I have to break this up into two comments to fit this brief history of the rivalry in:
Just a little bit of background on the grand old rivalry in the heartland between the Cardinals and Cubs:
Dubbed the “I-55 Series,” (just a five hour drive separating them) the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs have a storied rivalry. These two teams have played more games against each other than any other two teams in the history of major league baseball. This rivalry between two of Major League Baseball’s National League Central Division teams is one that is truly for the fans. Both the Cubs and Cardinals have storied histories. The Cubs first year as a franchise was in 1874, and have won 2 World Series titles during their time in Chicago. They last won a title in 1908 and last visited the World Series in 1945. Something about a Goat curse, Steve Bartman, etc. getting in the way of further trips. The Cardinals first year as a franchise was in 1882, and have won 9 World Series titles during that time span, second only to the Yankees. For two teams that have such a dislike for each other, remarkably, many of the highlights show that the rivalry is full of respect for all parties involved. The yearly games between these two is always a sell out and features quite a few fireworks on the field of play, in the stands and in the bars before/after the games.
Highlights of the Chicago – St Louis rivalry include:
The 1964 Trade
Probably the most controversial trade that ever took place between the two teams was in 1964 that sent Ernie Broglio to Chicago and future Hall of Famer Lou Brock to St. Louis. Broglio spent two seasons with the Cubs, amassing a 3-12 record on the pitching mound, while having just 19 hits with 0 homeruns, RBI’s, and stolen bases. Brock on the other hand spent 16 seasons with St. Louis,made the NL All Star team 6 times,won two World Series titles (1964 and 1967), and amassed 2713 hits, 129 homeruns, 814 RBI’s, and 888 stolen bases while with the team. Although the Cubs did see some success after the trade, they would never be able to live down trading away Brock.
The Race for 62, and Beyond
At the start of the 1998 season, baseball was struggling. And then two men took baseball on their shoulders and led America through one of the most exciting races in recent memory. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa raced each other in the last half of the season to see which one of them would be the first to reach, and possibly pass, Roger Maris’ 1961 record of hitting 61 homeruns in a single season. As the season progressed, both men got closer and closer to the record, and each other. The two would be interviewed together joking about the race, and how no matter what happened, or who won, Major League Baseball would be the real winner. When Sosa’s Cubs came to St. Louis in early September 1998, history would be made. McGwire hit his 62nd homerun of the year off of Chicago’s Steve Trachsel setting the new record for home runs in a season. A few games later, Sosa also reached this goal. At seasons end, McGwire had hit 70, and Sosa 66. But the real winner was baseball, and this friendly rivalry between two players on teams that have a historical dislike for each other won out.
Harry Caray :: Cubs/Cardinals and Jack Buck :: Cardinals
Both the Cubs and the Cardinals have had their share of legendary announcers in the booth: Harry Caray for the Cubs/Cardinals, and Jack Buck for the Cardinals. The two worked together in the 1950's and 1960's broadcasting Cardinal games. Caray was fired after 25 years of service to the Cardinals for fooling around with Auggie Bush's wife and effentiall made his way to broadcast Cubs games. At a 2001 Cubs – Cardinals game, Buck offered a tribute to Caray by singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch. Buck, wearing a red sport coat and Cardinals hat made the switch to a Cubs hat half way through the performance gaining the approval of the crowd. Buck’s son, Joe, said it best “He was glad he did it, but he was nervous about it. It was meaningful for him to pay tribute to Harry Caray. Dad’s one of the few guys who could have pulled it off, and the fans loved it.”
The Cubs and the Cardinals were to play a game on June 22, 2002, but the game was called due to a death in the Cardinals organization. Pitcher Darryl Kile, age 33, was found in his hotel room in Chicago the morning of the game, and the Cubs organization was quickly notified of what happened. At the time when the first pitch was to be thrown out, as an amazing showing of respect and dignity, the entire Cubs team walked to the pitchers mound and announced that the game would be postponed due to the death. The Cubs and Cardinals would later make up that game, but both teams and fans of baseball would remember that day for a long time.
In 2003 Matt Morris made comments about rooting for the Astros to win the central instead of the Cubs since he and the Cardinal players respected the Astros. That same year, Baker and LaRussa got into shouting matches during the all important 4 game series in Wrigley that Septembe. In 2004, Mark Prior returns the favor with similar comment towards the Cardinals. In recent years the head hunting Carlos Zambrano has poured more fuel on the flames of hate between these two teams.
Perhaps this story, written in Chicago in 2004, best sums up this midwestern rivalry in terms of giving brief insights into the intensity of this series:
The Associated Press
CHICAGO - June 9, 2004 The harsh feelings between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs didn't go away over the winter.
Both benches cleared in the bottom of the fifth inning Wednesday after Cardinals starter Matt Morris sent Derrek Lee sprawling in the dirt with a fastball near his head. No punches were thrown and no one was ejected, but the game was delayed for about five minutes before umpires restored order.
The Cubs-Cardinals rivalry is always tense, but it was particularly ugly last year. Things came to a head when the Cardinals went to Wrigley Field for a key four-game series the first week of September, and Cubs manager Dusty Baker and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa got into a shouting match during the Sept. 3 game.
Emotions seemed to have cooled in the offseason, and there were no problems in the first two meetings of the year. But tempers flared again Wednesday.
So Taguchi and Jim Edmonds had been sent sprawling on 0-2 pitches earlier in the game. But Lee took offense when Matt Morris - vocal in his dislike of the Cubs last year - buzzed him with two fastballs. The second rose as it neared Lee, and Lee had to hit the ground to avoid being hit in the head.
Lee pointed at Morris as soon as he got up, and Morris screamed back at him. Plate umpire Ed Rapuano pulled Lee back as the Cubs and Cardinals slowly started coming out of their dugouts. But someone said something to Lee and he started back toward the mound. Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina restrained him, and the umpires got between the teams.
Words were exchanged for several minutes before both teams wandered back to their dugouts. Morris had another exchange with one of the Cubs coaches, but he stayed on the mound and walked Lee when play resumed.
OOH I DIDN'T KNOW THAT ABOUT MATT MORRIS. That fucker, I liked him. Now all my respect for him just vanished. No wonder Mark Prior made those remarks.
What gets me is how they claim to be all genteel in their rivalry. It's a HUGE LIE. Deadbird fans are as condescending and arrogant to Cubs fans as Yankee fans are to Red Sox fans, especially when no one's looking. And I think they have the same sense of entitlement as to how baseball revolves around their team and its history.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
From:
no subject
(yes I have embraced the Cubs-Deadbirds rivalry after years of resisting it...)
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
I have to break this up into two comments to fit this brief history of the rivalry in:
Just a little bit of background on the grand old rivalry in the heartland between the Cardinals and Cubs:
Dubbed the “I-55 Series,” (just a five hour drive separating them) the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs have a storied rivalry. These two teams have played more games against each other than any other two teams in the history of major league baseball. This rivalry between two of Major League Baseball’s National League Central Division teams is one that is truly for the fans. Both the Cubs and Cardinals have storied histories. The Cubs first year as a franchise was in 1874, and have won 2 World Series titles during their time in Chicago. They last won a title in 1908 and last visited the World Series in 1945. Something about a Goat curse, Steve Bartman, etc. getting in the way of further trips. The Cardinals first year as a franchise was in 1882, and have won 9 World Series titles during that time span, second only to the Yankees. For two teams that have such a dislike for each other, remarkably, many of the highlights show that the rivalry is full of respect for all parties involved. The yearly games between these two is always a sell out and features quite a few fireworks on the field of play, in the stands and in the bars before/after the games.
Highlights of the Chicago – St Louis rivalry include:
The 1964 Trade
Probably the most controversial trade that ever took place between the two teams was in 1964 that sent Ernie Broglio to Chicago and future Hall of Famer Lou Brock to St. Louis. Broglio spent two seasons with the Cubs, amassing a 3-12 record on the pitching mound, while having just 19 hits with 0 homeruns, RBI’s, and stolen bases. Brock on the other hand spent 16 seasons with St. Louis,made the NL All Star team 6 times,won two World Series titles (1964 and 1967), and amassed 2713 hits, 129 homeruns, 814 RBI’s, and 888 stolen bases while with the team. Although the Cubs did see some success after the trade, they would never be able to live down trading away Brock.
The Race for 62, and Beyond
At the start of the 1998 season, baseball was struggling. And then two men took baseball on their shoulders and led America through one of the most exciting races in recent memory. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa raced each other in the last half of the season to see which one of them would be the first to reach, and possibly pass, Roger Maris’ 1961 record of hitting 61 homeruns in a single season. As the season progressed, both men got closer and closer to the record, and each other. The two would be interviewed together joking about the race, and how no matter what happened, or who won, Major League Baseball would be the real winner. When Sosa’s Cubs came to St. Louis in early September 1998, history would be made. McGwire hit his 62nd homerun of the year off of Chicago’s Steve Trachsel setting the new record for home runs in a season. A few games later, Sosa also reached this goal. At seasons end, McGwire had hit 70, and Sosa 66. But the real winner was baseball, and this friendly rivalry between two players on teams that have a historical dislike for each other won out.
Harry Caray :: Cubs/Cardinals and Jack Buck :: Cardinals
Both the Cubs and the Cardinals have had their share of legendary announcers in the booth: Harry Caray for the Cubs/Cardinals, and Jack Buck for the Cardinals. The two worked together in the 1950's and 1960's broadcasting Cardinal games. Caray was fired after 25 years of service to the Cardinals for fooling around with Auggie Bush's wife and effentiall made his way to broadcast Cubs games. At a 2001 Cubs – Cardinals game, Buck offered a tribute to Caray by singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch. Buck, wearing a red sport coat and Cardinals hat made the switch to a Cubs hat half way through the performance gaining the approval of the crowd. Buck’s son, Joe, said it best “He was glad he did it, but he was nervous about it. It was meaningful for him to pay tribute to Harry Caray. Dad’s one of the few guys who could have pulled it off, and the fans loved it.”
From:
no subject
Death of a Friend, and Teammate
The Cubs and the Cardinals were to play a game on June 22, 2002, but the game was called due to a death in the Cardinals organization. Pitcher Darryl Kile, age 33, was found in his hotel room in Chicago the morning of the game, and the Cubs organization was quickly notified of what happened. At the time when the first pitch was to be thrown out, as an amazing showing of respect and dignity, the entire Cubs team walked to the pitchers mound and announced that the game would be postponed due to the death. The Cubs and Cardinals would later make up that game, but both teams and fans of baseball would remember that day for a long time.
In 2003 Matt Morris made comments about rooting for the Astros to win the central instead of the Cubs since he and the Cardinal players respected the Astros. That same year, Baker and LaRussa got into shouting matches during the all important 4 game series in Wrigley that Septembe. In 2004, Mark Prior returns the favor with similar comment towards the Cardinals. In recent years the head hunting Carlos Zambrano has poured more fuel on the flames of hate between these two teams.
Perhaps this story, written in Chicago in 2004, best sums up this midwestern rivalry in terms of giving brief insights into the intensity of this series:
The Associated Press
CHICAGO - June 9, 2004
The harsh feelings between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs didn't go away over the winter.
Both benches cleared in the bottom of the fifth inning Wednesday after Cardinals starter Matt Morris sent Derrek Lee sprawling in the dirt with a fastball near his head. No punches were thrown and no one was ejected, but the game was delayed for about five minutes before umpires restored order.
The Cubs-Cardinals rivalry is always tense, but it was particularly ugly last year. Things came to a head when the Cardinals went to Wrigley Field for a key four-game series the first week of September, and Cubs manager Dusty Baker and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa got into a shouting match during the Sept. 3 game.
Emotions seemed to have cooled in the offseason, and there were no problems in the first two meetings of the year. But tempers flared again Wednesday.
So Taguchi and Jim Edmonds had been sent sprawling on 0-2 pitches earlier in the game. But Lee took offense when Matt Morris - vocal in his dislike of the Cubs last year - buzzed him with two fastballs. The second rose as it neared Lee, and Lee had to hit the ground to avoid being hit in the head.
Lee pointed at Morris as soon as he got up, and Morris screamed back at him. Plate umpire Ed Rapuano pulled Lee back as the Cubs and Cardinals slowly started coming out of their dugouts. But someone said something to Lee and he started back toward the mound. Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina restrained him, and the umpires got between the teams.
Words were exchanged for several minutes before both teams wandered back to their dugouts. Morris had another exchange with one of the Cubs coaches, but he stayed on the mound and walked Lee when play resumed.
OOH I DIDN'T KNOW THAT ABOUT MATT MORRIS. That fucker, I liked him. Now all my respect for him just vanished. No wonder Mark Prior made those remarks.
What gets me is how they claim to be all genteel in their rivalry. It's a HUGE LIE. Deadbird fans are as condescending and arrogant to Cubs fans as Yankee fans are to Red Sox fans, especially when no one's looking. And I think they have the same sense of entitlement as to how baseball revolves around their team and its history.