Chicago White Sox: Same division as Cubs would elevate rivalry
The Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs are rivals for one reason and one reason only. Well, if they are division rivals things might be different.
The Chicago White Sox don’t have a rival in their division that is on the level of one like New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox or Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants. Their biggest rival is the Chicago Cubs. The rivalry is as big as those previously mentioned ones but it is far less meaningful. The fans drive every rivalry but the difference between those and that of the White Sox and Cubs is the fact that the teams don’t affect each other at all.
One team plays in the American League and one plays in the National League. They play each other either four or six times a year out of 162 and the only time they would play in the playoffs is the small chance that both teams win the pennant and match up in the World Series. Other games that they participate in don’t affect each other at all, despite some fans actively cheering against the other as if it does.
Well, if this proposal that is getting a lot of steam comes to fruition, that might not be the case for one year. This proposal has the White Sox and the Cubs in a big “Central Division” with eight other teams that are geographically closer to them. Their games would be way more meaningful to each other regardless of who they are playing. We don’t know how they will decide playoff berths but each division rival is the enemy that needs to lose more than the White Sox.
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Cheering against the Cubs is fun even when they are in the National League but it will be more than just for fun if this proposal comes to life. This would elevate the rivalry between these crosstown rivals for more than just this year. These matchups having more meaning in 2020 than usual might bleed into future games between these clubs for years to come.