Are the Crosstown Classic games overhyped?

originally published 6/22/09...

Ahhh... The Crosstown Classic; The Windy Series; The biggest and most important 6 games of the year... Yes, it's that time of the year when the Sox and Cubs play each other in what most fans, and some media, will have you believe is the end all, be all of the baseball season. But what does it all really mean in the long and short of things? Sure, it's a fun time for fans to look at these six games and say that their team is better because they won more games; but is that really the measuring stick? Shouldn't the ultimate goal be to win the World Series, or at least your division?? (Currently they have played to a draw; 34-34) Sure, it's fun as a Sox fan to see them beat the Cubs, but I take more enjoyment from seeing the Sox beat the Twins, or Tigers, or any other team in the AL Central. And I'm sure there are a lot of Cubs fans that share my sentiments about the Cardinals and Brewers and the rest of the NL Central. These games should not be thought of as a must-win series any more than an interleague series against the Padres or Blue Jays, for example. The games that matter most are the ones played within your division. That is where you can make up the most ground or be eliminated from playoff contention (you can thank the unbalanced schedule of Bud Selig for this). Here's something many people may not have yet figured out about the Sox/Cubs games... I confirmed with NASA on this and double checked the figures on my trusty abacus... Ready? Each victory counts as only 1 win and each loss counts as only 1 loss. I know! I almost fell out of my chair just typing it! As much as everyone gets into this series you would think that each team gets double credit for each win. But they don't. After the 2nd game of the series, the one that the Sox blew a 4 run lead in the 8th inning, I was listening to the post game on the Score and got absolutly sick to my stomach. Not because the Sox lost to the Cubs, but because of the people calling in saying that this is too big of a series for Ozzie to put Linebrink in the game and that Thorton shouldn't have come in after him. It seemed like every caller felt like the Sox just lost the World Series, or any chance of making it, because they blew a late inning lead to the Cubs. I was upset with the loss, but not because of who they lost to... I was pissed because our bullpen blew a 4 run lead in the 8th inning! (Side note: Scott Lindbrink has been bad since and should send Jerry Harriston, Jr a thank you card for brain farting on the base paths this weekend). One of my major problems with the series is the amount of Cubs and Sox "fans" that come out of nowhere with their freshly bought hats and tee shirts trying to talk about the teams like they've been following them all season. These are probably the first and only six games of the season that they will pay attention to, unless either team is in a playoff race (and at this rate that's not going to happen)... But there is some good that comes from these series... Everyone learned that Michael Barrett is a punk, that AJ might be the most hated White Sox player ever, and let's not forgot the anger and outrage Ozzie induces in Cubs fans everywhere when he comes up with a new way to talk disparagingly about Wrigley Field... The Crosstown Rivalry, or Red Line Series or whatever other clever nickname it is given, is nothing more than 6 games in the standings. You don't get an automatic ticket to the playoffs (playoffs? you wanna talk playoffs? I want to win a game first!) or any other special privileges throughout the rest of the season... So to answer the question I posed in the title... Are these Crosstown games overhyped? Yes. But will I watch them? Every chance I get.