Brewers–Cubs rivalry
The Brewers–Cubs rivalry is a Major League Baseball (MLB) rivalry between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs. Both clubs are members of MLB's National League (NL) Central Division. The rivalry is also sometimes known as the I-94 Rivalry, because the two teams' ballparks are located only 83 miles (134 km) from each other off Interstate 94 (I-94).
| Location | Midwestern United States |
|---|---|
| Teams |
|
| First meeting | June 13, 1997 Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois Brewers 4, Cubs 2 |
| Latest meeting | October 1, 2023 American Family Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Cubs 0, Brewers 4 |
| Next meeting | May 3, 2024 Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 430 |
| Regular season series | Brewers, 216–214 (.502) |
| Largest victory | |
| Longest win streak | |
| Current win streak | Brewers, 1 |
The Brewers and Cubs have been playing each other in spring training Cactus League games since the Brewers franchise began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969. However, the rivalry did not begin until 1998, when the Brewers moved from the American League (AL) Central Division to the National League Central. Until then, the Brewers had a rivalry with Chicago's AL team, the White Sox.
The Brewers-Cubs rivalry has been ranked among the best and most competitive in baseball. Conversely, the notion of a rivalry continues to be questioned by Cubs players, who cite the omnipresence of Cubs fans in attendance at games played against the Brewers in Milwaukee. At least 16% of the lift in Milwaukee attendance for Cubs games is attributed to Cubs fans. This is despite the Brewers efforts to restrict Cubs fans ability to purchase tickets.
In 2023, Craig Counsell left the Brewers to become the Cubs manager. He admitted he may have underestimated the rivalry part of Brewers fans feeling like he just went to “the other side.”
The teams have never met in the postseason.