Baseball fever in Chicago

The playoffs have come to Chicago, and it is quite exciting. The White Sox handily beat the Bosox in three no-competition games and prepare to meet the Angels (hopefully). Unfortunately, the success of the White Sox has caused a dilemma in my fan allegiances. Both sides of my family, my side and Melissa's side, have unbreakable bonds to the Cubs. I, on the other hand, have no such debilitating strong ties. Thus, with the White Sox playing well in the playoffs, I find it a pleasure and a duty to root for them based on the fact that I live in the Chicago area. However, I know that as soon as I make even an indication of my team choices to a family member, namely my in-laws, I will probably be roasted and eaten for dinner. This whole issue poses a serious question in my mind. Why is it that Chicago Cub fans can be so completely devoted to one team and loathe another team if both teams are from the same city? If the Cubs and the Sox were both in the same league, I could understand the animosity, but they're not! They are in completely different leagues. I am completely baffled by this question because I feel that as a baseball fan in general I can root for both the Cubs and the Sox and feel good about myself. I do know, however, that if I said this in any sports bar in the city of Chicago, I would also get roasted and eaten alive. So here I am in a ridiculous conundrum, trying to give credit to whom credit is due (namely, the Sox) and ending up on somebody's plate no matter what I say. Oh, the politics of Chicago (and the rest of Illinois really) baseball fans.