El Mundo Sports

Never in my life have I known a major league baseball player like Manny Ramirez. He is different in so many ways. Manny has a care-free attitude that resonates through his team, but can often cause problems with coaches and fans. He tends to jog after balls hit over his head and can often be seen joking around during serious moments within a game. ”It’s Manny being Manny” has been reverberated so many times, my head spins.

He’s also one of the best pure hitters I have ever seen.

Kids love him. Adults love him. Rameriz gets cheered when he runs out onto the field as if he’s an untouchable king of baseball mortality. Nothing seems to bother this guy. Nothing stops him from just being…well himself.

Manny was loved in Cleveland, but he eventually wanted something different. He was sent to Boston and was loved in Bean Town like no other since Ted Williams. After many successful years, 2 World Series Championships, and a plethora of incidents that drove management up the wall, he headed west to Los Angeles to become a Dodger. What happened? LA welcomed him with open arms as if to say “we don’t care about your lackluster attitude.” It seemed as if everything he did was shoved under the rug because he was so popular with the fans and could hit a baseball better than almost anyone in the game.

Then the unthinkable happened. Manny tested positive for steroids and was banned 50 games.

It would be the ultimate test for his fans. They would have to ask themselves whether or not to support him even after he cheated. How would they think of Manny’s antics in the future? Would they support him still? Would kids still wear his dreadlocks to baseball games?

Amazingly enough, when Manny returned to the Dodgers, he said sorry to the fans, and everyone forgave him. His suspension was major news, and now (again) his transgressions have been swept under the rug. Well at least he hasn’t done anything seriously wrong. I mean, at least he didn’t commit tax fraud or even worse, kill someone.

But if imagine if he did. What would his fans say then?

“It’s just Manny being Manny?”

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There have been many articles written about the rivalry between the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox. How the White Sox fans typically live in South Chicago, while the Cubs fans live in the North. Sox fans are blue-collar workers, and it’s trendy to be a Cubs fan. Is it a geographical issue? A socio-economic one? So, I decided to see it first hand. What was all the fuss about?

As I arrived at Wrigley for the first time in nearly 4 years, I remembered how enthusiastic the fans were the last time I was there. Upon entering the stadium, I realized I hadn’t eaten yet. I walked up to a concession stand and ask the lady behind the counter what she recommended. After all, I was in Chicago, at Wrigley, and wanted to eat something I could only get there. “I got an Italian Beef Sandwich with your name all over it, Baby! You like cheese and peppers?” I told her I did, and she yelled my order to her coworker. What she forgot to ask me was if I wanted some antacid to cure the fire pit that was my stomach (after slamming down the sandwich) and 2 bottles of water to stop my throat from feeling like it was being ripped out of my neck. That might have been the hottest sandwich I have ever put to my lips.

After I returned from the depths of hell, I headed down the tunnel and out into the famed stands at one of the most historic ballparks in the entire country. An usher on the bottom level asked for my ticket, which said “standing room only,” and he pointed to the top of the stadium, smiled and then proceeded to explain what “standing room only” meant. Thanks buddy, us college graduates tend to be a little slow sometimes.

Once I reached my elevated destination, I noticed two women sitting next to each other, cheering as a Cubs player got a base hit. The younger woman chatted up the older one, who was sitting calmly in her wheelchair. As I engaged them in conversation, I realized what the media has been saying for years about the traditions of the Cubs/White Sox rivalry. Our conversation went something like this:

(Debbie S., 53, White American, Evanston, Illinois. Northwest suburbs. An affluent neighborhood)

Christopher Bond: Are you a lifelong Cubs fan?

Debbie S: Oh Yeah.

CB: What do you think about the rivalry between the Cubs and White Sox?

DS: People in Chicago are either Cubs fans or Sox fans, but we have city pride and want the other team to do well.

CB: How has this rivalry developed?

DS: Geographically speaking, Cubs are in the North, and the Sox are in the South.

CB: What do you make of the stories written about the rivalry being a socio-economic issue?

DS: Well, Jews used to live in South Chicago and when African Americans migrated north and made it to Chicago, it pushed the Jews north. Irish, African Americans, and Hispanics still make up the south side, while the more affluent neighborhoods make up the north. It’s a huge part of what makes Chicago such a great sports city. The hispanic population is moving around more, so you’re now seeing more Hispanic Cubs fans.

CB: Is being a Cubs fan a family thing?

DS: Absolutely. My mother is here next to me, and she’s been a life long Cubs fan.

CB: How old is she?

DS: 78. The interesting thing is that you now see families with a brother or a father that root for the other team. Things seem to be segregating a bit. For us, my grandfather (mother’s father) was a Cubs fan way back when. So, it’s Cubs all the way.

CB: What do you think of the Steve Bartman incident?

DS: I feel bad for the guy. He can’t even step foot in the city anymore.

CB: I’m an LSU grad, and your shortstop (Ryan Theriot) and second baseman (Mike Fontenot) both went there.

DS: We love them both. We call Mike “Little Babe!” (because he’s such a good hitter)

CB: Anything you want to tell sports fans about your city or rivalry?

DS: The Cubs/Sox rivalry is what makes baseball great. It’s more than a game here. It’s what drives people. That’s why Chicago is the best sports city in the country.

The Cubs were down 5-0, to the Marlins, while I was talking to Debbie. After our conversation, Wrigley came to life. Alfonso Soriano hit an opposite field home run to get it started, and the Cubs tied the game at 5. Debbie and her mother could be seen cheering together. Baseball truly can bring family together.

I was walking by another concession stand and decided to stop and ask the worker about the rivalry as well. Turns out she was a White Sox fan.

(Ashley C., 17, Italian American, Tinley Park, Chicago, Southside, not an affluent area)

Christopher Bond: What do you think of the Cubs/Sox rivalry?

Ashley C: I know the White Sox are better.

CB: Ok, do you only work Cubs games?

AC: No, I work both at Wrigley and at US Cellular Field.

CB: Have there been incidents of violence during inter-league play when the Cubs play the Sox?

AC: I saw an incident when a Cubs fan said something to a Sox fan, and they ended up fighting on the ground and then both of them got arrested.

CB: Are there extra security measures taken during these games?

AC: OH yeah! Typically security is at a maximum because US Cellular field is on the South side, but during Cubs/Sox games, it’s doubled. It tends to be calmer at Wrigley.

CB: Is there an inter-family rivalry in your family?

AC: My dad’s from the North side, and he’s a big Cubs fan.

CB: Has that caused problems?

AC: No, it’s all in good fun. Sometimes he tries to fly his Cubs flag, so I just turn it upside down.

It was obvious to me that both clubs’ fans were loyal to their team. The interesting aspect of speaking with both Debbie and Ashley was how Debbie was more open with her ability to root for the Sox, while Ashley didn’t seem to have an affinity for the Cubs. Why was that?

From a socio-economic perspective, if the White Sox fans are considered blue-collar workers, and it’s assumed they have more pride in their team because of this. Maybe they are more territorial. They root for their team, and everyone else comes in a distant second. Maybe the Sox were more a part of their fans everyday life and just meant more to them than the Cubs do to their fans.

Try telling a Cubs fan that.

Being truly proud of one’s neighborhood team is a phenomenon difficult to explain. In a way, it’s showing the world of its existence. It’s pride within borders. Whether a neighborhood is predominately Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Irish, or Italian is important to the traditions of America and adds spice to the world of sports.

For the fans of the city of Chicago, passion for sport is of a greater importance than the geographic or socio-economic divide that showcases one of the greatest rivalries in American sports. As in any sport in any country across the world, geography aides in which team certain fans root for. The “Windy City” adds something a little different.

People of Chicago seem to have a grasp of both concepts. They understand the importance of their roots and still have pride to be from Chicago.

As Debbie said, that’s what makes it the greatest sports city in America.

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