Second no more? Playoffs give White Sox chance to build base

CHICAGO (AP) — Kenny Heuer and his fiancée, Carrie Campbell, showed up dressed for the occasion.

He made his loyalties clear by wearing an Eloy Jiménez jersey for a game between his beloved Chicago White Sox and the crosstown Cubs at Guaranteed Rate Field in late August. She showed hers with an Ian Happ shirt.

For a couple with opposing allegiances, the hourlong drive from their home in La Porte, Indiana, was not an easy one.

“It's been a rough ride up here so far,” Campbell said, laughing. "In good fun.”

While the Cubs set their sights on the future after breaking up their championship core, the fun could just be starting on the South Side.

The White Sox are in the playoffs for the second year in a row, a first for the charter American League franchise, with their sights set on the biggest prize after running away with the Central division. It won't be easy, starting with a division series against the AL West champion Houston Astros.

But in a city where they're often overshadowed by their neighbors a few miles north, they have a rare opportunity. With young and vibrant stars such as Tim Anderson and Luis Robert and Jimenez, not to mention reigning AL MVP José Abreu, the spotlight is on them.

It goes beyond a shot at the World Series. It's also their opportunity to cash in and expand their base.

“They need to get known by more than just their core fans,” sports marketing executive Marc Ganis said. "And there’s a barn door that is wide open to them right now because of the Cubs, because of the rebuilding that the Cubs are in and the trades they made of almost all of their known stars.

“This is a window of opportunity that won’t last all that long," he said. “They need to get their players known. They need to get them have their names out there in the community. They...