Here we go again...Cross town classic? Not!

Ben Soldinger, NBC Chicago Street Team

Unfortunately, we now begin the annual travesty (don’t call it a tradition) of the first of TWO series or call it a ‘Civil War’ between the passionate Chicago baseball fans of our Great City in a greedy, money-infused Cubs vs White Sox series that begins this week. The reason this is a travesty to me is the fact that one of our hometown teams has to lose! Plus, it doesn’t matter whomever is on a roll at this point in the season, the team that comes up on the short end usually has drastic repercussions. Can you even imagine what it’s like to strive to be the best in the Nation, but only remain to be second place in your own city!

The reason why this is a relatively new phenomena is the fact that the first Major League Baseball game was played in 1876 making the game 133 years old. The first interleague game was in 1997. (If you don’t know what interleague means – look it up). I was at the first Cubs vs Sox interleague game in 1997 at U.S. Cellular Field where the Cubs won and my favorite player of all time, Ryne Sandberg, went 3 for 5.

Before 1997, the last time the Cubs vs The White Sox played each other in a legitimate competition (that was not an exhibition game) AND actually mattered was in 1906!!!!! The nostalgia quickly wore off for me the very next year in 1998 once I realized this is a money deal and will therefore be an annual baseball greed fest by Major League Baseball executives. Now with GREED and $$$, this Cross town series will happen every year to my dismay, but who cares? The ‘Powers That Be’ will make their money and create more divide in our city. Please tell me as a traditional Chicago baseball fan, YOU ARE NOT A TOOL of the ‘Powers that Be’ in MLB and IS IT REALLY WORTH IT??? For the record, I will boycott this week once again as am not happy about it.

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