won the City Series in 1929 and 1930; the only time they ever managed back-to-back city titles.
In 1934, Cubs owner William Wrigley thought the Cubs were laying down in order to earn the higher receipts of City Series play, and refused to play the White Sox.
In the very next season (1936), the White Sox swept the Cubs in the City Series and so infuriated Wrigley that he cut some players salaries and ordered all of his Cubs players placed on the trading block.
The 1940 City Series was the third successive seven game series. The White Sox won all three.
The 1942 City Series was the eighth consecutive city title for the Southsiders and the last City Series.
Scorecards from 1939 City Series
Left-Otober 7, 1939; Right-October 9, 1939
Chicago Examiner, October 16, 1909
CHICAGO’S (1909) CHAMPIONS AND THEIR VICTORIOUS SMILES THEY WAITED THREE YEARS TO SPRING.
In the picture above the people are: No.1, President Charles W. Murphy; No. 2, Harry Steinfeldt; No. 3, Manager Frank Chance; No. Jt.Z. Hagerman; No. 3, Frank Schulte; No. 6, Del Howard; No. 7, Mordecai Brown; No. 8, James Archer; No. 9, Joe Stanley; No. 10, Joe Tinker; No. 11, Jack Pflester; No. 12, Orval Overall; No. 13, Ed Reulbach;No.14, Henry Zimmerman; No. IS, John Evers; No. 16, James Sheckard; No. 17. Arthur Hofman; No. 18, Pat Moran.
EXHIBITION GAMES (1943-1996)
1943-1948 WAR BOND GAMES
From 1943 through 1948 the White Sox and Cubs played a series, some games for $2,000,000 War Bonds. The 1944 series was to be five games, but only three were played.
During the WW II Years, the Cubs and Sox played spring training games. In March the games were played in Los Angeles, and once the regular season started, they were played in their home parks. Based on the headlines, the games were taken pretty seriously, but since they were training games, no money was at stake.
Thursday, April 12, 1945 – ‘Cubs and Sox to Open City Series Today’
Monday, April 17, 1944 – ‘Cubs meet Sox Today in War Bond Game’
Saturday, April 15, 1944 – ‘White Sox Beat Cubs, 3 to 2; 2D Straight’
April 16, 1943—at Cubs 1, White Sox 0
April 17, 1943—at White Sox 6, Cubs 5
April 18, 1943—at Cubs 4, White Sox 1
Fourth game called off due to cold weather.
Cubs win series, 2-1
April 13, 1944—White Sox 2, at Cubs 0
April 14, 1944—at White Sox 3, Cubs 2
April 17, 1944—at Cubs 7, White Sox 6
White Sox win series, 2-1
April 12, 1945—Cubs 15, at White Sox 3
April 13 and 14 Games cancelled due to the death of President Roosevelt.
The second and final game of the series was called off due to cold weather.
Cubs win series 1-0
Mid-March, 1946—White Sox 6, Cubs 2, in Los Angeles, California
Mid-March, 1946—Cubs 5, White Sox 1, in Los Angeles, California
April 12, 1946—Cubs 11, White Sox 2, in Davenport, Iowa
April 13, 1946—Cubs 6, at White Sox 3
Cubs win series, 3-1
1947 in Los Angeles, California
1947 in Los Angeles, California
1947 in Los Angeles, California
1947 in Los Angeles, California
1947 in Los Angeles, California
April 12, 1947—at White Sox 3, Cubs 2
April 13, 1947—at Cubs 5, White Sox 3
White Sox win series, 4-3
Cubs won first three games in Los Angeles.
April 16, 1948—White Sox 4, at Cubs 1, First game broadcast on television, W2XBS.
Series tied at 4 apiece.
1954 White Sox-Cubs Benefit Game Scorecard
Boys Benefit Game (1949-72)
In 1949 the management of the Cubs and the White Sox inaugurated a benefit game in mid-summer to raise funds for the Chicago Park District for boys’ baseball. These games were generally enthusiastically received and well attended. The first, a night game on July 11, 1949 in Comiskey Park, attracted 36,459 fans and the Cubs, behind the pitching of Johnny Schmitz won, 4-2. A White Sox vs. Cubs-best 52,712 came to the June 25, 1964 game at Comiskey Park, won by the Pale Hose, 11-1. Fans were allowed to stand in the outfield during that game. The last of these was played August 14, 1972 with the Cubs again the winner. In all, this series of benefit games resulted in 13 victories for the Cubs and ten for the White Sox.
Cubs win series, 13-10
Mayors Series (1981)
Chicago mayor Jane Byrne proposed a revival of meetings between the two teams. August 7th game at Comiskey Park was a scoreless tie, while the next day the Cubs knocked off the White Sox, 4-3.
Cubs win series, 1-0-1
Exhibition Play (1982)
In 1982, both the crosstown exhibition games scheduled were cancelled…because of snow.
Windy City Crosstown Classic (1985-94)
One-game sets were agreed upon to benefit team charities. The White Sox went 8-0-2 in these games, which alternated between Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field.
In the April 17, 1994 game at Wrigley Field, Michael Jordan started in right field for the White Sox and went two-of-four with two RBI in the 4-4 tie.
White Sox win series, 8-0-2
Tribune Twinbill (1995)
The Chicago Tribune sponsored a home-and-home series before the labor-delayed start of the 1995 season. Its holding didnt fare so well, as the Cubs lost to the White Sox 6-3 on April 24 at Comiskey Park and 6-2 on April 25 at Wrigley Field.
White Sox win series, 2-0
INTER-LEAGUE PLAY (1997-PRESENT)
Regular season inter-league play was discussed for baseball’s major leagues as early as 1903. Other proposals were introduced in the years 1933, 1958, and by Bill Veeck in 1963. It wasn’t until June 12, 1997 that the first inter-league game was played. Certain inter-league matchups are highly anticipated each year, due to the close geographic proximity of the teams involved. Many cities, metropolitan areas and states contain at least one team in each league (Chicago, for example). In of each of these “rivalry” matchups, the two teams meet annually for four games, two in each ballpark. Prior to 2013, there were six games between the two teams, three per ballpark
The White Sox have never won more than four games in the season series (2013 and 2014 were 4 game series).
The White Sox have won three of five extra-inning games in inter-league play, all of which came between 1998 and 2001.
SOURCES: Chicago Examiner, Chicago Tribune, The Sporting News.