Grayslake museum hosts 'Sox vs. Cub' exhibit

The U.S. Civil War ended in 1865. Thirty-five years later, another civil war erupted in the United States that again pitted the north against the south.

But this war would be fought in Chicago on a very different type of battlefield: A ballpark with spectators cheering and jeering.

To celebrate the rivalry between the Cubs and White Sox, a traveling exhibit, "Sox vs. Cubs: The Chicago Civil Wars," has been created and temporarily resides at the Grayslake Heritage Center, 164 Hawley St., Grayslake.

"Whether you are a die-hard Cubs fan, a loyal White Sox fan or just a baseball enthusiast, there is plenty to see at this exhibit," said Dave Oberg, executive director of the Grayslake Heritage Center.

"This exhibit not only provides displays about the long rivalry between the two teams, it also brings in the fans' perspective of each team via interactive displays."

To understand the rivalry, you have to step back to 1900.

That year, Charles Comiskey brought a baseball team to Chicago and encroached on the Chicago Orphans' turf (in 1902, the Orphans would be dubbed the Cubs by sports writers because most of the players looked so youthful). The Orphans owner, Al Spalding - he would later form the Spalding Sporting Goods Company - filed a lawsuit against Comiskey.

However, the issue was settled outside the courtroom. Spalding agreed to let Comiskey's team play in Chicago, but with the understanding Comiskey would not build his ballpark north of 35th Street. Comiskey agreed and built his ballpark right at the boundary line at 35th Street.

Comiskey made another "dig" at the Orphans by naming his newly formed team the White Stockings. The Orphans were originally called the White Stockings when the team formed in the 1870s.

Thus, begins the rivalry between the North Siders and the South Siders.

The exhibit features several interactive displays. Scaled-down replicas of the scoreboards at U.S. Cellular Field and Wrigley Field allow visitors to press buttons to listen to recordings of various fans - including Soxman. Another features comments from Cubs and White Sox broadcasters. And there's also an interactive trivia challenge to test your knowledge of the teams.

A magnetic board with magnetic baseball cards allows visitors to create their own fantasy Cubs team or White Sox team.

Many conventional displays also exist. One, about the 1906 World Series that pitted the Cubs against the White Sox, has a synopsis of that series, photos of individual players, the two teams and South Side Park.

There's baseball's First Dynasty display about the Cubs from 1904 to 1912, and the North Side vs. South Side display that tells of Wrigley Field being a major Chicago tourist attraction, despite the Cubs having the third most expensive ticket in the majors.

The Ghosts of Comiskey Park display touches on the infamous "Black Sox" scandal. A separate display highlights the 2005 White Sox championship season, complete with a replica of a World Series ring worn by Jermaine Dye.

And perhaps one of the most informative displays is a timeline showing how the two teams have evolved over the years, coinciding with major world events.

At a separate exhibit on the weekend of July 11 and 12 only, models of past and present Major League baseball stadiums will be on display from noon to 4 p.m. The models are those of Bill Rose, who will be present to answer questions.

Upon request, Oberg said he will hand out a sheet with baseball terms from the 1800s: a duff is what we now refer to as an error; a striker is the batter; the bowler is the pitcher; a charming deadhead is a female baseball fan; and yelling, "Go back to Hackensack!" was considered a vicious taunt.

Oberg said he will also hand out - on request only - baseball rules that were in place in 1858. Some of are very different from modern day baseball. For example, an 1858 rule no longer in effect is if a fielder caught the ball on the first bounce, the striker (batter) was dead (out).

It doesn't matter which team wins the battle this year because it will be fought again next summer - and many more summers to come.

This exhibit will be on display at the Grayslake Heritage Center until Sept. 27. The next stop for this exhibit is the Elgin Public Library sometime in October.