The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox are set to resume hostilities on the North Side of Chicago this week, and both teams are looking to write a new chapter in the history of their rivalry.
The two clubs began playing one another in 1997, and the White Sox currently have the edge in the all-time record at 73-69, according to Baseball Reference.
That being said, the Cubs could potentially sweep the season series if they can win both games at Wrigley Field, and win the Crosstown Cup outright for the first time since 2018.
Here’s everything you need to know about the all-time series between the two teams.
How Sweep It Is (2)
The White Sox have never swept the Cubs in a season series between the two teams, but the North Siders do have a bit of bragging rights on this score.
The Cubs have swept the White Sox twice in the season series, doing so in 1998 at Wrigley Field and in four games split between the ballparks in 2013.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs could add a third sweep to that list if they can beat the White Sox on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A South Side Home Run Edge (20)
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Both teams have boasted some incredible home run hitters throughout the years, but the crown of the ultimate Crosstown Clout champion goes to Paul Konerko, who hit 20 home runs in 73 career games against the Cubs.
The second-best mark all-time belongs to former Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who clubbed 13 long-balls against the South Siders.
Jose Abreu had 12 in his career with the White Sox against the Cubs, and Sammy Sosa belted 11.
The active leaders in the rivalry both play on the South Side, as Yasmani Grandal and Eloy Jimenez have hit six career home runs against the Cubs. Patrick Wisdom has hit five against the Sox.
That’s Not All for Paul (73)
Konerko also leads all players in career games in the rivalry with 73. He also has the most RBI’s to his credit, with 58 in those 73 contests.
AJ Pierzynski played in 45 games against the Cubs, while Alexei Ramirez had 43 under his belt.
Sammy Sosa leads the Cubs with 39 RBI’s in the Crosstown series, while also playing in the most games with 42.
There’s Thievery Afoot (9)
The all-time leader in stolen bases in games played between the Cubs and White Sox is Scott Podsednik, as the famed lead-off hitter swiped nine total bases against the North Siders.
Javier Baez and Ian Happ are tied for the all-time lead for the Cubs with five thefts apiece.
And the Winningest Winner is…..(6)
While the White Sox hold the lion’s share of records against the Cubs from an individual perspective, the North Siders start to even things out a bit on the mound, with Carlos Zambrano owning six victories in the Crosstown series.
Jon Lester also earned five wins as a member of the Cubs against the White Sox.
Mark Buehrle had five career victories against the Cubs, while John Danks and Jake Peavy each had four.
Big Z, the Strikeout Machine (71)
Zambrano also holds the record for most strikeouts by a pitcher in the rivalry, fanning 71 White Sox during his career.
Kyle Hendricks has 56 in his career, and is scheduled to face the Sox this week.
Buehrle leads the White Sox contingent with 60 in his career, and Dylan Cease has 36 against the team that traded him to the South Side in 2017.
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Which ERA was Best? (0.93)
In a minimum of 10 innings pitched in the rivalry, there were several pitchers worthy of shouting out, including Freddy Garcia, who had a 0.93 ERA against the Cubs in four career starts. Chris Sale also posted a 1.23 ERA in five total appearances.
Jeff Samardzija, who pitched in both sides of the rivalry, had a sparkling 1.24 ERA in six Cubs appearances, pitching 29 innings against the White Sox.
Jake Arrieta and Mark Prior each went 3-0 against the White Sox, with Arrieta boasting a 3.34 ERA and 26 strikeouts.
Driving Down the (202)
According to Baseball Reference, a total of 202 players have appeared in games for both the Cubs and White Sox, and although many of those came before the two clubs started playing one another in the regular season, there have been a few noteworthy additions to that list during the course of the rivalry.
For instance:
Welington Castillo - Combined for 431 games between the clubs. Had 47 home runs and 166 RBI’s in those contests.
Craig Kimbrel – Appeared in 104 games with the two clubs between 2019 and 2021. He had a total of 39 saves and 158 strikeouts in those contests.
Nick Madrigal – Has played in 207 career games with the two teams, with 58 RBI’s and 14 stolen bases and a .283 batting average. He also is one of 21 players in MLB history to only suit up for the Cubs and White Sox in his career.
That list also includes Ron Santo and Phil Cavarretta.
Jose Quintana – Had a total of 254 appearances for the two teams, with an 83-77 record. He had 1,310 strikeouts in 1,491 innings pitched.
Jeff Samardzija – Owner of a 42-55 record in a total of 238 games with the two teams, primarily with the Cubs. He had 802 strikeouts in 880 innings pitched.
Geovany Soto – Appeared in 646 games with the two teams. He had 89 home runs and 294 RBI’s in those games.
