The White Sox and Tigers have been consistently curious. In the AL Central, the Twins and Royals are the great constants. The Indians have changed, but usually at a predictable rate. The Tigers and White Sox? Who knows.
Both teams have had odd rosters for half a decade now: some high-end talents, some overpaid but still productive veterans, just enough productive young talent, and some of the worst roster filler in the game. For whatever reason, it's a volatile formula. I think about the AL Central more than all but 1% of the human beings on this planet and every year I stare at the rosters for these clubs in the spring and just... I have no idea.
Like a magnificent couple however, the Tigers and White Sox speak a language that only the two of them know. Here are their win totals the last four seasons:
| White Sox | Tigers | |
| 2007 | 72 | 88 |
| 2008 | 89 | 74 |
| 2009 | 79 | 86 |
| 2010 | 88 | 81 |
Teams just don't go up-and-down for four straight years in baseball very often. The last four seasons of the White Sox and Tigers are, on their own, fascinating. Together, in the middle of the same division, their alternating inconsistency at once stands out and is elided. Elided by the insufferable upper middle class achievement of the Twins and the failures of the Royals.
As individuals, Chicago and Detroit are ineffable. In one another's arms, they make perfect sense.