It’s been a little over 16 years since puppies and the White Sox brawl to clear the benches on the South Side, fueled by Michael Barrett hitting AJ Pierzynski in the face after a collision at home plate.
“I remember the whole White Sox bench coming at me and I had no idea why,” Rich Hill, who was on the mound for the Cubs that game, said in an interview with David Kaplan on ‘Unfiltered with David Kaplan.’ from NBC Sports Chicago. .’
“I hadn’t really seen what happened behind me,” Hill added. “You turn around and see a fight behind home plate. I was just trying to back up the pitch so I wouldn’t let someone else run.”
That could have been the high point in the Chicago city rivalry, which in recent years has been just a series between two teams headed in different directions.
The Cubs’ recent competitive window came during the White Sox’s rebuild. Now the Red Sox, who have had an up-and-down season thus far, have aspirations of a deep run through October, and the Cubs are rebuilding for the second time in a decade.
If things change, we’ll see. But in the spirit of this weekend’s Cubs-Sox matchup, here are the top 5 MLB crossover rivalries by interest level this season.
1. Meter series
Twenty-two years after their World Series matchup, could we see another Mets-Yankees World Series? It’s only May, but both New York teams are off to a great start.
The Mets and Yankees enter the NL East and AL East on Friday with records of 29-17 and 32-13. The Mets have been successful despite Jacob deGrom being on the disabled list all season thus far, while the Yankees, with their deep lineup, lead the AL in run differential.
The Subway Series is always great theater. There will be a lot of interest when the Yankees visit Queens in late July.
2. Highway series
How is this interesting? There’s always been plenty of star power in this series, but while the Dodgers have been the class of baseball for the past decade, the Angels haven’t been to the playoffs since 2014.
Things are different so far this season. The Dodgers are living up to their usual winning ways, leading the NL in wins with a 30-14 record. The Angels are also off to a strong start, entering the weekend second in the AL West with a 27-19 record.
Oh, and about that star power. The Dodgers and Angels lineups are filled with All-Stars and MVPs, including Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Rendon.
3. City Classic
The city series was one-sided last summer, when the Cubs and White Sox met weeks after the Cubs’ trade deadline was settled. The Sox went 5-1 in the two series.
The Red Sox won both games at Wrigley Field earlier this month, but have hovered around .500 this season. They just lost two of three to the Red Sox, including a pair of lopsided losses.
The Cubs, who are 18-26 entering the weekend, are coming off a split series against the Reds.
As far as this weekend goes, ex-Cubs farmer Dylan Cease’s scheduled Sunday departure is intriguing. And despite the fact that these teams are in different places. fan animosity is always high when the Cubs and White Sox meet, creating a lively atmosphere in the stadium.
“It’s amazing to be able to have great memories in this game,” Hill told Kaplan. “Obviously those series against the White Sox, rivals from across town, whether it’s at Wrigley or here, [Guaranteed Rate Field]just great memories.”
4. Bay Bridge Series
Many things can change in a year. The Giants went 4-2 against the A’s last season and were outscored 21-19. This season, the A’s are fourth in the AL West after an 86-win 2021 season. Their manager left for the same position in San Diego and they went through a massive sell-off over the winter.
San Francisco and Oakland split a two-game series in April, but perhaps more interesting is what the future holds for this matchup. There are persistent rumors that the A’s could relocate and move out of Oakland in the near future.
5. Beltway Series
Juan Soto is a perennial MVP candidate, and the Orioles just promoted prospect Adley Rutschman. But beyond that, the Nationals and Orioles are a pair of rebuilding teams that rank last. And compared to other matchups on this list, the Beltway Series is more on the tame side of the spectrum.
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