Stereotypes are simple-minded and often harmful. Sometimes, however, events conspire to reinforce certain stereotypes. Speaking of which, we present the following dispatches from the nexus of baseball and Chicago atmospheric conditions ...
Today's #Cubs home opener at #WrigleyField has been postponed due to ongoing inclement weather.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 9, 2018
The game will be made up at 1:20 p.m. CDT tomorrow. Gates will open at approximately 11:20 a.m. CDT, and the opening ceremony is scheduled to begin at approximately 12:45 p.m. CDT. pic.twitter.com/ijizgLY2ul
And ...
First pitch of today's game is 1:30 PM CT. #WhiteSox
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 9, 2018
So the Cubs postponed their Monday home opener because of overnight snowfall. Meantime roughly 10 miles south, the White Sox elected to play their home game against the Rays. So, yeah, the pampered yuppies of the north side can't handle the snow, but the hardscrabble, blue-collar south siders can. Really, though, it's the White Sox's grounds crew that saved the day ...
Top photo 9:03am CT, bottom photo 11:36am CT. Great work by @whitesox grounds crew. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/5XXKVYuB4z
— Andy Masur (@Andy_Masur1) April 9, 2018
Yep, that's some hustle right there. Famed head groundskeeper Roger Bossard (a.k.a, "The Sodfather") and his crew used their mowers as ad-hoc snow plows, and that's the main reason the Sox were able to play some baseball on Monday. Also, the Cubs have a scheduled day off on Tuesday, while the Sox don't have a day off until Thursday, April 19. Thus, the Cubs weren't as desperate to get their game in. As well, Wrigley Field is 77 years older than Guaranteed Rate Field, which means the former is perhaps less state-of-the-art when it comes to handling the elements. Above all, there's this from The Sodfather himself ...
Roger Bossard said the #Cubs got more snow and made the right call. #WhiteSox
— Brian Sandalow (@BrianSandalow) April 9, 2018
All of that, though, shouldn't prevent this municipal disconnect from affirming dearly held beliefs about the other team. For instance ...
Cubs postpone their Opener because of a little bit of snow, but the #WhiteSox are still playing! Because, South Side 💪🏻
— Courtney Finnicum (@courtney883) April 9, 2018
And ...
Are the #cubs and the Wrigley folk soft? Their game PPD on the north side, but the #whitesox are playing ball on the south side.
— Chris Widlic (@Chris_Widlic) April 9, 2018
And ...
The White Sox are playing thier home game while the Cubs cancelled the home opener because of the "weather" ... the South Side has ALWAYS been tougher.. and no one need not ever forget that. 💯
— Kellon McFarlin (@UltraKellon) April 9, 2018
And ...
Cubs cancel but the #WhiteSox are pushing thru with the game right now. Now we know who's tough and who is week.
— White Sox Tim (@WhiteSoxTim) April 9, 2018
You get the idea. Of course, not all Cubs fans were cozy by the fire on this frigid April afternoon ...
#Cubs fans showing up. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/kX9FIdZ7Jn
— Brian Sandalow (@BrianSandalow) April 9, 2018
In the end, perhaps the joke was on the White Sox. Is it worth playing in frigid temps if you're just going to lose to the Rays (TB 5, CHW 4), who are both hapless and devoid of hap? No, some would say.
Play ball, people. Or not.