Chicago Baseball 2008

With both the Cubs and the White Sox in 1st place in their respective divisions for most of this season, it has everyone across the nation talking about the possibility of a crosstown World Series. I urge everyone to use cautious optimism from this point forward when thinking, writing or speaking about either team. I do not know when the last time both teams were in 1st place this late into the season, but I know it was 1906 when they last met in the World Series and my beloved Sox won that one. That was the year the Cubs set the Major League record for wins in a season with 116, so they were big favorites in that series. With the AL having home field advantage this year, it doesn’t bode well for the Cubs’ chances, but 100 could be the magic number to overcome that disadvantage. It has been 100 years since the Cubs’ last World Series victory, a 4 games to 1 triumph over Detroit. The Cubs also lost World Series bids in 1910, 1918, 1920, 1932, 1935, 1938, and 1945. The White Sox, until 2005, were more famous for the World Series that they intentionally lost to Cincinnati, the 1919 Black Sox scandal. God willing, I hope that all goes peacefully here in Chicago. It will truly be a magical season if either team wins the World Series. I am pulling for both teams because I really want to see that in my lifetime. But remember, cautious optimism.