Cubs vs. White Sox Charity Game

[E.Banks#14]

I was searching the Chicago Tribune Archives and I came across a few articles (the below one from 7-8-1951, and others from dates as recent as 1985) describing a Cubs vs. White Sox Charity game. Does anyone know when this event was first held and when was the last time it was held?

Also, was it common that teams near each other in different leagues played exhibition or charity games against each other?

From the Chicago Tribune July 8, 1951:
Cubs vs. Sox Charity Game Article 7-8-51.JPG

[Ubiquitous]

I believe you are talking about what turned into the Windy City Classic. It started up in 1985 and it went on until 1994. Before that it wasn't always a yearly event.

[Bench 5]

Yes I remember watching the Crosstown Classics charity games in the 80s and early 90s. Michael Jordan played in one of the games in Wrigley Field I believe in 1994 or 1995. I remember that he got a double or triple down the leftfield line in one at bat.

I have as mug at home circa 1986. If I get a chance I will post it on here.

The Sox usually won this series although Cub fans always claimed that was because the Sox played their starters and the Cubs played their subs. Some things never change.

[Ubiquitous]

A brief history of the series.

First city series happened in October of 1903. It was scheduled for an amazing 14 games with the first to 8 to win the series, and a 15th game to be played if needed. The Cubs jumped out to a early lead but the White Sox came back to tie it 7-7 and that is where it stayed. One of the scheduled games was rained out so the contract had expired and the Cubs refused to play a 15th game.

From there the two teams would basically play almost every single time in October when both were not in the World Series.
1905: Cubs win in 5, best of 7
1909: Cubs win in 5
1911: Sox win in 4, sweep
1912: Sox win in 7 plus there were two ties. The first two games were delayed each time because of rain and both games resulted in ties, the first a scoreless tie through 9, the other being called after 12 innings. After that the Cubs reeled off 3 straight wins. The Sox came back and won the next 4 to take the series. Ed Walsh ended up pitching 4 complete games, and relieved twice in 10 days and after that was never the same pitcher again
1913: Sox win in 5
1914: Sox win in 7
1915: Sox win in 5
1916: Sox sweep
Nothing was played again until 1921 because either team was in the World Series and in 1920 the Sox were decimated and embarassed because of the black Sox. From 1921 on the Chicago teams were the only teams to play any kind of city series, before that St. Louis, the teams of Ohio, and occasionally the teams of New York would play a series.
1921: Sox sweep, 5 games
1922: Cubs win in 7
1923: Sox win in 6
1924: Sox win in 6
1925: Cubs sweep, one tie happened, in that tie 38 yr old Pete Alexander and Ted Blankenship went the distance and pitched the entire 19 innings!
1926: Sox in 7
In 1927 for whatever reason the Cubs did not offer to play
1928: Cubs win in 7
1930: Cubs win in 6
1931: Sox win in 7
1933: Sox sweep
In 1934 the Cubs fell out of the pennant race and decided to not play a city series after that.
1936: Sox sweep
1937: Sox in 7
1939: Sox in 7
1940: Sox win in 7
1941: Sox sweep
1942: Sox in 6

That was the last of the city series to be played at the end of the season. From 1949 to 1972 the two teams met in the middle of the season for an exhibition game. They started it up again I beleive in 1985 and it went through 1994, and then interleague came about a couple of years later.

Of the end of season city series the Sox won 18 of 24 series and they also won the lone World Series played against each other. Have no idea how many victories in the mid-season exhibition games.

[Ubiquitous]

Retrosheet now has an entire section dedicated to postseason series including the Cubs vs White Sox and it includes box scores and PBP.

[ol' aches and pains]

I still remember the 1987 game. It was on WGN, and I was looking forward to seeing it, because the Sox at that time were on Sportsvision, a cheesy cable outlet that I didn't have access to. I especially wanted to see Harold Baines hit, as he was my favorite Sox player of the day. He came up in the late innings with men on base, and the Cubs intentionally walked him! In an exhibition game. What a chicken &%#* move.

[Gary Dunaier]

Also, was it common that teams near each other in different leagues played exhibition or charity games against each other?

Until the beginning of Interleague play, the Mets and Yankees played each other once a year in the "Mayor's Trophy" game.

[1983whitesox]

I am so tired of the current White Sox vs Cubs series every G*D damn year. I want to see the Sox play other National League teams instead of the Cubs. MLB should have the two play every other year or every other two years.

White Sox and Cubs interleague play every year = zzzzzz