MLB Rivalries: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs

Visits: 97

Baseball has seen so much action over the years, and alongside hockey, football, and basketball, it is one of the most loved sports in the United States. Just like people bet their hard earned money on the Super Bowl, they spend their hard earned money betting on the World Series odds. 

But, what makes the World Series odds even more exciting than when two rivals face off. In many instances, some of these rivalries are an age old, and have countless years of history behind them. 

In every sport we love, there are many rivalries which have been going a long time, but there are plenty of newer rivalries which are also greatly followed by fans. 

One of the biggest rivalries has been going on over 125 years, and that is the rivalry between the Cardinals and the Cubs. 

Rival History

Over the time of over 130 years, the Cubs and the Cardinals have played around 2200 games, or more. In 2022, we can see the Cardinals getting ahead. With their record of 93 – 69 – 0, whereas the Cubs are at 74 – 88 – 0. 

These two teams have been competing against one another for a very long time. 

Earlier this year we saw the Cardinals and Cubs face off 4 times over in August, and we saw the Cubs win twice, and the Cardinals win twice. Then August 25th The Cardinals beat the Cubs, breaking the win, lose, win, lose pattern between both teams. 

In September, we saw the Cardinals defeat the Cubs another 2 times. So, we can safely say there has been a lot of action for this rivalry this year. But, fans really make this rivalry tick. 

Sure Sox fans and Yankee fans travel 217 miles to attend each game, but with the Cardinals and the Cubs, it’s 300 miles. While that is only 83 extra miles, it can be the difference between driving or getting on a plane. 

The fans who attend are diehard, and want to see their team play in opposing cities, and will go all out for them. That is part of what makes this rivalry magic… the fans. 

Sadly for the Cubs they’ve not had a whole lot to be happy about lately, they’ve done well here and there, but the Cardinals have 11 World Series titles to their name, but the Cubs only have 3, and it took them 108 years to get their 3rd title after they got their 2nd. Their first was in 1907, and their second in 1908, luckily 2016 was a lucky year for them! 

1998 Battle 

One of the best battles between these two teams was in 1998. Sammy Sosa played right field for the cubs, and Mark McGwire was the first baseman for the Cardinals. Both were ready for a good season, but no one guessed correctly when asked what would happen. 

By May, McGwire had 27 home runs, and Sosa 13, but as May turned around Sosa had made that 13 turn into 33, and he was only 4 home runs behind McGwire. 

These two found it out over and over until September when the Cubs went to see the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, and McGwire was sitting on a throne of 60 home runs. 

In the first game there McGwire hit a home run, and became the first player to hit 61 home runs since 1961. Then he hit another to get 62. 

But Sosa ended up making it to 66 that season, and McGwire ended up with 70, a new record. 

It was a wild battle, and made it quite the spectacle to see for every fan there. 

One great thing about this rivalry is the Cardinals fans. These are probably the most knowledgeable in baseball. They respect the players and the game, and make the atmosphere in Busch to be unmatched by any other stadium. 

Wrigley Field – Iconic

Then there is Wrigley Field, which is one of the most iconic and historic ballparks in baseball, period. 

Both the Cardinals and the Cubs have had legends battling the same battles at Wrigley, batting and batting in the same batting box, warming up in the same bullpens, and standing in the same spot. 

Being in a place that is filled with such countless amounts of history connects the teams of now to the teams of the pasts, to legends from before, and historical moments. 

Legends

There is no shadow of a doubt that the Cubs versus Cardinals rivalry is the most epic rivalry in baseball, simply because it is a territorial rivalry. 

These teams and their fans will travel from far and wide to declare who is better, they have been fighting it out for a very long time, and the atmosphere gets hot, but at the end of it all, the rivalry is the same rivalry, and it has the same magic that it had 130 odd years ago. 

From that first rivalry game, until now, little has changed, the players have, and the fans have, but the rivalry has changed very little. It is baseball history kept alive.