Tigers–White Sox rivalry

Detroit Tigers Chicago White Sox
Location	Midwestern United States
First meeting	April 29, 1901[1] South Side Park,Chicago,Illinois Tigers 3, White Stockings 2
Latest meeting	September 7, 2025[1] Comerica Park,Detroit,Michigan White Sox 6, Tigers 4
Next meeting	May 29, 2026 Rate Field,Chicago,Illinois
Stadiums	Tigers:Comerica Park White Sox:Rate Field
Statistics
Meetings total	2,275[2][1]
Regular season series	Tigers, 1,146–1,114–15 (.507)[1]
Largest victory	Tigers, 16–0(April 18,1991);[3] 18–2(September 4,2011)[4] White Sox, 19–2(August 31,1926)[5]
Longest win streak	Tigers, 10(June 26,1923–October 3,1923)[1] White Sox, 10(August 30,1995–August 19,1996; April 18–August 29,2001)[1]
Current win streak	White Sox, 1[1]

210km
130miles

White Sox

Tigers

   

Locations of theDetroit Tigers andChicago White Sox

TheTigers–White Sox rivalry is aMajor League Baseballrivalry between theDetroit Tigers and theChicago White Sox of theAmerican 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 bothChicago andDetroit; 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 2,275 times with the Tigers holding a narrow edge; leading the series by 32 games. The two teams have yet to meet in the postseason.^[10][11]

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 antiquatedWestern League in 1894, but soon the league converted into the currentAmerican League, joining forces with theNational 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 both1906 and1917. 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 both1935 and1945.

Disco Demolition Night took place on July 12, 1979, atComiskey Park between two games of aTigers –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 Dodgersforfeited 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 pitcherJeff Weaver hit White Sox batterCarlos Lee on the first pitch. The hit by pitch occurred after Weaver gave up an RBI double toChris 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 pitcherJim Parque hitDean Palmer in retaliation on the first pitch and Palmer charged the mound to Parque and the brawl began. The brawl also hadMagglio Ordóñez fighting Weaver andMatt Anderson. When it looked like things had calmed down, things escalated again in right field when Tigers first base coachJuan Samuel threw a punch at White Sox pitcherBill Simas and Simas was eventually attacked by Tigers catcherRobert Fick who was trying to hold back Simas while another fight occurred next to them when White Sox closerKeith Foulke went to attack Samuel and was attacked byKarim García and then byBobby 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 pitcherTanyon Sturtze hitDeivi Cruz on a 1–1 count. Four batters later, new pitcherBob Howry hitShane Halter which led the Tigers bench to become irate at Howry. Howry responded telling them to "fuck off" before Tigers pitcherDoug 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, managerJerry Manuel and bench coachJoe 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 andPhil 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, andJuan Encarnación, Karim García, andLuis 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 the2005 World Series while the Tigers managed an appearancethe 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 the2012 World Series that year before getting swept by theSan 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 pitcherChris Sale accused Tigers catcherVíctor 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 announcerJason 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 the1962 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 movieField 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]

• Bears–Lions rivalry
• Blackhawks–Red Wings rivalry
• Bulls–Pistons rivalry

• Chicago White Sox
• Detroit Tigers
• Major League Baseball rivalries

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