There’s something about the South Side that seems to send schizophrenia through the City Series.
Remember the rants of Milton Bradley and Carlos Zambrano that led to suspensions and exits from the Cubs?
Or Michael Barrett using A.J. Pierzynski as a punching bag?
Or the Zambrano-Ozzie Guillen postgame dinner?
But those moments are best saved for the June rematch between the Cubs and White Sox.
The story now highlights the two decades of intracity games played at Wrigley Field, a series that will be renewed this weekend but likely can’t merit Page 1 headlines given other happenings in the city.
Protests? Cubs and White Sox fans could be justified in holding their own this weekend, given the state of the teams.
The City Series hasn’t taken secondary status often — even before it officially started counting in the standings. The most memorable game, at least in terms of media attention, actually was played April 7, 1994.
That’s when Michael Jordan made his “big league” debut — and, as it turns out, his exit as well — when he went 2-for-5 for the Sox in the Windy City Classic exhibition against the Cubs.
As for games that have counted, here are the most unforgettable:
June 13, 2010: For pure baseball, this one is a classic. For pure Chicago, this one is unbeatable.
Before the game, Cubs and White Sox players posed on the pitcher’s mound with members of the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks as fans wearing blue stood with those wearing black to celebrate in one-time unison.
What followed made more magic: The Cubs’ Ted Lilly and the Sox’s Gavin Floyd had no-hitters until the seventh inning, baseball’s first game since 1965 in which 41 outs were recorded before either team registered a hit.
Lilly’s no-hit bid ended on Juan Pierre’s single to lead off the ninth. Carlos Marmol, of course, loaded the bases before the Cubs prevailed 1-0.
July 1, 2006: This one qualifies as the most divisive in City Series history on the North Side.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, the Cubs leading 6-5 and then-closer Ryan Dempster on the mound, a Cubs fan’s worst nightmare happened. The hated Pierzynski, just six weeks removed from the Barrett fight, hit a three-run homer.
The game was delayed as disgusted fans littered the field with anything available while players headed for cover.
Said Pierzynski: “For all the stuff I’ve been through … and everything that has gone on, it was kind of nice.”
May 18, 2007: This one qualifies as the most bizarre, what with all the fireworks occurring before the game that had the entire town buzzing.
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Here’s the scene: As Sox manager Guillen is driving to Wrigley, he hears Pierzynski tell WSCR-AM host Mike North of his unhappiness with being left out of the lineup. Guillen calls the show and launches into a profanity-laced tirade at North.
Later at Wrigley, North brings a box of chocolates as a peace offering and Guillen tosses them into the trash.
Said Sox general manager Ken Williams: “In talking with Ozzie, he was surprised when I informed him he used a few choice words that are really not acceptable for the radio.”
The Cubs won 6-3 as Pierzynski replacement Toby Hall was charged with two errors and a crucial passed ball.
June 5, 1998: This one qualifies as a North Sider’s in-your-face all-timer. It was the first official City Series game ever played at Wrigley Field, and the ballpark actually made the Cubs 6-5 winners in 12 innings.
With the game tied 5-5 in the eighth, a runner on first and two outs, the Sox’s Magglio Ordonez laced a ball into right-center field. The go-ahead run would have scored easily if the ball hadn’t become stuck in the ivy and ruled a ground-rule double.
The game stay tied until Brant Brown started the bottom of the 12th with a homer off Tony Castillo. The Cubs went on to sweep the first intracity series at what was truly the Friendly Confines.
June 13, 1999: This one qualifies as one of the oddest of all time, given the nearly 31/2-hour rain delay after the third inning that eventually forced the teams to use up their bullpens.
In what turned out to be the highlight of light-hitting Mike Caruso’s career as Guillen’s controversial replacement at shortstop, he hit a two-run eighth-inning homer off Rick Aguilera to break a 2-2 tie.
Caruso hit one more homer that season before his major league career ended almost before it began. But Sox fans didn’t mind as they celebrated a sweep by flaunting brooms at Wrigley Field.
Twitter @davandyck