The 1936 Chicago City Series was another chapter in the long-standing Cubs-White Sox rivalry, which had defined the city’s baseball landscape for decades. The Cubs entered the series fresh off a fourth-place finish in the National League, while the White Sox, though a middle-of-the-pack team in the American League, had the edge when it came to these intra-city showdowns. The South Siders had dominated the City Series historically, and 1936 was no exception. The White Sox swept the four-game set behind strong pitching from Vern Kennedy, Monty Stratton, Ted Lyons, and Bill Dietrich, while the Cubs struggled offensively, managing just eight runs across the series.

The Cubs-White Sox rivalry had been one of baseball’s most consistent postseason matchups since the early 1900s, with the teams facing off in the City Series almost every year when neither club was playing in the World Series. Though the Cubs had won National League pennants in 1929, 1932, and 1935, their success did not translate into city bragging rights, as the White Sox continued to dominate the matchup. The 1936 series marked the second time in four years that the Cubs were completely shut out in the annual showdown, reinforcing the White Sox’s reputation as the stronger team in Chicago’s postseason exhibitions.