In a town that hasn’t seen a World Series title since 1917, you have to revel in the little things.

So while the White Sox 20-6 drubbing of the Cubs Tuesday took place some 600 miles away in sunny Mesa, Ariz. it was still something to celebrate on the South Side.

Perhaps that’s that pathetic reality that plagues the psyche of many Chicago baseball fans. Winning isn’t everything, because it’s practically a foreign concept.

Seeing the other team lose is everything. Diehard Sox fans have to come to grips with the reality that their beloved pale hose may never be favored to capture a championship. But, if their team can’t win, at least the Cubs can lose.

The satisfaction of seeing the North Siders lose must replace the long forgotten joy that accompanies the possibility of the Sox winning.

The sentiment is not much different on the other side of town, where Cubs fans are no more sympathetic toward the Sox.

You see the animosity personified each summer when the two face off in interleague play. Even the vast blue horizon that is Comiskey Park’s upper deck fill with fans when the two Chicago teams go head to head.

So on a smaller scale, it’s nice to pick up a Chicago newspaper and see that a split squad Sox team pounded an assembly of Cubs players. Maybe half of the participants in Tuesday’s game will be playing in the minor leagues this year, but a victory over such an intense rival is still a victory, no matter how insignificant.

When you hear the Sox scored 10 runs in one inning, you can’t help but picture a frustrated Don Baylor walking to the mound to make another pitching change.

You see visions of Frank Thomas, Paul Konkerko and Magglio Ordonez scalding the ball and the optimism begins to build. In the back of your mind, you know it’s not healthy to be an optimistic Chicago baseball fan.

But when you look at a lineup that added Kenny Lofton in the leadoff spot, you can’t help but consider the possibilities. The Sox lineup is strong, the 20-6 victory is an early example of that. The question lies in the bullpen. Can the the pitching staff complement the Sox hitters and lead the team to a division title?

With a host of hurlers returning from the disabled list, there’s plenty of room for pessimism there.