The Cardinals–Cubs rivalry, also called the Route 66 rivalry and The I-55 rivalry, refers to the rivalry between the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

and Chicago Cubs of the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

(NL), one of the most bitter rivalries in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

and in all of North American professional sports. The Cardinals have won 19 NL pennants, while the Cubs have won 17. However, the Cardinals have a clear edge when it comes to

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

success, having won 11 championships to the Cubs' three. Games between the two clubs see numerous visiting fans in either St. Louis's

Busch Stadium Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as "New Busch Stadium" or "Busch Stadium III") is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri. The stadium serves as the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, the city's Major League Baseball (M ...

or Chicago's

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago ...

. When the NL split into two divisions in , and later three divisions in , the Cardinals and Cubs remained together. The Cubs lead the regular season series 1,259–1,209–18. The teams' lone MLB playoff meeting occurred in the

2015 National League Division Series The 2015 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2015 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners (seeded 1-3) and a fourth team—the winner of a one-g ...

, which the Cubs won, 3–1.

First meetings in 19th century World Series

In his book, ''Before They Were Cardinals'', Jon David Cash speculates that the economic trade rivalry between the cities of Chicago and St. Louis led to the formation of the St. Louis Brown Stockings in 1875 to compete with the Chicago White Stockings. The Brown Stockings would later fold and reemerge in 1882 when the Cardinals (as the Browns), met the Cubs (as the White Stockings), in a pair of pre-

matchups between American Association champion St. Louis and NL champion Chicago.

First meeting

The first series meeting between the two teams was actually played in four cities — not only St. Louis and Chicago, but also

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

and

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

. On October 15, Browns manager

Charles Comiskey Charles Albert Comiskey (August 15, 1859 – October 26, 1931), nicknamed "Commy" or "The Old Roman", was an American Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League, and was also ...

pulled his team off the field in the 6th inning in protest of umpire Dave Sullivan's call. The White Stockings were in the lead at the time 5–4 and were declared a winner on forfeit. Behind pitcher Dave Foutz, St. Louis defeated Chicago 13–4 in Game 7. The Browns claimed the Game 2 forfeit didn't count and therefore claimed the championship. The two clubs split the $1000 prize.

The $15,000 slide

The first series played in 1885 ended in dispute with no winner making the rematch a year later more heated. Game 2 saw the Browns win in a 12-0 romp.

Bob Caruthers Robert Lee Caruthers (January 5, 1864 – August 5, 1911), nicknamed "Parisian Bob", was an American right-handed pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Bridegrooms. The star p ...

pitched a one-hitter, and left fielder Tip O'Neill smacked two inside-the-park home runs. It was the first two-home-run game by a player in a World Championship game. Despite the win, the White Stockings had won Games 1 and 3 and took the series lead into St. Louis. Oddities happened in Game 5. With Jim McCormick and Jocko Flynn lame and John Clarkson tired‚ Chicago tried to use a minor league recruit in the pitcher's box‚ only to be refused by the Browns. Shortstop

Ned Williamson Edward Nagle "Ned" Williamson (October 24, 1857 – March 3, 1894) was a professional baseball infielder in Major League Baseball. He played for three teams: the Indianapolis Blues of the National League (NL) for one season, the Chicago White ...

and right fielder Jimmy Ryan ended up having to pitch. The Browns won easily 10–3. The sixth and final game began at an earlier time of 2:18 PM, so the full nine innings could be played. Pitching his fourth game in six days‚ Clarkson held St. Louis hitless for six innings as Chicago built a 3–0 lead. However, in the 8th, the Browns finally got to Clarkson to tie the game at 3, with

Arlie Latham Walter Arlington Latham (March 15, 1860 – November 29, 1952) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played from through for the Buffalo Bisons, St. Louis Browns, Chicago Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators and ...

hitting a 2-run triple. In the 10th, Curt Welch scored on the "$15‚000 slide" after a wild pitch to win it in front of a fired-up St. Louis home crowd.

Cardinals join the National League

Early Cubs dominance

After the dissolution of the American Association, the Browns franchise moved to the National League in 1892 and become known as the Cardinals in 1900. (The Browns name was later used by an AL team that had previously been known as the Milwaukee Brewers, and is now the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

.) St. Louis would not achieve much success in its early years in the NL. On the other hand, the Cubs won three straight pennants from 1906 to 1908 and two World Series during that time. The Cubs would also go on to win seven more pennants from then until 1945.

The tide turns

The Cardinals would eventually put together a team to win the pennant and World Series in . It would be their first National League pennant and first championship since defeating the White Stockings. Although the Cubs would also win a few pennants, their championship run stopped in . Eventually, the Cubs' pennant wins would also stop in 1945, and they did not win another until , when they also won the World Series. The Cardinals have won the World Series 11 times, the most of any National League team and second

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

(27) in all of MLB.

Hack Wilson's riot

Cubs' Slugger

Hack Wilson Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson (April 26, 1900 – November 23, 1948) was an American Major League Baseball player who played 12 seasons for the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. Despite his diminutive statur ...

had a combative streak and frequently initiated fights with opposing players and fans. On June 22, 1928, a riot broke out in the ninth inning at Wrigley Field when Wilson jumped into the box seats to attack a heckling fan. An estimated 5,000 spectators swarmed the field before police could separate the combatants and restore order. The fan sued Wilson for $20,000, but a jury ruled in Wilson's favor.

Modern period

The Sandberg Game

One game in particular was cited for putting Cubs second baseman

Ryne Sandberg Ryne Dee Sandberg (born September 18, 1959), nicknamed "Ryno", is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies (19 ...

, as well as the 1984 Cubs in general, "on the map", a NBC national telecast of a Cardinals–Cubs game on June 23, . The Cubs had been playing well throughout the season's first few months, but as a team unaccustomed to winning, they had not yet become a serious contender in the eyes of most baseball fans. Sandberg had played two full seasons in the major leagues, and while he had proven himself to be a top-fielding second baseman and fast on the basepaths (over 30 stolen bases both seasons), his .260-ish batting average and single-digit home run production were respectable for his position but not especially noteworthy, and Sandberg was not talked about outside Chicago. The ''Game of the Week'', however, put the sleeper Cubs on the national stage against their regional rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams were well-established franchises with a strong fan base outside the Chicago and St. Louis area. In the ninth inning, the Cubs trailed 9–8, and faced the premier relief pitcher of the time, Bruce Sutter. Sutter was at the forefront of the emergence of the closer in the late 1970s and early 1980s: a hard-throwing pitcher who typically came in just for the ninth inning and saved around 30 games a season. (Sutter was especially dominant in 1984, saving 45 games.) However, in the ninth inning, Sandberg, not yet known for his power, slugged a home run to left field against the Cardinals' ace closer. Despite this dramatic act, the Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the tenth. Sandberg came up again in the tenth inning, facing a determined Sutter with one man on base. As Cubs' radio announcer

Harry Caray Harry Christopher Caray (; March 1, 1914 – February 18, 1998) was an American radio and television sportscaster. During his career he called the play-by-play for five Major League Baseball teams, beginning with 25 years of calling the games ...

described it: The Cubs went on to win in the 11th inning. The Cardinals' Willie McGee (who had

hit for the cycle In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League B ...

that day) had already been named NBC's player of the game before Sandberg's first home run. As

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

play-by-play man

Bob Costas Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster who is known for his long tenure with NBC Sports, from 1980 through 2019. He has received 28 Emmy awards for his work and was the prime-time host of 12 Olympic Games from 19 ...

(who called the game with

Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher Kubek (born October 12, 1935) is an American former professional baseball player and television broadcaster. During his nine-year playing career with the New York Yankees, Kubek played in six World Series in the late 1950s an ...

) said when Sandberg hit that second home run, ''"Do you believe it?!"'' The game is sometimes called "The Sandberg Game". The winning run for the Cubs was driven in by a single off the bat of Dave Owen.

McGwire/Sosa home run chase

In 1998, the teams were connected by the Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa home run race, credited by many with revitalizing the sport following the players' strike which cancelled the

1994 World Series The 1994 World Series was the scheduled championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1994 season. It was canceled due to a strike by the MLB Players Association. The cancelation marked the second time a World Series was not played in ...

and the first part of the 1995 season. In early September the teams met for a two-game series in St. Louis. In the first game, McGwire hit his record-tying 61st home run off pitcher Mike Morgan in the first inning as part of a 3–2 Cardinals victory. The following day, McGwire broke the record with #62 off

Steve Trachsel Stephen Christopher Trachsel (born October 31, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles between 1993 and 2008. He batted and t ...

in the fourth inning as part of a 6–3 victory. In a show of sportsmanship, Sammy Sosa embraced and congratulated his rival and on-field opponent after McGwire rounded the bases. McGwire would finish the year with 70 home runs and Sosa with 66. However, the Cubs won the National League wild card, making the playoffs for the first time in nine years, while the Cardinals missed the playoffs. Sosa eventually became the NL MVP that season. Sosa dedicated each of his 66 home runs that season to the memory of Cubs (and former Cardinals) broadcaster

, who died in February that year.

After the chase

A somber showing of acknowledgment between the two teams happened in when Cubs catcher

Joe Girardi Joseph Elliott Girardi (born October 14, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Girardi played the catcher position for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, and S ...

addressed the fans at Wrigley Field in a choked up way that the game between the two teams had been cancelled and that the fans should pray for the St. Louis Cardinals family. However, there were fans who booed. Later, a press conference was held where an emotional Girardi addressed the death of Cardinals pitcher

Darryl Kile Darryl Andrew Kile (December 2, 1968 – June 22, 2002) was an American professional baseball starting pitcher. He pitched from 1991 to 2002 for three Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, primarily for the Houston Astros. Kile was known for his shar ...

. Girardi, who played for both the Cubs and the Cardinals, addressed the fans in a regional broadcast on Fox. In 2005, Cubs first baseman

Derrek Lee Derrek Leon Lee (born September 6, 1975), nicknamed "D-Lee", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Lee played with the San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates ...

and Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols were locked in an MVP race. Lee led the NL in hits and batting average and bested Pujols in home runs. For his part, Pujols led the league in runs scored and had the edge on Lee in RBIs. Lee was awarded both the

Gold Glove The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...

and Silver Slugger as the best NL first baseman on both defense and offense, respectively. However, with the Cardinals winning 100 games and the division and the Cubs finishing 21 games back in fourth place, Pujols won the MVP honors. On June 4 and 5, Pujols won back-to-back games against the Cubs with walk-off home runs. In recent years, tragedies in the Cardinals organization have caused two games between these teams to be postponed. In 2002, after Cardinals pitcher

was found dead in a Chicago hotel room, a game between the teams in Wrigley Field was postponed. Then in 2007, another Cardinals pitcher, Josh Hancock, was killed in a car crash while driving intoxicated, causing a game in St. Louis to be postponed. Former Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot, who was acquired by the Cardinals on November 30, 2010, told a St. Louis radio station that he was "finally on the right side of the Cardinals–Cubs rivalry" and that he was happy to be with an organization that emphasized winning World Series championships instead of being "an afterthought". Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano called him "the enemy now". The Cardinals won the World Series that season. The two clubs played each other in the

postseason The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

for the first time in the

, as a result of the Cubs' 4–0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Wild Card Game. The Cubs defeated the Cardinals 3–1 to advance to the

National League Championship Series The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two Nation ...

. The rivalry was further heated after

John Lackey John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 through 2017 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and ...

and

Jason Heyward Jason Alias Heyward (born August 9, 1989), nicknamed "J-Hey" is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals ...

signed with the Cubs after the 2015 season and

Dexter Fowler William Dexter Fowler (born March 22, 1986) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinal ...

signed with the Cardinals after the Cubs' 2016 championship season.

Wrigley Field Sweep

In a pivotal series that determined each team's chance for the playoffs, the Cardinals played the Cubs at Wrigley Field in a four-game series from September 19–22, 2019. The Cardinals went into the series three games ahead of the Cubs with the opportunity to clinch the division title, while the Cubs had the opportunity to overtake the Cardinals for the division lead. After the Cardinals won the first two games, the September 21 game was ranked the 5th most exciting game in top 10

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

games of 2019. In the bottom of the 7th with the Cardinals leading 7–6, Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos committed a no-stop balk while striking out Tony Kemp. The call was seen as controversial to some. Announcer

Tim McCarver James Timothy McCarver (born October 16, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to , most prominently as a member of the St. Louis Cardina ...

noted that Gallegos had done that the whole game and that the umpire who called it was the furthest away from the pitcher. Given a second chance, Kemp hit a two-run home run giving the Cubs an 8–7 lead. Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel was called in to close the game for a Cubs win. However, Kimbrel gave up home runs to

Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamín Molina (; born July 13, 1982), nicknamed "Yadi", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely considered one of the grea ...

and Paul DeJong to give the Cardinals a 9–8 lead. The Cardinals would win by that score. The Cardinals completed the sweep the next day — their first four-game sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley Field since 1921 — to clinch a playoff spot.

Season-by-season results

, - ,

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies fo ...

, style=";" , Colts , style=";" , 7–5 , Colts, 3–2 , Colts, 4–3 , St. Louis Browns join the National League , - ,

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

, style=";" , Browns , style=";" , 9–3 , Browns, 6–0 , Tie, 3–3 , , - ,

1894 Events January–March * January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire. * January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United S ...

, Tie , 6–6 , Browns, 4–2 , Colts, 4–2 , , - ,

1895 Events January–March * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. * January 12 – The National Trust for Places of Histor ...

, style=";" , Colts , style=";" , 10–2 , Colts, 5–1 , Colts, 5–1 , , - ,

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that ...

, style=";" , Colts , style=";" , 9–3 , Tie, 3–3 , Colts, 6–0 , , - , - ,

1897 Events January–March * January 2 – The International Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is founded, in New York City. * January 4 – A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosere, son-in-law of the ruler. This leads to a puni ...

, style=";" , Colts , style=";" , 8–4 , Colts, 4–2 , Colts, 4–2 , , - ,

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

, style=";" , Orphans , style=";" , 10–4 , Orphans, 2–0 , Orphans, 8–4 , Colts change their name to "Orphans." , - ,

1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...

, style=";" , Orphans , style=";" , 8–6 , Perfectos, 5–2 , Orphans, 6–1 , Browns change their name to "Perfectos." , - , - ,

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

, style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 11–9–2 , Cardinals, 6–1–1 , Orphans, 8–5–1 , Perfectos change their name to "Cardinals." , - ,

1901 Events January * January 1 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton becomes the first Prime Minist ...

, Tie , 10–10 , Cardinals, 6–4 , Orphans, 6–4 , , - ,

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world' ...

, style=";" , Orphans , style=";" , 12–5–1 , Orphans, 7–1–1 , Orphans, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 16–4 , Cubs, 7–2 , Cubs, 9–2 , Orphans change their name to "Cubs."
First year of organized Major League Baseball , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 15–7 , Cubs, 7–4 , Cubs, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 17–5 , Cubs, 6–3 , Cubs, 11–2 , , - , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 15–6–1 , Cubs, 9–1–1 , Cubs, 6–5 , Cubs lose

1906 World Series The 1906 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1906 season. The third edition of the World Series, it featured a crosstown matchup between the American League champion Chicago White Sox and the National Leagu ...

. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 16–6–1 , Cubs, 8–5 , Cubs, 8–1–1 , Cubs win ten straight meetings to start the season, Cubs win

1907 World Series The 1907 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1907 season. The fourth edition of the World Series, it featured the defending National League champion Chicago Cubs and the American League champion Detroit Tig ...

. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 19–3 , Cubs, 9–2 , Cubs, 10–1 , Cubs win

1908 World Series The 1908 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1908 season. The fifth edition of the World Series, it matched the defending National League champion Chicago Cubs against the American League champion Detroit Ti ...

, their last title until 2016. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 15–7–1 , Cubs, 8–3–1 , Cubs, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 15–7 , Cubs, 8–3 , Cubs, 7–4 , Cubs lose

1910 World Series The 1910 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1910 in baseball, 1910 season. The seventh edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion 1910 Philadelphia ...

, - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 16–6–2 , Cubs, 9–2 , Cubs, 7–4–2 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 15–7 , Cubs, 7–4 , Cubs, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 16–6–1 , Cubs, 8–3–1 , Cubs, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 12–10–1 , Cardinals, 6–5–1 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cubs open

, - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 12–10 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Cubs, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 14–8 , Cubs, 6–4 , Cubs, 8–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 12–10 , Cubs, 6–5 , Cardinals, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 15–3 , Cubs, 6–3 , Cubs, 9–0 , Cubs lose

1918 World Series The 1918 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1918 season. The 15th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Boston Red Sox against the National League champion Chicago Cubs. The ...

, - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 13–7 , Tie, 5–5 , Cubs, 8–2 , , - , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 12–10 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cubs, 7–4 , Cardinals move to

Sportsman's Park Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri. All but one of these were located on the same piece of land, at the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street, on th ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 14–8 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cardinals win consecutive season series for the first time in the history of the rivalry. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 13–9 , Cubs, 8–3 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cardinals' 2B

Rogers Hornsby Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 193 ...

wins NL

triple crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Tri ...

, - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 12–10 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Cubs, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 15–7 , Cubs, 6–5 , Cubs, 9–2 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 14–8 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Hornsby wins second NL triple crown , - , , Tie , 11–11 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cubs, 6–5 , Cardinals win

1926 World Series The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season. The 23rd edition of the Series, it pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees. The ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 12–9 , Cardinals, 8–2 , Cubs, 7–4 , , - , , Tie , 11–11 , Cubs, 7–4 , Cardinals, 7–4 ,

's riot, Cardinals lose 1928 World Series , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 15–5–1 , Cubs, 6–3–1 , Cubs, 9–2 , Cubs lose

1929 World Series The 1929 World Series featured the American League (AL) champion Philadelphia Athletics playing against the National League (NL) champion Chicago Cubs. The Athletics defeated the Cubs in five games to win the Series. This Series featured the At ...

, - , - , , Tie , 11–11 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cubs, 6–5 , Teams play a 20-inning game on August 28, the longest game in the history of the rivalry. Cardinals lose 1930 World Series , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 14–8 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cardinals win

1931 World Series The 1931 World Series featured the two-time defending champion Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals beat the Athletics in seven games, a rematch and reversal of fortunes of the previous World Series. The same two ...

, - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 12–10 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cubs, 7–4 , Cubs lose 1932 World Series , - , , Tie , 11–11 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Cubs, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 12–10 , Cubs, 7–4 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cardinals win

1934 World Series The 1934 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1934 season. The 31st edition of the World Series, it matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers. The Cardinals' "Gashouse Gang" won in seven gam ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 14–8 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cubs lose

1935 World Series The 1935 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1935 season. The 32nd edition of the World Series, it matched the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs. The Tigers won in six games for their first championship i ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 13–9 , Cubs, 6–5 , Cardinals, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 17–5 , Cubs, 8–3 , Cubs, 9–2 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cubs, 7–4–1 , Cubs, 6–5 , Cubs lose 1938 World Series , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 12–10 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cardinals, 6–5 , , - , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 14–8 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cardinals, 6–5 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 12–10 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cubs, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 16–6 , Cardinals, 9–2 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Cardinals win

1942 World Series The 1942 World Series featured the defending champion New York Yankees against the St. Louis Cardinals, with the Cardinals winning the Series in five games for their first championship since and their fourth overall. The 1942 Cardinals set a f ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 13–9 , Cardinals, 8–5 , Cardinals, 5–4 , Cardinals lose

1943 World Series The 1943 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1943 season. The 40th edition of the World Series, it matched the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees, in a rematch of the 1942 ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 16–6 , Cardinals, 9–2 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Cardinals win 14 straight meetings to start the season, Cardinals win

1944 World Series World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 16–6 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cubs lose

1945 World Series The 1945 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1945 season. The 42nd edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion Chicago Cubs. Th ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 14–8 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cardinals win

1946 World Series The 1946 World Series was played in October 1946 between the St. Louis Cardinals (representing the National League) and the Boston Red Sox (representing the American League). This was the Red Sox's first appearance in a World Series since their c ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 12–10 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cardinals, 6–5 , , - , , Tie , 11–11 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Cubs, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 14–8 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cardinals, 6–5 , , - , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 12–10 , Cardinals, 9–2 , Cubs, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 13–9–1 , Cubs, 6–5–1 , Cardinals, 8–3 , , - , , Tie , 11–11 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Cubs, 7–4 , , - , , Tie , 11–11 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Cubs, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 14–8 , Cubs, 7–4 , Cubs, 7–4 , Cubs win season series for first time since 1938 , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 14–8 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cubs, 9–2 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 13–9–1 , Cardinals, 8–3 , Cubs, 6–5–1 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 12–10 , Cubs, 8–3 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Both teams post 6-game winning streaks over their opponents during this season , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 15–7 , Cardinals, 7–4 , Cardinals, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 12–10 , Cardinals, 6–5 , Cardinals, 6–5 , , - , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 9–2 , Cubs, 6–5–1 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , , Cubs, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 11–7 , Cardinals, 5–4 , , Cardinals win 17 straight home games from July 1960 to April 1962 (excluding ties). MLB expansion reduces schedule to 18 meetings per year , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 11–7 , Cardinals, 6–3 , Cardinals, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 12–6 , Cardinals, 6–3 , Cardinals, 6–3 , Cardinals win

1964 World Series The 1964 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1964 season. The 61st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the Amer ...

, - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cardinals, 5–4 , Cubs, 6–3–1 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 14–4 , Cardinals, 7–2 , Cardinals, 7–2 , Cardinals open

Busch Memorial Stadium Busch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium II, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri, that operated for 40 years, from 1966 through 2005. The stadium served as the home of the St. Louis Cardinals National League ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 11–6 , Cardinals, 7–2 , Tie, 4–4 , Cardinals win

1967 World Series The 1967 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1967 season. The 64th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National Leag ...

, - , , Tie , 9–9 , Cardinals, 5–4 , Cubs, 5–4 , Cardinals lose

1968 World Series The 1968 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1968 season. The 65th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the National League ...

, - , , Tie , 9–9 , Cardinals, 5–4 , Cubs, 5–4 , , - , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 11–7 , Cardinals, 6–3 , Cardinals, 5–4 , , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Cardinals, 5–4 , Cubs, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 10–8 , Cardinals, 5–4 , Cubs, 6–3 , , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Cardinals, 5–4 , Cubs, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 13–5 , Cardinals, 6–3 , Cardinals, 7–2 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 11–7 , Cubs, 5–4 , Cubs, 6–3 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 12–6 , Cubs, 5–4 , Cubs, 7–2 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 11–7 , Cardinals, 7–2 , Cubs, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 15–3 , Cubs, 8–1 , Cubs, 7–2 , Cubs win first 12 meetings of the season , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 10–8 , Cardinals, 6–3 , Cubs, 5–4 , , - , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Cubs, 6–3 , , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Tie, 3–3 , Cubs, 2–1–1 ,

Strike Strike may refer to: People * Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

-shortened season , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 6–3 , , Cardinals win

1982 World Series The 1982 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1982 season. The 79th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion St. Louis Cardinals and the Am ...

, - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cubs, 5–4 , Cubs, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cubs, 6–3 , Cubs, 7–2 , Cubs win the "Sandberg Game" on June 23 on the strength of two

home runs in the 9th and 10th innings, both of which tied the game. , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 7–2 , , Cardinals lose

1985 World Series The 1985 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1985 season. The 82nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Kansas City Royals and the N ...

, - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cardinals, 5–4 , Cubs, 6–2 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 6–3 , , Cardinals lose

1987 World Series The 1987 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1987 season. The 84th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Minnesota Twins and the Natio ...

, - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 5–4 , , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cubs, 6–3 , Cubs, 5–4 , , - , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 5–4 , , , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cardinals, 5–4 , Cubs, 6–3 , , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cubs, 5–4 , Cubs, 6–3 , , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 8–5 , Cubs, 4–2 , Cubs, 4–3 , MLB expansion reduces series to 11–13 meetings per season. , , - , , Tie , 5–5 , Cubs, 4–3 , ,

-shortened season. Strike cancels postseason. MLB adds Wild Card, allowing for both teams to make the postseason in the same year. , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 9–4 , Cubs, 4–2 , Cubs, 5–2 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 8–5 , Cardinals, 5–2 , Tie, 3–3 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 8–4 , Cardinals, 4–2 , , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 7–4 , Cardinals, 5–0 , Cubs, 4–2 , McGwire-Sosa home run record chase , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 7–5 , Tie, 3–3 , Cubs, 4–2 , , , - , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 7–0 , Tie, 3–3 , , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 9–8 , Cardinals, 5–2 , Cubs, 7–3 , MLB changed to an unbalanced schedule in 2001, resulting in 15-19 meetings per year. Cardinals win 13 straight home meetings from October 1999 to June 2001 , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 8–1 , Cubs, 5–4 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , 9–8 , Cardinals, 5–2 , Cubs, 6–4 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 6–4 , , Cardinals lose

2004 World Series The 2004 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2004 season. The 100th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National Leag ...

. , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 10–6 , Cubs, 5–3 , Cubs, 5–3 , , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cardinals, 6–3 , Cubs, 8–2 , Cardinals open

, win

2006 World Series The 2006 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2006 season. The 102nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the National Lea ...

, , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cubs, 7–2 , Cubs, 4–3 , , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 9–6 , Cubs, 5–4 , Cubs, 4–2 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 7–2 , Cubs, 4–3 , , , - , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 9–6 , Cubs, 5–1 , Cardinals, 5–4 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 7–2 , Tie, 3–3 , Cardinals win

2011 World Series The 2011 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2011 season. The 107th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Texas Rangers and the Natio ...

, , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 6–2 , Cubs, 5–4 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 7–3 , Cardinals, 5–4 , MLB realignment results in 19 meetings per season starting in 2013. Cardinals lose

2013 World Series The 2013 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2013 season. The 109th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National Le ...

. , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 6–4 , Cubs, 5–4 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 7–3 , Cubs, 5–4 , Cardinals win 100 games, Cubs win 97 games, Two of the three best records in MLB that season (along with NL Central rival

). , , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 2015 NLDS , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 3–1 , Tie, 1–1 , Cubs, 2–0 , Only postseason meeting between the two teams since Cardinals joined the National League in 1892. , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cubs, 6–3 , Cardinals, 6–4 , Cubs win

2016 World Series The 2016 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 season. The 112th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Chicago Cubs and the American Leag ...

, their first title since 1908. , , - , , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , , Cubs, 6–4 , Cubs, 8–1 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 6–3 , Cubs, 6–4 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 6–3 , Cubs, 6–4 , , , - , - , , Tie , 5–5 , Cubs, 2–1 , , Season shortened to 60 games (with 10 meetings) due to

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. All Cardinals' home games were played at

(though the Cardinals batted second) after their lone home series was postponed as a result of an outbreak among the Cardinals. , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Tie, 5–5 , Cardinals, 5–4 , , , - , , style=";" , Cardinals , style=";" , , Cardinals, 7–2 , Cardinals, 6–4 , Last year of 19 division games. , , - , - , Regular Season , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 1259–1209–18 , Cardinals, 666–559–10 , Cubs, 700–543–8 , , - , Postseason games , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 3–1 , Tie, 1–1 , Cubs, 2–0 , , - , Postseason Series , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 1–0 , , , , - , Regular and postseason , style=";" , Cubs , style=";" , 1262–1210–18 , Cardinals, 667–560–10 , Cubs, 702–543–8 , , -

Territorial rights

In his book ''Three Nights in August'', Buzz Bissinger compared the Cardinals–Cubs rivalry to another famous rivalry in MLB: ''"The Red Sox and Yankees is a tabloid-filled soap opera about money and ego and sound bites. But the Cubs and Cardinals are about... geography and territorial rights."'' One of the "territories" in question is central Illinois, which receives both radio broadcasts of Cardinals games on

KMOX KMOX (1120 AM) is a commercial radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it is a 50,000 watt Class A clear-channel station with a non-directional signal. The KMOX studios and offices are on Olive Street at Tucker Bouleva ...

, while

WGN radio WGN (720 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, with studios on the 18th floor of 303 East Wacker Drive in the Chicago Loop. WGN has a news/talk format, along with broadcasts of Chicago Blackhawks hockey and Northwestern ...

& WGN television, (including WGN-TV's superstation) formerly broadcast Cubs games, with the Cubs' radio rights moving to WBBM in 2015, then

WSCR WSCR (670 AM) – branded as 670 The Score – is a commercial sports radio station licensed to serve Chicago, Illinois, servicing the Chicago metropolitan area and much of surrounding Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana and parts of the Milwa ...

in 2016. All four radio stations are traditional " clear channel" AM radio stations, and both teams fought for fans in the Western states prior to Major League expansion. Prior to Major League expansion, the Cardinals traditionally claimed huge parts of the Lower Midwest and the South in their territory, while the Cubs claimed the

Upper Midwest The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the Midwest. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed-upon, the region is defined as referring ...

, even after the Braves, then the Brewers, were placed in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

, and the

Twins Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, as those teams then played in the American League. Loyalties to the two teams divided friends, families, and co-workers, and shaped the locals in various ways, as

George Will George Frederick Will (born May 4, 1941) is an American libertarian-conservative political commentator and author. He writes regular columns for ''The Washington Post'' and provides commentary for NBC News and MSNBC. Gold, Hadas (May 8, 2017)." ...

noted in a 1998 commencement address at

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

: ''"I grew up in

Champaign, Illinois Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metro ...

, midway between Chicago and St. Louis. At an age too tender for life-shaping decisions, I made one. While all my friends were becoming Cardinals fans, I became a Cub fan. My friends, happily rooting for Stan Musial,

Red Schoendienst Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst (; February 2, 1923 – June 6, 2018) was an American professional baseball second baseman, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB), and is largely known for his coaching, managing, and playing years wi ...

, and other great Redbirds, grew up cheerfully convinced that the world is a benign place, so of course, they became liberals. Rooting for the Cubs in the late 1940s and early 1950s, I became gloomy, pessimistic, morose, dyspeptic and

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

. It helped out of course that the Cubs last won the World Series in 1908, which is two years before Mark Twain and

Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

died. But that means, class of 1998, that the Cubs are in the 89th year of their rebuilding effort, and remember, any team can have a bad moment."'' The rivalry between the two teams is an important regionalism in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

show

Ozark The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant porti ...

. In order to establish Jason Bateman's character, Marty Byrde, as a

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

native who moved to Lake Ozark, Missouri, the show writers included several references to the rivalry through the first season. This often manifests as negative comments from Byrde to a southern Missouri Cardinals fan. One says to him "I was raised to hate the Cubs," to which he fires back "And I was raised to hate the Cardinals."

Notable personalities

Many players have played for both teams, including Hall of Famer

, who holds several single season hitting records for both clubs. Notably, Hall of Famer

Lou Brock Louis Clark Brock (June 18, 1939September 6, 2020) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He began his 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the 1961 Chicago Cubs but spent most of it as a left fielder for the St. Louis Ca ...

was traded from the Cubs to the Cardinals early in his career for pitcher

Ernie Broglio Ernest Gilbert Broglio (; August 27, 1935 – July 16, 2019) was a professional baseball pitcher. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1966. After attending high school and junior college i ...

. This is widely considered one of the most one-sided trades in baseball history. Other Hall of Famers who played/managed with both clubs include

Grover Cleveland Alexander Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 – November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1911 through 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. He ...

Clark Griffith Clark Calvin Griffith (November 20, 1869 – October 27, 1955), nicknamed "The Old Fox", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, manager and team owner. He began his MLB playing career with the St. Louis Browns (1891), Boston Reds ...

Burleigh Grimes Burleigh Arland Grimes (August 18, 1893 – December 6, 1985) was an American professional baseball player and manager, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. Grimes made the most of this advantage, as well as his unshav ...

, Bruce Sutter,

Roger Bresnahan Roger Philip Bresnahan (June 11, 1879 – December 4, 1944), nicknamed "The Duke of Tralee", was an American player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Bresnahan competed in MLB for the Washington Senators (1897), Chicago ...

Dizzy Dean Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean (January 16, 1910 – July 17, 1974), also known as Jerome Herman Dean (both the 1910 and 1920 Censuses show his name as "Jay"), was an American professional baseball pitcher. During his Major League Baseball (MLB) career ...

Dennis Eckersley Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American professional baseball pitcher and former color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...

, Rabbit Maranville,

Hoyt Wilhelm James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1922 – August 23, 2002), nicknamed "Old Sarge", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, California Angel ...

, and

Leo Durocher Leo Ernest Durocher (French spelling Léo Ernest Durocher) (; July 27, 1905 – October 7, 1991), nicknamed "Leo the Lip" and "Lippy", was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as an infie ...

. Legendary announcer

began his career in St. Louis, broadcasting on KMOX radio for 24 seasons, before moving to Chicago in 1971, announcing 11 seasons for the White Sox before moving to the North Side and becoming a staple of

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

broadcasts for the Cubs from 1982 until his death before the 1998 season. The rivalry between the two clubs intensified following the hiring of

Dusty Baker Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker Jr. (born June 15, 1949) is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in the MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the Lo ...

to manage the Cubs following in 2003. In 2002, when Baker was managing the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

, he and Cardinals manager

Tony La Russa Anthony La Russa Jr. (; born October 4, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. His MLB career has spanned from 1963 to 2022, in several roles. He is the former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland At ...

had run-ins during that year's National League Championship Series, with the animosity carrying over to Baker's tenure with the Cubs. According to Baker, part of the intensity stems from the close relationship of the two. ''"It's very intense...When you play 18 times against a team that's had a long-time rivalry, and my former manager and my former confidant, that just increases things."'' Baker played for La Russa in 1986 as a member of the Oakland Athletics. Some say that the feud between the two managers added to the rivalry between the two teams. ''"Both managers are fiercely protective of their players. Both believe in old-school baseball protocol. Neither will sit by idly and watch an opponent show up their team. Both are fierce competitors with enormous pride…. Fans don’t usually buy tickets to watch managers manage . . . but this tactical showdown added something to the Cubs-Cards series."'' After the Cubs fired Baker in 2006, they replaced him with

Lou Piniella Louis Victor Piniella ( usually ; born August 28, 1943) is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder, he played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals and ...

. Coincidentally, Piniella and La Russa both grew up in Tampa and faced each other in the

1990 World Series The 1990 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1990 season. The 87th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the defending champions and heavily favored American League (AL) ...

as managers of the Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics, respectively.

Statistical comparison

''As of the beginning of the 2021 MLB Season''

Championships and Playoff Appearances

Award Winners

''As of the beginning of the 2021 MLB Season''

Single season records

Hall of Fame plaques with team logo

''Cardinals'' – ''(12)'' *

(1985) *

(1947) *

(1953) *

Bob Gibson Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1975). Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot" ( ...

(1981) * Whitey Herzog (2010) * Stan Musial (1969) *

(1989) *

Ted Simmons Ted Lyle Simmons (born August 9, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. A switch-hitter, Simmons was a catcher for most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the St. Louis Cardinals (1968–1980), the Mil ...

(2020) *

Enos Slaughter Enos Bradsher Slaughter (April 27, 1916 – August 12, 2002), nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) right fielder. He played for 19 seasons on four major league teams from 1938 to 1942 and 1946 to 1959. He is noted prima ...

(1985) *

Ozzie Smith Osborne Earl Smith (born December 26, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Oz", Smith played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball, winning the National ...

(2002) * Bruce Sutter (2006) *

Billy Southworth William Harold Southworth (March 9, 1893 – November 15, 1969) was an American outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player in and and from to for five big-league teams, Southworth took part in almost 1,200 games, fell j ...

(2008) ''Cubs'' – ''(12)'' *

Ernie Banks Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...

(1977) *

Frank Chance Frank Leroy Chance (September 9, 1877 – September 15, 1924) was an American professional baseball player. A first baseman, Chance played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs (initially named the "Orphans") and New York Yankees from 18 ...

(1946) *

Kiki Cuyler Hazen Shirley Cuyler (; August 30, 1898 – February 11, 1950), nicknamed Kiki, was an American professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Brooklyn Dodg ...

(1968) * Johnny Evers (1946) * Gabby Hartnett (1955) * Billy Herman (1975) *

Ferguson Jenkins Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins CM (born December 13, 1942) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 to 1983 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Bo ...

(1991) *

(2005) * Ron Santo (2012) *

Lee Smith Lee Smith is the name of: Arts, entertainment and media *Lee Smith (fiction author) (born 1944), American author of fiction * Lee Smith (film editor) (born 1960), Australian film editor * Lee Smith (musician) (born 1983), American drummer * Lee Sm ...

(2019) * Billy Williams (1987) *

(1979)

References

;Inline citations ;Bibliography {{DEFAULTSORT:Cardinals-Cubs Rivalry Major League Baseball rivalries Chicago Cubs St. Louis Cardinals Sports in the Midwestern United States