White Sox fan Obama pulling for Cubs to win World Series

President Barack Obama might be the only Chicago baseball fan who can get away with this kind of switch.

Obama has made no secret of his love for the Chicago White Sox, and is arguably the South Side team's most well-known supporter. This month, however, the president is shifting his allegiance to the Windy City's other baseball team, as it was revealed Wednesday that he's pulling for the Cubs to win their first World Series in 108 years out of civic pride.

The White Sox missing out on the 2016 playoffs after a disappointing 78-84 finish likely made it easier for Obama to switch over. Still, it's possible that fans of the Pale Hose will be upset by this decision given how intense the White Sox-Cubs rivalry has become.

"Well, the president is a loyal Chicago White Sox fan," White House press secretary Josh Earnest told Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times. "And in his mind, when it comes to evaluating baseball teams, that's the team that comes first.

"But the president is also a champion of his hometown. And he certainly has been pleased to see the Chicago Cubs play so well this year."

One person who will likely be thrilled by the president's choice is first lady Michelle Obama, who grew up in a family of Cubs supporters and remains a fan of the North Siders despite spending her childhood in White Sox territory.

During his time in office, the president has often shown up to baseball games sporting the gear of his favorite team regardless of which teams are playing. When he threw out the first pitch at Nationals Park in 2010, Obama wore a Washington Nationals jacket, but showed his true allegiance by donning a White Sox cap on the mound.

As an Illinois senators in 2005, Obama also attended multiple games at what was then called US Cellular Field during the South Siders' run to a World Series championship. He later saluted their victory on the Senate floor.