The Cubs and White Sox will do a short home and away four game series. The Crosstown Classic has lost its luster with all the interleague play. The rivalry has gone into a secondary phase after the White Sox won the World Series in 2005, and the Cubs had a run in 2008. More important rivalries have taken hold: Cubs-Cardinals; Sox-Royals.
At the moment the Cubs appear to be a much better club. The Cubs lead the NL Central. The Sox are sinking in the AL Central.
What fans used to do was compare starting lineups:
CUBS WHITE SOX
Left Field Contreras Cabrera
Center Field Fowler Shuck
Right Field Heyward Eaton
Third Base Bryant Frazier
Shortstop Russell Anderson
Second Base Zobrist Lawrie
First Base Rizzo Abreu
Catcher Montero Narvarro
ROTATION Arrieta Sale
Lester Quintana
Lackey Shields
Hammel Rodon
Hendricks Gonzalez
One could argue the Sox have a better player in Cabrera in LF because Contreras is playing out of position; or that Eaton has more assists and BA than Heyward in RF; or Anderson has more potential than Russell at SS, or Navarro is a better offensive fit at catcher than Montero.
But the Cubs match up with 4 better starters than the Sox (Sale is a clear choice over current Jake).
Cubs 9 White Sox 4
And that is where the arguments start and end.
That, and the standings.
But it is the head-to-head matches that used to be the bragging rights for the summer. And usually the weaker team did better in these series.
