Author: Ryota Shimizu

Program of Study: Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP), Harris School of Public Policy

Picture of Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field. (photos taken by author)

Description: I will compare the two Major League Baseball teams in Chicago—the Cubs and the White Sox—by analyzing their distinct cultures and traditions as observed in their respective ballparks, Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field.

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Transcript (provided by author):

Welcome to the ELI’s Finding Chicago Global Perspectives Podcast Series for AEPP 2024. I’m your host, Ryota Shimizu, and I’m currently enrolled in the University of Chicago’s Harris School.

Today, I’d like to dive into Chicago from a baseball perspective. In my country, Japan, baseball is a very popular sport. I watched it since childhood, played it in high school and now, I can’t stop checking on my favorite team every day. And, it is popular here in Chicago as well. In both Japan and the U.S., there are professional baseball teams that reflect the unique features of the cities they represent, so I would like to explore the characteristics of Chicago through baseball. It is interesting that Chicago has two Major League Baseball teams, the Cubs and the White Sox. I will discuss how baseball is loved in Chicago, focusing on the differences between the two teams based on my own experiences visiting Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs, and Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the White Sox.

Two weeks ago, I visited Wrigley Field, located on the north side of downtown. I took the Red Line train from Hyde Park, and headed north. Arrived at Addison station, the elegant dark green traditional ballpark came into my view. The area around the ballpark was lively with lots of stores and bars. Passing through the gate with great expectations, I saw a beautiful turf spreading out, shining in a dazzling yellow-green color. In the day, Cubs’ starting lineup was gorgeous, with Japanese pitcher Imanaga and another Japanese key player, Suzuki. My family pointed out that I was there just for my enjoyment, but of course I went there purely for the research for this podcast.

One week later, I visited Guaranteed Rate Field, located near Hyde Park. Unlike Wrigley Field, there were no large buildings around, only a straight stretch of road, making the ballpark look outstanding and beautiful. There are few commercial facilities around the ballpark, and the atmosphere is calm and relaxing. The inside of the ballpark is also cozy, with a great view.

Both teams’ fans were very friendly. Someone asked me a question about the Japanese player at Wrigley Field, while a man next to me bought beer for me at Guaranteed Rate Field. I enjoyed a Chicago’s famous hot dog in both ballparks. I heard that Chicagoans never use ketchup on their hot dogs, so of course I did not use ketchup. I saw a few people putting ketchup on their hot dogs, so they must be opponent team fans.

Now let’s move on to the difference between Cubs and White Sox. First, I’ll talk about Cubs. Wrigley Field is located on the north side of downtown where is a white majority area, most of the spectators are white. Also there seem to be many people from outside Chicago, as the people I spoke to that day were from New Mexico and Texas, respectively. Cubs fans are famous for their passionate watching style. Actually, I felt the audience participated in the game together. The team and the fans were united throughout the ballpark, such as cheering at chances and booing when the opposing team hit a home run. I also saw the enthusiastic fan behavior of throwing the opposing team’s home run ball back to the ground. About the structure of the ballpark and its surroundings, Wrigley Field is the second oldest ballpark in the U.S., so it is traditional. The classic scoreboard has been used for a century. The person sitting next to me at the ballpark said he used to live in Chicago and hadn’t visited Wrigley Field in 50 years, but it has not changed much since then. He also noted that the beautiful Ivy covering the outfield fence was a distinctive feature. I think this cherished tradition, symbolized by such trademarks, has long been beloved by Chicagoans.

Then let me talk about White Sox. Guaranteed Rate Field which is located in south side where many black people and Latino live and many of them came to the game. It is interesting that the fan base seems to be clearly divided by region. And there were a lot of children with their family at the White Sox game.Guaranteed Rate Field was like a theme park for me, with a Kids Zone inside the ballpark where many families with children visited during the game to experience various activities such as hitting and pitching a ball. There is also an open terrace space upon the back screen, where everyone can freely come and go as they enjoy the open-air spectacle with a beer in hand. I had the impression that Sox fans enjoy not only the game itself but also the entire ballpark with everyone, including children.

So far, we have seen some interesting differences. Based on these observations, I would like to briefly share my own ideas. While The Cubs attract people from both inside and outside Chicago with their tradition and elegance, the White Sox have gained deep-rooted popularity in the local community, including children, in other words, future generations through hands-on experiences. Thus, looking at the city of Chicago as a whole, I believe that baseball will continue to be popular in the future. Furthermore, the severe rivalry between these two teams is also attractive, because I believe that the consciousness of identity in each community will generate more enthusiasm.

I dived deeply into the characteristics of the two and I hope you discovered their own charms. As for me, unfortunately, both games I watched were losses, so hopefully I will be able to see a strong Chicago next time. If you come to Chicago, why not spend a day to get into the baseball spirit with Chicagoans?