CHICAGO | You can get too much of a good thing, such as the intra-city scrum between the Chicago Cubs and White Sox informally known as the Crosstown Classic.
"I'm glad we only play six games," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.
Sweet Lou did not even finish out the last of the half-dozen of the annual blood rivalry contests Sunday night. He earned his first ejection of the season for arguing a checked-swing call that he thought should have been a strikeout on Sox third baseman Joe Crede in the second inning. Piniella got his money's worth, jawing at home plate umpire Rob Drake and offering a dismissive gesture to first base umpire Chad Fairchild.
Nobody else maneuvered to get excused early, though -- even though at some point the players on both sides felt enough's enough with all the hype, distractions and off-the-field controversies.
"For people who haven't played it before, it's a good experience," Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye said. "It's probably as close to the playoffs as you get.
"I think it will give a little feel of what it's like if we do make it to the playoffs. That's a plus. Other than that, for us it's just another series. That's the way players look at it."
Cubs reliever Bob Howry has been on both sides of the crosstown duels after a stint as a Sox pitcher nearly a decade ago. He's cool about the on-field squabble, but also is happy to move beyond it.
"For me this year, it hasn't been as bad with all the extra stuff," Howry said. "But (I'm happy to) get back to just baseball. Inter-league (play) will be over, and we'll go back to normal."
Chillier-than-normal weather and drizzle dampened some of the more enthusiastic fan reaction Sunday. But team colors still were displayed proudly, such as the truck beating a Cubs flag out one window, a white-and-blue "W" (for Cubs win) flag on the other.
A couple -- the man wearing a No. 1 Kosuke Fukudome shirt and the woman adorned in a No. 24 Joe Crede jersey -- were typical of some crosstown relationships as they walked hand-in-hand outside the main gate before the game.
