Crosstown/Windy City Classic

[apbaball]

I was reading some old news stories on google today and noticed the Sox played the Cubs in an exhibition game during the season several times in the 1980s. I was curious if there is a record somewhere of the Cubs-Sox games that were played before interleague play not counting any spring training games. I know they played in 1981, 1985, 1987 and 1989. I believe my Dad said that they used to play years ago back in the 30s and 40s or something like that and the series was suspended for awhile resumed sometime in the 70s or 80s. Would be nice to know the history of the series

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kSFRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9dMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5061,3439608&dq=cubs+white+sox&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BydXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hO8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7081,2261852&dq=cubs+white+sox&hl=en

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB36E5BB285EF6C&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM

[kittle42]

1. I feel really old now.

2. I got to see Michale Jordan play baseball in person!

[DumpJerry]

1. I feel really old now.

2. I got to see Michale Jordan play baseball in person!
I'm older. I saw one of these exhibition games in 1974.

[eriqjaffe]

I'm older. I saw one of these exhibition games in 1974.I saw one of the games in the '80s, and the Michael Jordan game.

And you can actually hear a radio broadcast of one of the Sox-Cubs games from 1936:

http://archive.org/details/OtrBaseballFromThe1930s

[white sox bill]

Didn't the teams donate to charity some the gate receipts?

[cub killer]

As the 1985 season approached, WGN would show a commercial of Tony LaRussa calling Jim Frey to challenge him to a game. It was the Busch Beer Crosstown Classic. There was a lot of hype around it, to be played at Comiskey in April. After the Sox won, there were even bumper stickers made to commemorate the victory.

Wrigley would host the game in even numbered years. After a coupla years, Gatorade took over the sponsorship and renamed it the Gatorade Windy City Classic. One of the Wrigley games, in 88, went 16 innings, and was called due to darkness, resulting in a draw. The lights were already up, but they couldn't be used yet.

The series lost all its hype by the time the 90s rolled around, and people became apathetic to these exhibitions, which would sometimes feature AA starting pitchers.

No one missed this series when it was gone, and then it would be replaced by interleague play in 1997, which has also lost its initial hype.

[WhiteSox5187]

I was reading some old news stories on google today and noticed the Sox played the Cubs in an exhibition game during the season several times in the 1980s. I was curious if there is a record somewhere of the Cubs-Sox games that were played before interleague play not counting any spring training games. I know they played in 1981, 1985, 1987 and 1989. I believe my Dad said that they used to play years ago back in the 30s and 40s or something like that and the series was suspended for awhile resumed sometime in the 70s or 80s. Would be nice to know the history of the series

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kSFRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9dMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5061,3439608&dq=cubs+white+sox&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BydXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hO8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7081,2261852&dq=cubs+white+sox&hl=en

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB36E5BB285EF6C&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM

I think a clip of Greg Walker hitting a homer into the bleachers in center is used in the opening montage.

[34rancher]

I remember this vividly. I was on tv catching 2 foul balls at wrigley behind the backstop. Pretty good stuff. It was fun, since Harry Caray sent for me to come up the ramp to the booth to congratulate me. I used to sit with him and Jimmy as a kid in the bleachers. Oh the memories. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[LITTLE NELL]

In the 50 and 60s the Sox and Cubs played an annual exhibition game usually in June or July, it was called the Boys Baseball Benefit Game. I've followed the Sox since the early 50s and this picture of the 1964 game is the largest crowd I've ever seen at Comiskey. I took my high school girlfriend to that game and as you can see fans were actually standing on the field from CF to the right field foul pole. We sat in an aisle and they were packed as well, there was no place to move in the park. The game was always played at Comiskey because they would draw more at night. If you look at the scoreboard the Cubs were the home team that night but the Sox creamed them like 11-4. Any ball hit into the fans on the field was a ground rule double. Open up the attachment to see the size of the crowd.

In the first half of the century the Sox and Cubs would play the City Series after the regular season, I believe it went on during the World Series. Some years it wasn't played since the Cubs made the World series a few times.
Here is a history of that Series. The Sox won most of the time.
http://www.csnchicago.com/06/20/11/A-one-sided-affair-Chicagos-City-Series/landing_poetry_in_pros_v3.html?blockID=536044

[apbaball]

Thanks. That is what I was looking for as far as the history of the City Series.

Is there a similar record about the mid-year exhibitions?

I'd be curious how many times they played in the 50s through the 80s and who won.

[Brian26]

I think a clip of Greg Walker hitting a homer into the bleachers in center is used in the opening montage.

You're right. I'm pretty sure that was during the '87 game, which was the original Fog Bowl. At some point during the game, the fog was so thick you could hardly see the pitcher and batter from the centerfield camera.

[DumpJerry]

Thanks. That is what I was looking for as far as the history of the City Series.

Is there a similar record about the mid-year exhibitions?

I'd be curious how many times they played in the 50s through the 80s and who won.
The won-loss record might not be found. The Cubs usually played several of their AAA players while the Sox would play their regular players. This gave the Sox the advantage.

[Lip Man 1]

April 7, 1994 - In the annual “Crosstown Classic” charity game between the Sox and Cubs, Michael Jordan writes his name into Sox lore. His double in the late innings ties the game and prevents the Sox from losing for the first time in this series. The game would end in a tie. The Sox would go 10-0-2 in this affair that lasted from 1985 through 1995. (Two games were played in 1995)

April 23, 1990 - It was an unusual event even though it happened in an exhibition game. Utility player Steve “Psycho” Lyons played all nine positions for the Sox during the annual “Crosstown Classic” game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Manager Jeff Torborg moved him all over the field during the contest won by the Sox 6-5.

April 29, 1985 - A new yearly tradition is established in the first annual "Crosstown Classic" charity game matching the Sox and Cubs. Down through the years both teams played each other on and off in spring training or during an open date in the regular season. This is the first time both teams agreed to play on a yearly basis with a corporate sponsor (Busch Beer). The game alternated between Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field and was played every year through 1995 (Because of the labor impasse the teams played two games that season.) The Sox won the opener at Comiskey Park 7-4 but it’s only the start of a remarkable run.

The two teams played a total of 12 games and the Sox never lost!!!!! They’d go 10-0-2 during that time period. After 1995, the series was dropped. It’s never publicly explained why, but reports persisted that the cancellation of the series was at the Cubs request.

June 16, 1997 - After numerous charity and exhibition games, the Sox and Cubs play for real for the first time in the regular season. The overall record through the end of the 2002 spring training season had the Sox ahead 137-91-6 including an amazing 10-0-2 in the ‘Crosstown Classic’ played for charity from 1985 through 1995 (there were two games in 1995.)

June 25, 1964 - An overflow crowd of over 52 thousand, jam Comiskey Park to watch the Sox hammer the Cubs 11-1 in the annual ‘Boys Benefit Game’. What’s significant however is the fact that fans were allowed on the outfield grass behind ropes, since there wasn’t any room left in the park. It’s the last time fans have ever been permitted to stand on the playing field for a game.

Lip

[apbaball]

They also played a game on 8/8/81 right after the strike was settled probably to generate some interest in the season. Unfortunately the Cubs won that one 4-3 on a Pryor throwing error.

Were there any games played during the 70s?

[apbaball]

April 7, 1994 - In the annual “Crosstown Classic” charity game between the Sox and Cubs, Michael Jordan writes his name into Sox lore. His double in the late innings ties the game and prevents the Sox from losing for the first time in this series. The game would end in a tie. The Sox would go 10-0-2 in this affair that lasted from 1985 through 1995. (Two games were played in 1995)

April 23, 1990 - It was an unusual event even though it happened in an exhibition game. Utility player Steve “Psycho” Lyons played all nine positions for the Sox during the annual “Crosstown Classic” game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Manager Jeff Torborg moved him all over the field during the contest won by the Sox 6-5.

April 29, 1985 - A new yearly tradition is established in the first annual "Crosstown Classic" charity game matching the Sox and Cubs. Down through the years both teams played each other on and off in spring training or during an open date in the regular season. This is the first time both teams agreed to play on a yearly basis with a corporate sponsor (Busch Beer). The game alternated between Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field and was played every year through 1995 (Because of the labor impasse the teams played two games that season.) The Sox won the opener at Comiskey Park 7-4 but it’s only the start of a remarkable run.

The two teams played a total of 12 games and the Sox never lost!!!!! They’d go 10-0-2 during that time period. After 1995, the series was dropped. It’s never publicly explained why, but reports persisted that the cancellation of the series was at the Cubs request.

June 16, 1997 - After numerous charity and exhibition games, the Sox and Cubs play for real for the first time in the regular season. The overall record through the end of the 2002 spring training season had the Sox ahead 137-91-6 including an amazing 10-0-2 in the ‘Crosstown Classic’ played for charity from 1985 through 1995 (there were two games in 1995.)

June 25, 1964 - An overflow crowd of over 52 thousand, jam Comiskey Park to watch the Sox hammer the Cubs 11-1 in the annual ‘Boys Benefit Game’. What’s significant however is the fact that fans were allowed on the outfield grass behind ropes, since there wasn’t any room left in the park. It’s the last time fans have ever been permitted to stand on the playing field for a game.

Lip

That was a great run of success. I thought the Sox did pretty well during that time period but I didn't know they were undefeated. Did both the Cubs and Sox broadcast those games?

[Lip Man 1]

Appa:

The games were broadcast I think by the home team only. When it was at Wrigley it would be on WGN-TV Superstation. I have in my library the 86, 90 and 92 games.

And the thumbnail that Nell sent earlier in the thread is from the game on June 25, 1964 where fans were permitted on the field for the last time in MLB history for any game.

Lip