Storyline: “Rivals.” That word doesn’t go far enough to describe Cubs-Cards. The next chapter in this historic tug-of-war begins tonight at Busch Stadium.
On Monday night the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals resume their fierce rivalry. But the word “rivalry” can’t begin to describe the hate these teams have for each other.
Sportsman’s Park, 1931 (photo, preservationresearch.com)
Since the first meeting in Sportsman Park, back in 1892, the Cubs and Cardinals have shared a rivalry bordering on war. People can talk about other great Major League Baseball rivalries, such as the Red Sox-Yankees or Giants-Dodgers, but those rivalries aren’t nearly at the same level as the Cubs v. Cardinals.
Why do the teams and their fans despise each other so much?
Geography: The origins of a good rivalry usually lie in distance between the teams. That’s especially so in college sports. Just look at Alabama-Auburn in football or North Carolina-Duke in basketball. Those are fierce, in-state rivalries. And while the Cubs and Cardinals don’t share the same state, the short travel distance between the teams ensures that no love is lost. Separated by just a few hours’ time, it means that if you’re a Cardinals’ fan, there’s a good chance you live in the same area as a Cubs’ fan. With Cubs and Cardinals fans living side-by-side, arguments and debates over who is better become the norm, making for a lot of heat and hatred.
Wal-Mart, Mt. Vernon, IL (courtesy. yelp.com)
Competition for Fans: The Cubs and Cardinals are constantly competing to see who can win the ‘arms race’ in America’s Midwest. Even you’d think that the Cubs would dominate the State of Illinois, they don’t. Take Mount Vernon, for instance, an Illinois city a couple of hours outside of St. Louis. There’s a Wal-Mart there with shelves stocked with Cardinals’ merchandise. Finding Cubs’ gear here is equivalent to finding The Holy Grail. And while the Cardinals dominate the state of Missouri, they don’t dominate nearby “flyover states. ” Iowa and Nebraska, for instance, have about an equal number of Cubbies and Redbirds fans. So, if a war was to ever break out over baseball, it would almost definitely be in the Midwest.
The Cards’ Success Paired with Cubbies’ Failure: The Cardinals are one of the most successful franchises in MLB history. St. Louis won its first Fall Classic back in 1926 … and the team has never looked back, winning 10 more World Series since then, for a grand total of 11 WS championships. But after winning back-to-back World Series in 1907 and 1908, the Cubs have become the laughing stock of MLB. Consider what was happening the last time Chicago won the World Series:
Teddy Roosevelt was U.S. president.
The Minimum Wage was 22 cents.
A pound of sugar cost 4 cents.
Neither of the World Wars had occurred yet.
The highest paid MLB player made $8,500.
I don’t know what’s worse: your team having had a losing record in the last century or your rival having had unbelievable baseball success during that same period.
Lou Brock after getting his 3000th hit … it was against the Cubs (photo, foxsports.com)
Competition for Players: Just mention the name, “Lou Brock,” to an older Cubs’ fan. You’ll be lucky if aren’t punched in the face. Lou Brock was initially a Cubbie before being traded to St. Louis — after a couple of poor seasons in the Windy City. Brock was acquired to help fill the void that Stan “The Man” Musial left. And Brock didn’t disappoint. When Brock was traded to St. Louis, the Cardinals were near the bottom of the National League. Brock would then bat an outstanding .348 and lead the Cardinals to a NL Pennant, which they didn’t claim until the last day of the season. Then, the team went on to win The World Series that year. By the end of his career, Brock was a two-time World Series champion, a six-time All-Star, and eventually, a Hall of Famer. So “The Trade,” which took place back in 1964, is considered one of the biggest ‘steals’ in MLB history. Well, this past offseason the Cubs got their revenge. Chicago brought out the big bucks to whisk all-star pitcher, John Lackey, and Gold Glover, Jason Heyward, away from the Cardinals. With new talent added to an already dangerous lineup, the Cubs are on top of MLB right now, a definite favorite to win the 2016 World Series. What does it all mean? The battle between the General Manager’s offices is constant.
Courtesy: espn.go.com
McGwire-Sosa Home Run Chase: Former Cardinals’ player, Mark McGwire, and former Cubs’ player, Sammy Sosa, were both after the same thing: the MLB single-season HR record. While both would eventually break Roger Maris’ record of 61 homers, Sosa was never quite able to catch McGwire. McGwire finished with 70, Sosa 66. The chase never would have been as heated if it were not for the fact of the team rivalry. After the Players’ Strike of 1994, the sport needed something to reignite popularity. Well, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire helped reignite baseball’s popularity.
Cubs’ Record Against the Cardinals: With all of the Cards’ success you’d think that St. Louis would have a dominating record against the Cubs. But that’s just not true. Going into this week’s series, the Cubs lead the all-time series by 52 games. That means the Cubbies remain one thing the Cardinals have failed to conquer. So the latest chapter in this rivalry involves the Cardinals’ aspirations to have a winning record v. the Cubbies. And, if the Cardinals achieve that goal, then the Cubs will simply try to top their rival once again.
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The Cubs and Cardinals’ rivalry—and hatred for one another—is everlasting. I there’s ever a global apocalypse, I predict Busch Stadium and Wrigley Field will be left standing in the ruins.
