There have been a lot of championship droughts in baseball. As mentioned in an earlier post, the Philadelphia Phillies went almost 100 years before they ever won a World Series. The Cleveland Indians haven't won a World Series since 1948, the Boston Red Sox went 86 years before they won a World Series. And Chicago, the nations third largest city, went 88 years without winning a World Series.
While everyone knows the curse the Bambino, and the curse of the Billy Goat, no one ever really seemed to care, or acknowledge, the curse of the Black Sox. The Black Sox, of course, is in reference to the acquisition of eight players from the Chicago White Sox throwing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in 1919. Throwing a World Series seems way more damning than not letting in a goat, trading away a player, or having a statue of William Penn on a building (I see you, Philadelphia).
But, back to business; the White Sox World Series winner in 2005 was the first World Series title in Chicago since 1917, when the White Sox defeated the New York Giants. As amazing at that sounds, there is more to it that makes it all the sadder, assuming you're sympathetic towards Chicago teams. The White Sox '05 pennant was the first pennant in Chicago since 1959. That's right, a Chicago team hadn't even been to a World Series in 46 years. The White Sox '59 pennant was the first pennant for the White Sox since 1919. A forty year drought. 1959 was also the first Chicago pennant since the Cubs lost to the Detroit Tigers in 1945.
Assuming you were alive at the turn of the 20th century, the great droughts may have been worse than those born in the 1960s, or 1970s. Fans born post of the Go-Go Sox had to deal with 40 years of not winning, but remember, the two teams were fairly dominate teams in the early goings. The Cubs would win the NL pennant in 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, and 1945. And the White Sox would win the pennant in the AL in 1901 (no World Series yet, however), 1906, 1917, and 1919. The two teams met in 1906, the "hitless wonders" beat the Cubs in six games. 1917, 1918, and 1919 would see a Chicago team in three consecutive seasons.
As you creep towards the end of the century, it sort of gets better. The White Sox would win the American League Western Division in 1983. Chicago's first playoff team since the Go-Go Sox in 1959. 24 years, but its better than 40 I suppose. The Cubs would win the National League East in 1984, their first playoff appearance in 39 years. Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ferguson Jenkins, Luke Appling, Ted Lyons, never got to play in the World Series. Granted, winning a championship doesn't make, or break, your reputation in sports (or at least,
it shouldn't).
All in all, the two teams really can't blame it on a curse. As much as the 1969 black cat or the 2003 Bartman incident, the Cubs just choked. Its no different the White Sox choking away the last two weeks of the 2012 season, or the Sox fading in 2003 down the stretch. It happens. You never heard White Sox fans crying woe, during their drought like you did with Cubs, and Red Sox fans.
No curse, just mostly bad teams. Since 1945, the Cubs are 8th in offensive WAR (the only teams worse are all the NL expansion teams, and the Brewers, and they're only worse because of their shorter tenure), since 1945, the Cubs are last tied for last in wRC+. On the pitching end, the Cubs are actually 3rd since 1945 in WAR, which is pretty incredible. But while they're 9th in ERA-, they're 11th in xFIP-. So, over the past 68 seasons, to summarize, the Cubs have pitched well, but haven't scored a lot of runs to back it up. Pitching wins championships, but you lose games when you don't drive in runs.
As for the White Sox, from 1920-2004, the White Sox were 6th in offensive WAR, but 14th in wRC+ (only the Devil Rays were worse, and from their start in 1998-2004 they never had a winning season) On pitching, from 1920-2004 the White Sox were 5th WAR, and 8th in xFIP- (100, which is average). Sox, the Sox were pretty bad at hitting, and average-ish on pitching. So, as bad as we thought the Cubs have been since 1949, the Sox were worse from 1920-2004.
In my opinion, I blame the two ballparks the teams have called home most of their existences for their problems.
When Comiskey Park was built in 1910, it was the heart of the deadball era, and the dimensions of the Baseball Palace of the World, were huge. In fact, pitcher Ed Walsch, help design the ballpark. When Comiskey Park opened in 1910, the foul poles were '360 feet, the power allies were '382 feet, dead center was '420. This would cause a huge black hole for offensiveness. Beltin' Bill Melton would be the first White Sox 30+ single season home run hitter in 1970 with 33. Someone wouldn't crank 40+ until Frank Thomas would do it in 1993.
For the Cubs, Wrigley Field is hard to build a team around. When the wind blows out, Wrigley is a bandbox, when the wind blows in, its a pitchers haven. The old offset is that you build a team for your ballpark, but the Cubs can't even do that because of where they play. And as mentioned in an earlier post, the Cubs can't leave Wrigley Field because its the only thing that keeps them relevant in a town that would treat them them no different than the White Sox if they didn't have Wrigley. Face it, Chicago isn't a baseball town. It isn't that the people don't like baseball, but the Bears, Bulls, and now the Blackhawks are way more popular.
When the White Sox won it all in 2005, it was a huge burden lifted off of Chicago's shoulders (and Chicago is known as the city with big shoulders, so you know it must have been something). When Commisioner Bug Selig gave the trophy to Jerry Reinsdorf, JR said: "this is for all the fans in Chicago, south side, north side, west side, this is for you." You know he meant it too, and he should. For Chicago to go 88 years without winning is kind of a big deal. Most Cubs fans wouldn't dare admit it, but I bet that most of them were secretly rooting for the Sox to win it. Yeah, there would be some razzing, that's to be expected, but for the better of the city, it would have been worth it.
Given the White Sox shenanigans since 2005, I think most of the south side faithful are grateful for it. It was a great accomplishment for Chicago, regardless of your allegiance.
