The annual "Crosstown Cup" MLB interleague series between the Cubs and White Sox is “no longer attached to a corporate name,” according to Danny Ecker of CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS. The teams “plan to line up a new sponsor moving forward” after the end to BP's three-year deal. White Sox Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Brooks Boyer said, "We'll find the right partner for it down the road and get it sponsored at some point. We've got prospects." Boyer admits landing a sponsor for this year's games was "a little more challenging" because of MLB's new rivalry week schedule. Intra-city teams now play against each other in “back-to-back, two-game home sets instead of two three-game home stands about a month apart.” He said when the series are separate, "it builds the anticipation and keeps the market alive.” Ecker notes that “non-weekend games and tough weather breaks combined with Blackhawks mania and, of course, a lack of enthusiasm about either team this season dulled the buzz on the 16-year-old series.” Paid attendance at the three games this week, not including Tuesday’s rainout, was 31,293, "about 10 percent below last year's average.” Ticket prices on the secondary market for “all the games were down as well” (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 5/31).
