Second City isn’t that now

CHICAGO – In the Second City, the buzz is all about first place.

The Cubs are on top. So are the White Sox. Starting today, they play each other six times in 10 days.

Somehow, maybe, this could be a preview of a Windy City World Series. Just imagine fans of the teams who don’t exactly love one another jamming the Red Line train that runs the 8 miles between Wrigley Field and U.S. Cellular Field.

The last all-Chicago World Series saw the White Sox, known as the “Hitless Wonders,” beat the favored Cubs four games to two, after the Cubs went 116-36 during the regular season of 1906.

Two years later, the Cubs won the World Series and haven’t captured one since, a 100-year stretch of futility that White Sox fans are quick to point out when there’s a debate over who’s the best team in town.

The White Sox, meanwhile, ended an 88-year drought by winning the World Series in 2005, an accomplishment that apparently didn’t impress some Cubs backers.

“It’s so different. You might as well build a border, a Great Wall of China on Madison (Ave.) because we are so different,” White Sox general manager Ken Williams said this week in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times. “We might as well be in two different cities.

“The unfortunate thing for me is that it’s a shame that a certain segment of Chicago refused to enjoy a baseball championship brought to their city. The only thing I can say is, ‘Happy anniversary.’ “

When they meet today at Wrigley Field, it will mark the latest date both teams have been in first since Sept. 9, 2003. The Cubs won the N.L. Central that season before falling apart in the NLCS and losing to Florida after being five outs away from the World Series. The White Sox finished second to Minnesota in the A.L. Central.

Since interleague play started in 1997, it’s the first time the White Sox and Cubs will meet as first-place teams at the start of the series.

Even though the Cubs have the home-field advantage for the first three games – and they are 29-8 at Wrigley Field this season – they could be the wearier team today.

While the White Sox wrapped up a three-game sweep Thursday afternoon at home against the Pirates, the Cubs had to play a night game in St. Petersburg, Fla., before today’s 1:20 p.m. (Central) series opener at Wrigley Field.