Playoffs fever hits Chicago with Cubs and White Sox both postseason bound for only 4th time ever
The Major League Baseball Postseason begins on Tuesday, and anticipation is high across Chicago, with both the Cubs and White Sox making the playoffs in the same year for only the fourth time ever.
The Cubs and White Sox both clinched playoff berths on Friday within two minutes of each other. Right now, both are positioned to play in the Wild Card round, but the White Sox still have a chance to win the American League Central Division title, and a first-round bye.
The last time both teams made the playoffs was during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Before that, it was 2008, and the first time was the 1906 World Series, when the White Sox beat the Cubs 4 games to 2.
Experts explained what's made this season so special for each team.
Al Yellon, managing editor of the sports blog Bleed Cubbie Blue, said, "This has been maybe weirdest Cubs season I've ever experienced."
"You know, two 10-game winning streaks, a 10-game losing streak, basically everybody on the pitching staff getting injured," he said.
The White Sox made history this year with their playoff run, becoming the first team in MLB history to qualify for the postseason after consecutive 100-loss seasons.
"Nobody saw this coming. It was unexpected," said author and historian Richard Lindberg, who wrote four books on the White Sox. "Those of us who are battle-hardened and tested always expect the worst to come before the best. So, I guess you can say this has been a renaissance year for the White Sox."
With both teams headed to the postseason, it doesn't hurt for their fans to pay a compliment to their rivals.
"To watch them play the way they did after those three horrendous seasons they had in a row, it's really amazing," Yellon said of the White Sox.
"I think the Cubs may advance a little further than the White Sox, based on the sheer level of talent that they have," Lindberg said.
There's a lot of baseball left in October, but what are the chances of another World Series matchup for the Cubs and Sox?
"I mean, this city would go crazy, absolutely crazy," Yellon said.
"I mean, that hasn't happened since 1906, and I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon," Lindberg said.
The Cubs are playing three games against the Red Sox to finish the season, and lost the first game of a doubleheader on Friday. The White Sox host the Rockies for three games this weekend. They trail the Guardians by one game in the AL Central, but hold a tiebreaker over Cleveland for the division title if they finish the season with the same record.
