Chicago White Sox: Fans losing interest in the Crosstown Cup?
By Brian Draus
As I am sure both Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox fans can say, the Crosstown Cup is one of the highlights of the year. However, it seems as though it has lost its luster over the past few years.
Now I ask: will the excitement and luster ever return?
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One concern I have about this rivalry is the fact that games played at U.S. Cellular no longer sell out. There are two potential reasons for that. First is due to the games being played during the week. Secondly is the fact that the Cubs have been rebuilding, and the Sox have not had good teams either, minus 2012 where attendance struggled regardless.
Hopefully this year will be different on Aug. 14-16, which is a Friday-Sunday at The Cell, so maybe that can help the attendance this season.
The height of this rivalry was from 2003-2008 when both teams were competitive most of those years, and the town had a lot of baseball interest. Not to mention the fact that the Sox won the World Series in 2005, which greatly increased attendance at U.S. Cellular Field. My favorite series to attend was in 2008 on the South Side, because both teams were battling for playoff position and ended up playing in the postseason.
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Sadly, since ’08 things have changed, because neither team has reached the playoffs, coupled by a White Sox collapse in late September of ’12. I am wondering if baseball is starting to come back in the city of Chicago.
Both the Cubs and White Sox have good young cores, with the Cubs being ahead of the Sox. Regardless of whether the Sox deal Jeff Samardzija or not, they are definitely headed in the right direction, not to mention the Cubs are a team loaded in young talent.
I don’t think this rivalry will come back around until both teams become competitive for multiple years in a row. I think some of each team’s fans have lost interest, not just in the Crosstown Cup, but in buying tickets in general (see ticket sales on each side of town the last few years).
Will it come back at some point? I believe it will come back to the “glory days,” but this is going to take some time.
Jul 10, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox second baseman Emilio Bonifacio (64) steals second base against the tag of Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro (13) in the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Not only will both teams have to be playing solid, playoff-contending baseball, but both teams will have to be consistently good, so it is not just die-hard fans who want to attend, especially on the South Side.
For a long time, this was a great show … I just am looking forward to the day when it becomes one again.
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