The Tigers–White Sox rivalry is a Major League Baseballrivalry between the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox of the American League Central division. The series has been one of the oldest in league history. Both teams were founded in 1901 as charter members of the American League. As is similarly the case with every professional sports team located in both Chicago and Detroit; both cities share numerous rivalries between their respective sports teams, with baseball being no exception.[6][7][8][9] The teams have played each other 2,259 times with the Tigers holding a narrow edge; leading the series by 30 games. The two teams have yet to meet in the postseason.[10][11]
History
Both clubs formed in 1901 during the league's expansion efforts to grow across the midwestern United States. Both teams had originally been members of the antiquated Western League in 1894, but soon the league converted into the current American League, joining forces with the National League in 1901; creating the format of the current MLB structure.[12] Both teams struggled and succeeded at varying points of their history, with the White Sox proving to be the more dominant team in the early half of the 1900s, winning a pair of World Series titles in both 1906 and 1917. The Tigers had struggled during their first three decades in the league but also managed a pair of titled in the subsequent decades, winning in both 1935 and 1945.
Disco Demolition Night took place on July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park between two games of a Tigers – White Sox doubleheader. The Tigers won the first game, 4–1. After the field was damaged by the demolition, The White Sox were forced to forfeit the second game. As of 2023, this is the most recent forfeit in an American League game (the Los Angeles Dodgers forfeited a game in 1995 to the St Louis Cardinals).
On April 22, 2000, the Tigers and White Sox were both involved in a pair of bench-clearing brawls during the game. It started when Tigers pitcher Jeff Weaver hit White Sox batter Carlos Lee on the first pitch. The hit by pitch occurred after Weaver gave up an RBI double to Chris Singleton to make it 5–1 White Sox. Lee was unhappy and jawed at Weaver on his way to first base and again when Weaver was taken out. Eventually, the first brawl began when White Sox pitcher Jim Parque hit Dean Palmer in retaliation on the first pitch and Palmer charged the mound to Parque and the brawl began. The brawl also had Magglio Ordóñez fighting Weaver and Matt Anderson. When it looked like things had calmed down, things escalated again in right field when Tigers first base coach Juan Samuel threw a punch at White Sox pitcher Bill Simas and Simas was eventually attacked by Tigers catcher Robert Fick who was trying to hold back Simas while another fight occurred next to them when White Sox closer Keith Foulke went to attack Samuel and was attacked by Karim García and then by Bobby Higginson, who punched Foulke in the left eye. The punch by Higginson cut Foulke's left eye which required five stiches. Things also escalated in the Tigers bullpen when Robert Fick began to taunt White Sox fans who threw beverages at Fick. In the top of the 9th, White Sox pitcher Tanyon Sturtze hit Deivi Cruz on a 1–1 count. Four batters later, new pitcher Bob Howry hit Shane Halter which led the Tigers bench to become irate at Howry. Howry responded telling them to "fuck off" before Tigers pitcher Doug Brocail charged at Howry from the bench igniting a second brawl. A total of 11 players got ejected. Six from the White Sox with those being Sturtze, Howry, Ordóñez, Simas, manager Jerry Manuel and bench coach Joe Nossek with five from the Tigers with those being Weaver, Palmer, Fick, Danny Patterson, and Brocail. After everything had settled down, the game finally ended and the White Sox won the game 14–6. A total of 16 players were suspended for a combined 82 games which was believed to be the harshest penalty in MLB history. Juan Samuel received the longest suspension at 15 games. Managers Jerry Manuel and Phil Garner each received 8 games. Tigers suspensions included Dean Palmer who also was suspended for 8 games, Bobby Higginson and Robert Fick each received 5 games, Doug Brocail received 4 games, and Juan Encarnación, Karim García, and Luis Polonia each received 3 games. White Sox suspensions included Magglio Ordóñez getting suspended for 5 games while Carlos Lee, Jim Parque, Keith Foulke, Bob Howry, and Tanyon Sturtze were all suspended for 3 games each.[13][14]
Despite the varying levels of success; both teams had resurged into a heated battle of the division during the mid 2000s as the White Sox managed to win the 2005 World Series while the Tigers managed an appearance the following season.[15] That off-season the White Sox would lose long time all star Magglio Ordóñez to the Tigers in free agency, partly due to injuries and an off field issue with manager Ozzie Guillen. Though the Sox would win the World Series in 2005, they would finish 5 games back of Detroit who was led by Ordóñez to the World Series that year, and Chicago would miss the playoffs. In 2012, the White Sox beat the Tigers 5–4 to take a three game the lead in the division with a record of 80–66 over the Tigers who were 77–69 with 15 games left in the season. The White Sox would lose 11 of their next 15 while the Tigers won 11 of their next 15 and the Tigers took the division by three games over the White Sox. The Tigers would make the 2012 World Series that year before getting swept by the San Francisco Giants. Despite the fluctuating success for both sides, the two have never met in the postseason.[16][17][18] The rivalry has seen flare ups despite the fluctuating success of both teams, in 2014 White Sox pitcher Chris Sale accused Tigers catcher Víctor Martínez of having pitches tipped from someone in the outfield stands saying "that's your boy out there." In 2021, with the White Sox in first place, the Tigers got into a benches clearing brawl and said they seek a "competitive" rivalry with the Sox going forward. That off-season the Tigers would sign Javier Baez, who had won the World Series in Chicago as a member of the Cubs to help compete with the Sox. In 2023, the White Sox would lose long time announcer Jason Benetti to the Tigers, and in his first season with the team, the Tigers clinched their first playoff appearance since 2014, while also giving the White Sox their 121st loss, surpassing the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in modern MLB history.
The teams also each have a fanbase and history associated with Midwestern hip hop and music culture that is associated with the larger Chicago and Detroit areas. The White Sox have fans in Kanye West, Chance the Rapper and Rage Against the Machine whereas the Tigers boast fans in Eminem, Kid Rock and Big Sean. The series is also of importance to the "Michiana" area of Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan where fans of both teams live and travel well to each others stadiums.[1][2][3] The rivalry was made note of in the movie Field of Dreams where "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (played by Ray Liotta) says the White Sox do not play with Ty Cobb because they do not like him. White Sox fans are known to start "Detroit Sucks" chants at the games, at times even joining in with crosstown rival Cub fans to show their distaste for Detroit and by extension the Tigers.[4]
MLB's expansion and realignment place the Tigers in the AL East and White Sox in the AL West. New division alignment shortens meetings from 18 to 12 games.
Schedule reduced to 13 meetings per year as MLB implements "balanced schedule." White Sox host the infamous Disco Demolition Night, causing the White Sox to forfeit game 2 of the day.
With MLB's expansion and realignment, Tigers are displaced from the AL East and are placed in AL Central with White Sox, becoming division rivals for the first time in 30 seasons
Schedule structure modified this season to allow every team to play one series against every interleague team, shortening meetings from 19 to 13 games.
