By Terry James
SPRINGFIELD – As two of baseball’s most championship-starved teams face off in the World Series, Illinois and Ohio’s politicians are betting pizza, beer and mustard.
When the Chicago Cubs take on the Indians in Cleveland Tuesday night, they will have 176 years of combined championless years. With the stakes high in both cities, their politicians are looking to make some wagers on behalf of their teams winning it all. Gov. Bruce Rauner took to Facebook in front of Wrigley Field with Cubs owner Tom Ricketts Monday to call out Ohio Gov. John Kasich. “If the Cleveland Indians were victorious, I’ll deliver to you an extra-large Chicago-style deep dish pizza and a case of terrific Chicago-brewed microbrew beer,” he said.
Kasich shot back on Twitter, wagering a case of locally made beer and locally made mustard.
“If the Cubs end their 108-year drought comes to an end, I’ll send him some of the fan-favorites from Cleveland. We’re with ‘ya Indians,” he said.
Traditionally, each city’s mayor will take part in betting on their local playoff teams, but as of Tuesday morning, neither Mayor’s office has announced anything. A representative for Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said, “It’s not his thing.”
Republican Sen. Mark Kirk bet Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman wagered a case of locally brewed beer as did Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin with Ohio Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown.
When the White Sox swept the Astros to take the Series in 2005, Durbin and then-Sen. Barack Obama bet Texas Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison locally made Italian beef, sausages and Eli’s Cheesecake.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a native Chicagoan, volunteered at the Greater Chicago Food Bank to settle his bet with then-Gov. Pat Quinn after the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins in six games to take the 2013 Stanley Cup.
