It’s that time again Chicago baseball fans.
Since interleague play began in 1997, the White Sox and Cubs have routinely played each other six times each year and have given us some unforgettable moments in Chicago baseball. Records become irrelevant for the next four days as the two teams will battle for supremacy in Chicago as well as giving their respective fan bases shit talking privileges for the next year.
To prep you for game one of the 2018 Crosstown classic today at 1:20, I compiled what I thought have been the top five moments in Cubs/Sox history.
Also note that I’m a HUGE Cubs fan so giving the White Sox any spots in this top five pained me to my core but fair is fair.
5. Carlos Lee Walk-Off Granny
In 2001, both the Cubs and White Sox were red hot when they met on June 9th. The Sox had won 11 of their last 13 games while the Cubs had only lost once in the previous sixteen games.
With the game tied at three in the bottom of the tenth, Cubs relief pitcher Courtney Duncan hung an 0-1 slider to Lee which, as you can see, was a very poor decision.
4. Brant Brown Walk-Off
I know what you’re thinking if you’re a Cubs fan — “F*ck Brant Brown.” Brown will go down in Cubs history for dropping that damn fly ball in Milwaukee in 1998 with the Cubs in the thick of the Wild Card race. Although the Cubs lost the game, they ended up winning the one-game play in to reach the playoffs but Brown will forever go down as the guy who ALMOST blew it for the Cubs.
I’ll share one of the positive memories of Brown from earlier in that 1998 season. With the game tied in the bottom of the 12th inning, Brown hit a walk-off bomb that had Cubs fans saying he’d be the next big thing for Cubs baseball (until he dropped that flyball in September and turned into Brant “f*cking” Brown.)
3. A-Ram Walk Off BOMB
2008 was the first time the Cubs and Sox met as first place teams since interleague play began in 1997. Two first place teams meant a very tight ballgame throughout with the White Sox holding a one-run lead going into the bottom half of the ninth inning.
Ramirez stepped in to face White Sox reliever Scott Linebrink with a runner on first and a 1-0 count. ARam already went yard in the seventh and he decided to send every Cubs fan home happy in the bottom of the ninth.
2. Paul Konerko Gets Drilled, Then Goes Deep Twice
Nobody has had better success as White Sox player than Paul Konerko. In his career against the Cubs, Konerko has 59 RBIs, and OPS of .953, and has slugged 20 home runs during that span.
Two of those bombs came in the 2002 Cubs/Sox game after Konerko was drilled in the head by a Kerry Wood curve ball in the bottom of the fourth inning. I’m pretty sure he was concussed but he decided to stay in the game and help the Sox overcome an eight-run deficit to defeat the Cubs 13-8.
1.Barrett and AJ at the plate
This one is a no-brainer. In 2006, the Cubs and Sox squared off on the South Side. The teams were trending in opposite directions with the Sox coming off their World Series championship and the Cubs still trying to recover from choking one away in 2003. I’m sure that played a bit into the rivalry that year as the White Sox clearly had a chip on their shoulder that season.
In the second inning of the game, Pierzynski scored after Cubs catcher Michael Barrett dropped the ball in a collision at the plate on a sacrifice fly by Brian Anderson. Pierzynski then made matters worse by pounding home plate after scoring like a complete jagoff and Barrett did what every Cubs fan has wanted to do since they ever laid eyes on Pierzynski — punch him in his ugly face.
Tune in today at 1:20 for a chance to see what could possibly be yet another memorable moment from the Crosstown Classic.
