Sox-Cubs--a different perspective

[Johnny Mostil]

Here's some fun I had with http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/MainPages/SoxCubs2006.htm. If you were a baseball fan born in 2005, you've seen a complete season in which the Sox won 20 more games than the Cubs. If you were born in 2004, you've seen two complete seasons in which the Sox won 14 more games than the Cubs.

Below are the aggregate results going back to 1901, not counting post-season games. (Corrections to my math are welcome and appreciated.) The year is the first number listed, the Sox cumulative margin is the second number listed. For example, I was born in 1963. In baseball seasons that have been completed in my lifetime, the Sox have won 160 more games than the Cubs have.

Bottom line: The Sox have been the better team to follow for nearly everyone born in the past century . . .

2005, 20
2004, 14
2003, 12
2002, 26
2001, 21
2000, 51
1999, 59
1998, 49
1997, 61
1996, 70
1995, 65
1994, 83
1993, 93
1992, 101
1991, 111
1990, 128
1989, 104
1988, 98
1987, 99
1986, 101
1985, 109
1984, 87
1983, 115
1982, 129
1981, 145
1980, 151
1979, 144
1978, 136
1977, 145
1976, 134
1975, 134
1974, 148
1973, 148
1972, 150
1971, 146
1970, 118
1969, 94
1968, 77
1967, 79
1966, 103
1965, 126
1964, 148
1963, 160
1962, 186
1961, 208
1960, 235
1959, 255
1958, 265
1957, 293
1956, 318
1955, 337
1954, 367
1953, 391
1952, 395
1951, 414
1950, 410
1949, 412
1948, 399
1947, 400
1946, 392
1945, 365
1944, 361
1943, 369
1942, 367
1941, 374
1940, 381
1939, 382
1938, 358
1937, 351
1936, 345
1935, 319
1934, 286
1933, 267
1932, 226
1931, 198
1930, 170
1929, 131
1928, 112
1927, 97
1926, 96
1925, 107
1924, 92
1923, 78
1922, 75
1921, 73
1920, 94
1919, 107
1918, 80
1917, 106
1916, 128
1915,148
1914, 140
1913, 130
1912, 117
1911, 102
1910, 66
1909, 40
1908, 29
1907, 9
1906, -14
1905, -14
1904, -18
1903, -40
1902, -34
1901, -4

[tebman]

Now *that's* a cool stat!

In science and engineering, a dispute is most often settled by asking, "what does the data show?" I've known for a long time that what you've listed here is true, but I never bothered to get the actual numbers. Now when I have those occasional conversations with the naive or delusional who ask in all sincerity why I would be a White Sox fan, I can refer to this as Exhibit A.

Nice work! :thumbsup:

[maurice]

Geez, to find a negative number on that chart, you have to go all the way back to 1906...the year the Sox beat the Cubs in the World Series.

[SBSoxFan]

I'm a little confused. Are you saying that the Sox only won 6 more games than the Cubs in 2005 (an increase in win margin from 14 to 20)? Or is that an error?

[Johnny Mostil]

I'm a little confused. Are you saying that the Sox only won 6 more games than the Cubs in 2005 (an increase in win margin from 14 to 20)? Or is that an error?

I'm saying:

--In the 2005 season the Sox won 20 more games than the Cubs. (99-79=20.)

--In the 2004 and 2005 seasons combined, the Sox won 14 games more than the Cubs. (83 in 2004 plus 99 in 2005 equals 182 for the Sox. 89 in 2004 plus 79 in 2005 equals 168 for the Cubs. 182-168=14.)

Here's another way to look at it (though I'm not going to figure this out for every birthday of the past century): it is very unlikely you, or anybody you know, has seen more Cub than Sox wins in their lifetime. A great sucker bet, methinks . . .

Edit
Still another way to look at it . . . at the beginning of the season, one could say since 2005 the Sox had won 20 more games than the Cubs, since 2004 they had won 14 more games, since 2003 they had won 12 more games, since 2002 they had won 26 more games, etc. The margin has obviously grown so far this year (and will grow still more, no?).

[SBSoxFan]

Edit
Still another way to look at it . . . at the beginning of the season, one could say since 2005 the Sox had won 20 more games than the Cubs, since 2004 they had won 14 more games, since 2003 they had won 12 more games, since 2002 they had won 26 more games, etc.

Gotcha, thanks. I was going in the wrong direction.

The margin has obviously grown so far this year (and will grow still more, no?).
Definitely!

[QCIASOXFAN]

So why do people still love them... :?:

[Johnny Mostil]

So why do people still love them... :?:

You can't underestimate the power of TribCo marketing an adult-themed Disneyland . . .