MLB first place teams make history in Chicago

Four first place MLB teams met up in Chicago, making history in the process. 

Anytime something happens in baseball for the first time, it is, well, historic. And according to STATS, the renowned sports data company, something happened in Chicago Thursday that had never, ever happened before in MLB history.

Four first place teams: the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, all played each other in the same city on the same day.

For such a rarity to take place, a few scheduling oddities had to line up. First and foremost, the Cubs and White Sox rarely both play at home on the same nights. Only Chicago and New York have teams in both the AL and NL.

Also, both Chicago teams have to be good at the same time, which historically, has also been a rarity.

The fact that it has never been done before should come as little surprise to baseball fans in Chicago, as the Cubs and Sox have been the true definition of futility, having combined to win exactly one World Series in the past 100 years. The White Sox won the series in 2005, and before that 1917. The Cubs haven’t won it since 1908. In fact, the 2008 season marked the first time in 100 years that the Cubs had the best record in baseball as late as the All-Star break.

The Cubs won Thursday night’s matchup 6-2 over the Nationals, improving to 21-6, best in all of baseball. Washington fell to 19-9. Although they dropped their home game to Red Sox, the White Sox 19-10 record was still good enough to remain the best in the American League.

With the Red Sox leaving town, the streak lasted just one day. The White Sox host the last place Minnesota Twins (8-20) Friday.

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