A few times each year Chicagoans can make the most of living in a city with two major-league baseball teams by catching both clubs in one day—what longtime Reader production director Dave Jones called a “Doubleday,” in honor of baseball’s supposed inventor, Abner Doubleday. This season’s remaining chances fall on Friday and Saturday, August 23 and 24, so if nothing else you’ll avoid having to pay $10 for a cup of hot chocolate at Wrigley. Both Cubs games are 1:20 PM matinees against the Washington Nationals, who are managed by former Cub (and Cubs bench coach) Dave Martinez and feature a bunch of good young players beyond formidable starters Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. Not that into the game or the matchups? Sit in the bleachers for maximum sunburn and access to Hot Doug’s. And note: the Friday matinee is a “gold” home game as compared to the Saturday game’s pink “marquee” status, so it’s cheaper in addition to offering you a day off work.
Hop on the Red Line at Addison and be transported down to the Sox-35th stop for the second half of your Doubleday. Under former Cubs manager Rick Renteria, who’s become an expert at handling talented developing teams, the still-rebuilding White Sox are playing the Texas Rangers—not perhaps a matchup to set the heart on fire, but Friday (first pitch 7:10 PM) is Elvis Night, with postgame fireworks, and Saturday’s game (start time 6:10) offers the consolation of a White Sox beer stein giveaway. Speaking of beer, over and above the standard refreshments, Sox Park has craft brews sold by the bottle and street foods like elotes and churros in addition to a wide range of encased meats and (on level one only) a couple of Antique Taco stands. As for where to sit, loyal fans have their own preferences—I’ve heard good things about section 110, which puts you right by the aforesaid tacos, but we always enjoy the very affordable upper-deck seats behind home plate, sections 533 or 531, the lower the better. As a kicker, the top of the exit ramp affords you one of the city’s most stunning panoramic views of the Chicago skyline—you just might gape like a tourist. v