CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- From the crack of the bat to the crack of a beer can opening, baseball season is about to begin. And the rivalry between Chicago Cubs fans versus Chicago White Sox fans is as old as the teams themselves, but which fans are the booziest?
According to a ranking of the “booziest baseball fans”, comparing fans from all 30 Major League Baseball teams, Chicago White Sox fans drink more alcohol than any other fanbase. The team's fans are also the only ones who consume an average of more than four drinks per game; and is one of five that spend $40 or more on drinks per game.
The survey conducted by New Jersey Online Gambling found that White Sox fans drink about 4.2 drinks per game and spend an average of $46.
The next-closest fanbase to the White Sox is the Atlanta Braves, who were the only others to consume at least four drinks per game.
Coincidentally, the survey also found that Chicago White Sox fans rank No. 1 as the biggest lightweight drinkers, with 49 percent of fans likely to have missed some or all of the game due to drinking too much.
The survey results are from 2,631 respondents who answered from Jan. 27 through Feb. 17. Fans were asked how many alcoholic beverages they typically consume while watching a baseball game, as well as how much they typically spend on alcoholic beverages while watching a baseball game. According to New Jersey Online Gambling, 58 percent of respondents were male and 42 percent were female. The average age of respondents was 36 years old.
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On the other side of town, Chicago Cubs fans drink about 3.4 drinks per game, ranking No. 14 on the list. They also spend about $1 less compared to White Sox fans, spending about $45 per game.
New York Mets fans spend the most on drinks at $53 per game.
And when it comes to MLB fans who drink the least during games, the Philadelphia Phillies rank last with fans consuming an average of 2.4 drinks per game.
The Chicago White Sox has partnered with a number of breweries instead of choosing a single sponsor; and Guaranteed Rate Field is known for its superior craft beer selection.
Brooks Boyer, the club’s chief revenue and marketing officer, released a statement to Eater Chicago, reading "We’ve always known White Sox fans enjoy good baseball and good beer. We’ve been lucky to have iconic beer partners like Budweiser, Modelo, Goose Island, and Revolution Brewing to help us bring the best beer options in the world to the ballpark and even create spaces like the Goose Island Craft Kave. Nothing goes better than White Sox baseball and beer."