On the same night the Cubs defeated the Reds and the White Sox lost to the Indians, bringing the record of both Chicago teams to a less-than-stellar 59-72, the Cubs and Sox team planes inexplicably crossed paths over the skies of Ohio.
“It’s weird because both teams are in the middle of their respective series, so there was no need to fly,” said Cubs president Theo Epstein. “But Javy [Baez] wanted a cheeseburger, so we decided to take the plane to McDonald’s. A few minutes in the air and we happen to see the Sox plane going the other way.”
“We waved and smiled,” said Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo. “But they all looked so sad, as if they were going in the wrong direction or something.”
According to the fans of each team, the chance encounter was a sign from the baseball gods.
“It’s a metaphor for the way the Cubs are improving as a franchise thanks to the strength of the farm system, while the Sox are just tanking with no hope of improvement,” said Cubs fan Bill Benson.
Crosstown fan Teddy Makowski had a slightly different take on the matter.
“2005, baby!” he said. “That plane sucks, just like the Cubs!”
