Chicago and Pittsburgh teams have won more than their share of major pro-sports championships — without much help from the hard-luck Cubs and Pirates. The Donovan Index ranks U.S. cities by their rate of winning titles, taking into account how many opportunities they’ve had. So if a team in a 30-team league wins one World Series in 30 years, it’s average, which is scaled as 1 in the index. Pittsburgh and Chicago both are above 1 in the index, with Pittsburgh ranking eighth of 32 cities with at least three pro-sports teams and Chicago ranking 11th. But the Pirates and Cubs have lagged behind the cities’ other pro teams — especially the Cubs, with their two World Series wins and none since 1908. If they hold on to this lead, they’ll be one step closer to making it three titles — which would still leave them by far the most underperforming of Chicago’s five major pro teams.
