It did actually happen in 1906, and thus it could happen again in future years- an all Chicago World Series.
Following his team’s 21-7 loss to the #8 Wisconsin Badgers, Northwestern Wildcats Coach Pat Fitzgerald opened his postgame press conference with a nod to the 2016 World Series-winning Cubs:
“I want to congratulate the Cubs, the Ricketts family and the entire organization. What a special week it was in Chicago,” Fitz said to open the media session.
“Now the only other thing left in my life is a Red Line World Series,” he continued.
“If the Cubs can win the World Series, then it’s going to happen. I believe it. I look forward to the south side squad catching up to the north side squad; kind of like us, gotta a lot of work to do.”
The White Sox finished this season 78-84, in fourth place in the AL Central, 16.5 games behind AL Central Division and eventual league pennant winners the Cleveland Indians. Pat Fitzgerald hails from Orland Park, Illinois a town that is hard core White Sox country.
However, his alma mater, also his current place of work, is hard core Cubs country. So Fitzgerald has to “cross party lines” so to speak. Northwestern and the Cubs have many of the same corporate partners, and until recently, shared WGN as their radio broadcast partner. Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts is a neighbor and close friend to NU Athletic Director Jim Phillips.
The Northwestern University Marching Band played “Go Cubs Go” and formed a Cubs logo as part of the halftime show today. Also, the Cubs “W” flag flies from the south tower at Ryan Field.
If there’s a Northwestern sports team that could feasibly play a game in Wrigley Field someway, somehow, Phillips will make it happen.
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/795005526123970563
Special #Northwestern Marching Band performance of #GoCubsGo and @cubs logo formation #b1gcats #flythew #worldseries pic.twitter.com/4GlRk5XABd
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) November 5, 2016
Pat Fitzgerald has seen himself, out of necessity, become “bipartisan” and/or “reach across the aisle,” and that can be quite difficult. Believe me this author knows. I have no idea what the baseball extremists close to Pat Fitzgerald think and feel about his national past time partisanship, as I can only speak to my experiences.
I spent the first 18 years of my life in White Sox territory, growing up exactly one town over from Fitzgerald. All of my siblings went to his high school, and I attended the rival prep school. I’ve also the past 14 years of my life living in the heart of Cubdom.
For me, I’m rejected by the zealots on both sides.
The Sox fans see me as a Benedict Arnold style turncoat and sell out. The Cubs fans see me as a fraudulent “fake it to make it” character, a neophyte tourist like Tom Ripley trying to assume the identity of Dicky Greenleaf in captivating novel turned movie The Talented Mr. Ripley.
I can’t win either way.
Hopefully, for the sake of Pat Fitzgerald, the baseball super fans in his life don’t give him as much grief as the ones in my life give me. Getting back to the idea of that red line series, what a sight to see that would be. I agree with Fitz, it could happen. No seriously, we could really see that in our lifetimes.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.