The White Sox have had “serious” discussions with a developer about the potential for building a new stadium in Chicago’s South Loop on a parcel of land known as “The 78,” per a report from Fran Spielman, Tim Novak and David Roeder of the Chicago Sun-Times. The team’s current lease at Guaranteed Rate Field runs through the 2029 season. None of the involved parties would offer on-record comments to the Sun-Times; Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson responded to inquiries with a joint statement:
“We met to discuss the historic partnership between the team and Chicago and the team’s ideas for remaining competitive in Chicago in perpetuity.”
It’s been more than 30 years since the current stadium — originally referred to as Comiskey Park and then U.S. Cellular Field before adopting its current moniker following the 2016 season — opened back in 1991. “New” Comiskey was built across the street from “Old” Comiskey park after a last-minute agreement on funding halted the team’s expected to move to Florida (St. Petersburg, specifically, where the Rays currently play). Renovations to the new facility have occurred over the years and focused on a variety of elements both within and around the stadium: adding new HD video boards, expanding (and later subtracting from) seating capacity, modernizing the concourse, expanding concessions and installing a new nearby metro station are among the myriad projects covered under those renovations.
Speculation regarding a potential new stadium for the White Sox began back in August. At the time, Sox vice president of communications Scott Reifert told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin: “We have not had any conversations about our lease situation, but with six years remaining, it is naturally nearing a time where discussions should begin to take place. The conversations would be with the city, ISFA [Illinois Sports Facilities Authority] and the state and most likely would be about vision, opportunities and the future.”
Notably, ISFA chief executive officer Frank Bilecki told the Sun-Times that his organization has not yet been part of the talks. It also seems there’s a possibility of the Sox sharing a portion of the 62-acre site with the University of Illinois, as there are already plans to construct a tech research center on a portion of the parcel in question. Sox fans curious to learn more about the specific logistics of the potential site would be well-served to read the Sun-Times column in full; Spielman, Novak and Roeder spoke extensively with a stadium consultant about how the land could be allotted between the White Sox and the University of Illinois, and the Sun-Times trio also delves into the various means by which public transit could connect to the site (including a possible water taxi service, given the parcel’s proximity to the river).
A new stadium for the White Sox could have ramifications for some of Chicago’s other professional sports teams as well. Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire, who currently share Soldier Field with the NFL’s Bears, could potentially move into Guaranteed Rate Field if the Sox indeed construct a new home at The 78, per the report. The Fire’s lease with Soldier Field lasts two more years but could be extended another five years. The Bears, meanwhile, have been exploring a potential new stadium themselves but are focused on other sites, as reported by Spielman and colleague Patrick Finley last month.
Good ol’Comiskey Park. They don’t make ’em like they used to.
They probably do in Nashville.
Smart move for the White Sox. Their current stadium is the 30th most interesting in MLB.
Unfortunately, so is their team.
If they pay for it they can do what they want, where they want for all I care.
Lol
That’s a good way to phrase the idea, Vaderzim. Tropicana is a complete disgrace, but it’s so bad it’s interesting.
I feel the same way about the Oakland Coliseum. Guaranteed Rate is just boring to me, with no unique dimensions on the field or features with the stadium.
Agreed – I spent five summers travelling to all “30 Parks” – enjoyed every minute. Yes, Oakland is likewise so bad it’s intriguing. I recall a lot of the concessions were outside the stadium. Chicago’s park entirely lacks personality.
No, Oakland is in its own category of lousy. Themoce to Vegas is totally valid. A’s have never drawn well since they moved there in 1968”.
As for Chicago, I didn’t realize how crime free, and economically strong it was to afford a new stadium.
Went to see the Brewers play the Sox this past summer and thought the park was very nice. Seats were comfortable with great site lines. Wonderful selection of concession foods.
Easy access to the stadium and good parking.
I’ve been to eight stadiums so far and I’d definitely rate it ahead of Yankee Stadium and the Rogers Centre for ones I’ve visited. I didn’t think it was that bad of a park, nothing really stood out but I don’t think it needs to be replaced.
I went to the stadium a few years after it opened. I found it quite unremarkable and what was most disappointing about that is that lots of other new stadiums built before it were pretty cool and memorable. The thing I remember most were the nice statues of Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox in the concourses. And Fox and Aparicio themselves as Hall of Famers go, are pretty unremarkable! Fine players but come on. The team is and has pretty much always been unremarkable, (Black Sox scandal notwithstanding). The stadium is unremarkable. Their greatest players are unremarkable. And those are my remarks.
The problem is you went only a few years after it was opened, and are making a broad generalization of it now. They have made a lot of changes to the ballpark over time. Im not saying its the best in the league, but its a nice place to go see a game.
GRF is old. 8th oldest in the league, since 1991.
It’s an ok stadium. Upper deck is terrible though. Mid level has a small section down third base line with seats facing the right field foul pole. Seats there are jammed together too. Anywhere in lower level or bleachers is a good seat.
Even with statues, there are stadiums I prefer to Guaranteed Rate. The Comerica Park statues were fairly memorable – I remember hanging out for a considerable amount of time near the Willie Horton statue during a 4-hour rain delay.
Was it statue? Or was that Willie Horton standing next to you for 4 hours? Creepy!!
White Sox can get a new stadium all they want ….. Keep the taxpayers OUT of it. If they want to move to a new city let them go. No more of this billionaire owners getting the taxpayers to subsidize their new stadiums.
Amen
Smart move is out of town. Hello Nashville.
Yep
MLB would never approve that move. Nashville’s population is too small.
Nashville’s population isn’t too small. It’s already in the works:
mlbmusiccity.com/
SoCal… You’re out of touch. It’s not if, it’s when are they gonna get a team.
Nashville is bigger than a lot of current MLB cities
It’s not the city. The White Sox are currently in 3rd/4th largest market in all of baseball and their attendance for the last 40 years ranks 26th in baseball. 26th!
So, how is moving a smaller market gonna fix anything? In 2003 they built the park they’re in now and nothing changed.
Sure, you can say the Cubs clearly own Chicago but you can say the same in LA with the Dodgers and NY with the Yankees, yet the Angels and Mets have no problem generating revenue and putting butts in the seats.
The issue is and always has been ownership.
Until Reinsdorf sells the team or dies, this “franchise” will continue to be embarrassingly inept.
Source on that, Cubs guy? About them being 26th… sounds low to me. You say they built the current park in 2003 and it was 1991, so you’re already wrong about that. You sound like a 20-year-old in your dorm room who thinks he knows everything.
Just Google it, several links to MLB attendance over the last 40 years. Their average is 26th and pretty consistently in the mid/upper 20s both recently (10 years) and further back (40 years)
Link? Show me where it says 26th.
I’m fully aware of the attendance figures for the last 40 years, just like I remember the Upper Deck at Wrigley Field being closed regularly in the early 80s. My point is that I haven’t added up 40 years of attendance figures for every team… and you know what? Neither have you! Nice try.
More like a 60 yr old in his mama’s basement. Maw! Meatloaf!
So is fan attendance at there park.
Taxpayer funds shouldnt be used. Spend some mula reinsdorf or how about nashville. Let the voters decide in march. Brandon johnson the mayor of chi shouldnt go all out for another empty park on taxpayer backs. Let ownership own and pay for their wants,but again how about nashville or st. Petersburg,fl.
Yeah, Southsiders won’t be happy, but I don’t know if Chicago can support two teams long term. It’s either them, Tampa Bay or the Padres who just lost their owner. Music City LLC should try and put up like 3-4 billion dollars, that should be close to enough to pry them away from current ownership since those three teams have the smallest fanbases in the league and have their leases run out within a decade.
Don’t the Padres have like the second highest attendance in the league?
That is true since 2021; however, from 2008 through 2019, the average attendance was 17th in the league, and that was with a new stadium with a relatively large capacity. Since there will be spending cuts in the foreseeable future for the Padres due to ownership turnover, loss of tv generated revenue from RSNs, and overexposure of other activities (Sports like their new soccer team) in the SD market should allow for attendance to drop, perhaps sharply, depending on the toll that the regression of player’s abilities over the next decade might take on standings and the ham-strung budget due to bloated, backloaded deals. In other words, attendance may drop as quickly as it had risen.
Say the Padres ownership did sell the franchise to Nashville prospective owners, how long will attendance be strong for a franchise with a lot of back loaded contracts and players that will be in their late 30’s. There will be no team taking those contracts as is. The payroll will still be in the 175 mil region. How many fans will be willing to fill the ballpark for 81 games a year for 5 to 6 years noncompetitive baseball. Just think that a expansion team would be the right move for Nashvile, fans can grow with the team, instead of hoping for a rebuild for 5 to 6 years.
TNN,
Nashville will be an expansion city, not one an extant team moves to.
It’s funny how MLB and their proxies attached to their media arm just trash “small market teams” whenever they can, then they want to add more “small market teams” like Nashville.
BaseballTNNow
Thinking the Padres could be an option in Nashville is pretty wild. They play in the perfect baseball climate in an amazing location. Their brand has seen tremendous growth in recent years and last year were only out drawn by the LAD in all of baseball.
Usually teams that get relocated are a mess, lousy park, poor interest (i.e. attendance). SD has always been a favorite destination for opposing teams fans to travel to to see their team play and now the Padres have done an amazing job filling it with Padre fans, a relocation is the last thing that would come up.
Typically when there is a waitlist on season ticket memberships that’s a pretty good sign the business is working. There is no indication the Padres are to be sold, the late Peter Seidler repeatedly mentioned that the team would remain in his family long after he was gone. That could obviously change but I have a really hard time picturing some Billionaire buying the Padres with all they have going for them and deciding to try to move the team to Opryland.
Yeah – Chicago has really struggled to support two teams long term, since 1901. Listen, the White Sox fan base is pissed off right now, and the stadium is relatively boring and not in a great part of the city.
When the Sox are good, fans come out – as recently as 2021 they ranked 5th in the AL in attendance and only 300k behind the lovable losers up north.
Build a nice stadium in the South Loop, get a decent team back on the field and the Sox will be just fine… and Chicago easily support two teams again.
Actually, Guaranteed Rate is in a great part of the city. There are million dollar homes just east, west and north of the stadium. The issue is Reinsdorf wanted to buy up the Wentworth Gardens just south of the stadium to build bars and restaurants but the residents are crying about it. The only issue holding this back is the church on Wenthworth Avenue. Reinsdorf put a lot money to fixing up the stadium over the years. Chicago should tear down the Wenthworth Gardens, build a new church somewhere else and replace the residents into different areas of the city. Trust me, there are a lot of places for the residents of Wentworth Gardens to relocate to rather than staying there. These are legit facts why Reinsdorf is looking to relocate the White Sox since he is not being allowed to buy up the Wenthworth Gardens and the property it sits on.
Reinsdorf can do whatever he wants to with HIS money. But he shouldn’t be given anymore money from the TAXpayers!!!
He already has ripped off the taxpayers from Illinois, Arizona and Florida. All while making himself a billionaire.
@BeeVeeTee – thanks for filling in some gaps for me, it’s been 15 years since I’ve lived in the Chicagoland and I remember it being close to some rough areas. If that’s changed, great.
Insider scoop from someone who can’t even spell Wentworth correctly….
It’s still a rough area.
So, it’s no problem for the city to do forced relocations, and tear down a church building. How about tearing down your home and “relocating” you to a place not of your choosing?I hope you never vote or show up for jury duty.
Find it very hard to believe it was just 300k less than the Cubs in 2021
Going to be 2,000,000 less this season. Some areas around GRF are fine. I live North but rarely go to Wrigley. Semi regular at GRF This season I’m sitting out though. Ownership needs to learn their current practices stink.
Decent. Pay for your own park reinsdorf not tax funded.
I get your point, but in fairness the Sox have been rumored for years to move because of lack of interest unlike the Cubs (the original “White Stockings”). In the late 60s/early 70s, only a decade removed from winning a pennant, the Sox were rumored to move to Milwaukee to replace the Braves. Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg itself was built to lure the Sox to Tampa in the early 90s. Now they’re rumored to move to Nashville. This has never affected the Cubs. Clearly the city does have at least “some” issue with attendance. Seems every 30-35 years or so this subject comes up.
Why doesn’t he just buy out the million dollar homeowners instead
Even though it waters down the product, Nashville and 1 other city will probably land new teams to get MLB up to a clean number 32 franchises. WSox would benefit in attendance from a better location besides new ownership that isn’t run in Mom n Pop fashion. “If”they leave the city, it would likely be the West suburbs.
Seriously doubt the Dads are moving out of SD
Chicago has supported two teams for 124 years, how much more “long term” do you need?
Dumbest comment in the thread.
The one thing we know for sure is that no Reinsdorf money will be spent. Pony up Chicago, This isn’t Ricketts who spent all of his own money to fix Wrigley and the neighborhood and gets absolutely no credit.
Agreed Reinsdorf isn’t spending money.
Here or in Nashiville.
Sell the team.
I’m a Sox fan and I agree. The franchise sucks.
Who would go to their new stadium?
That’s just it. The fanbase is dwindling because the product on the field is embarrassingly inept. The fans aren’t stupid, they’re not gonna be distracted by another new ballpark.
The last two times they claimed to be “all in” and “entering their championship window” they literally ended up with worse records than teams actively tanking.
So what does Reinsdorf do? Hires essentially a younger version of Rick Hahn. Another lap dog, “yes man”… another puppet.
This team will never be respected as a legit MLB team as long as Reinsdorf owns it.
They are not moving to Nashville.. MLB would not want to give up a team in the large Chicago market in exchange for such a small market. But it will consider an expansion team there.. And Reinsdorft has some connections to the group trying to get that expansion team
Reinsdorf is a fool. Reinsdorf has said he’s not spending money unless the fans show up. The fans have made it perfectly clear that they’re not showing up for a losing team so perpetual mediocrity it is. The few times the Sox get lucky and a team does gel the fans show up in droves. A smart man would see this and act appropriately. More fans aren’t going to show up just because the stadium is shiny and new. Well they might once just to see it but then you’d have the same problems.
Let Nashville have them (but force ‘the chairman’ to have to leave the name ‘White Sox’ with Chicago). Let the suckers in Nashville give this pompous ass the sweetheart deal to be mediocre in their city, then the thrill of the team wears off and they realized that they got fleeced into this lemon of an org they’ll be stuck with the team and bad deal for another 25 years..
If Nashville gets a team they will want a new ownership group, not an existing one. Baseball will expand at some point to 32 teams and Nashville will likely be one of them
The 78 looks like a promising development. If the Sox landed this, their stadium would be in a much more appealing area.
Catuli: The Bears rejected the 78. This is just another ploy by an owner threatening to leave if the city doesn’t give him what he wants. Reinsdorf won’t spend a penny on decent players and he won’t put any of his billions of dollars into a new stadium. It’ll be us taxpayers paying for it. It’s another bluff, just like Ft. Lauderdale, or Sarasota, which he waffled in between. Now he’s bluffing again. “Whaaa, whaaa, whaaa! I want a new stadium! I want a new stadium!” He doesn’t need a new stadium. With the team he’s going to have again in ’24 and beyond, there aren’t going to be enough fans turning up to fill a high school stand.
He’d be the first person to tell you how much he hates socialism tho
Yeah you’re probably right. I’m just saying the 78 looks cool and would be a sick place for a ballpark lol.
Catuli: The best place for the Sox was old Comiskey Park. Fenway is the oldest stadium in baseball and they managed to make renovations to modernize the place. I would have loved to see the Polo Ground, Ebbets Field, etc. I think preserving the history of the game is important.
There really isn’t anything wrong with the current stadium. Sight lines and food are great. And I am a Cub fan. It’s Reinsdorf that is the problem.
Aside from the latest name of Guaranteed Rate Field, it’s certainly better than the original Comiskey Park and the initial version of the new Comiskey Park that opened in 1991. The original design of the new Comiskey Park had an upper deck that was brutal for any fan dealing with the slightest hint of acrophobia .
Bears purchased Arlington Park International racecourse from Churchill downs group. A much larger piece of land than 78. The team does not need a new stadium. They need new ownership.
Nothing wrong with the current stadium
USA Today would disagree (not that they’re the arbiter of stadium quality or anything)
ftw.usatoday.com/lists/best-mlb-stadiums-ranked-20…
@Canuckleball
Well, they ranked Oriole Park at Camden Yards #11, so clearly, they’re not the authority on even stadium quality…
Sounds about right to me. Other parks have come along since Camden Yards was built that are better, in my opinion, and the new left field fence besmirches the very essence of what that place was. It’s no longer a top 10 to me.
The stadium (rightfully) got a bad rap when it opened. While still ranked 25 out of 30, this prolific ballpark reviewer does a good job at pointing out how changes have turned into a decent ballpark:
ballparkratings.com/ballparks/u-s-cellular-field/
The bad rap came after it was revealed that Reinsdorf passed on the Camden Yards design to keep the fairly cookie-cutter look of the stadium. The stadium is not so much the problem as the team. There were some fun White Sox teams to watch in its early days when they had Frank Thomas,Robin Ventura, Tim Raines, Jack McDowell, etc.
Only comment was about the view of the city skyline. Who cares? Is that why you go to a baseball game. Everyone in Chicago knows that Sox park is better than Wrigley. Food is way better and everything else is outdated.
Now, the surrounding areas? That’s a different story.
I agree that it is far superior to Wrigley Field, the most overrated entity in all of sports. Also, as you say don’t go to a game to look at a skyline.
Current stadium is the definition of mid.
Most of the Sox fan base is long gone from the south side. Outside of a small area in Chicago, there isn’t much of a fan base. Southern Illinois is cardinals country. They built that monostrocity 1 year before the retro Camden yards. The pitch of the upper deck feels like vertigo. Why would the govt fund a private billionaire project?
“Why would the govt fund a private billionaire project?”….Sadly, billionaires have gotten the public and governments to pay for many of their private toys. How do you think they got to be and remain billionaires?
Enough is enough with taxpayer dollars. Chicago having two teams and a soccer team in need of the existing stadium is the perfect city to say no with a line drawn in the sand unless there is a proven benefit to the taxpayers.
The Fire has a field that opened about twenty years ago, they just don’t like it anymore. Also, almost all pro sports franchises try to get taxpayer funding. The Ricketts wanted taxpayer funds to renovate their dump of a stadium by leaning on it being a historical landmark. At the end of the day, the product on the field is what counts the most.
Crazy comment there’s definitely a large fan base.
Billionaires give candidates and officials donations. Those officials return the favor using our money.
You can’t call it corruption when it is that open and obvious.
As a Yankee hater, and BB fanatic, I was very happy that the city chipped in to keep the NYY in The Bronx.
You’re wrong there. The Sox have a loyal fan base from the South side, South and Western suburbs, and city dwellers like myself who grew up as Cub fans in the suburbs but started to switch allegiances in our 20s. Our season ticket consortium featured 4 Chicago Tribune writers who grew weary of the Trib ownership of the Cubs and never looked back. Snapshot of demographics: Sox gms draw diverse families, and young hipsters and college kids. Cubs tend to draw suburbanites, ton of Midwestern tourists given its deserved landmark status, and drunk bros. Sadly you just don’t see many people of color at a Cub game.
You do have a good point.
Large attendance if you think detriot and Pittsburgh are well attended. 24/30 in attendance. Fans only show up fair weather. Can’t even match st Louis avg of 40,000 on a good day.
Then have some private company pay for it, like the Lincoln yards project.
If you’ve seen major league where the owner pouts to put a rotten team on the field in hoping for a new stadium move to Florida, that’s a composite of reinsdorf.
New stadiums seem to be replaced pretty quickly nowadays.
Instead of developing a project with future enhancements in mind. Imagine a project with forethought…
LordD, seems like just yesterday that their new stadium was just opening up! 03 I think it was. But yeah I remember it was a pretty big thing. Everything there was supposed to be state of the art at the time!
It opened in 1990, so while not that old it’s not that new either. Consider the Rangers and the Braves have had 2 new ballparks in that same time frame.
Rsox, I don’t know why I was thinking 03. They must have had a major renovation around that time or something because I definitely remember something going on there around that time.
They hosted the all star game in 03, maybe that’s what it was.
Ironballs, Yes I definitely remember that. And I thought that something major was happening with the stadium around then. I think they renamed it then too.
It’s too bad they didn’t get moved to Florida. Might have a competent management running them as we see with the Rays.
So the Rays are well run because they are in Florida? Help me through that logic please?
@Big Hurt
I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. Yes.
You did hurt my feelings. It hurts when someone makes such a ridiculous statement and appears to truly believe it. I do appreciate the apology however, as that was a nice gesture.
@Big Hurt
I don’t think the current owner is interested in investing in this team in Chicago. The fact that they wanted to move because there was no new stadium means they didn’t want to spend the money to invest in the team but wanted all the money.
@Old York – I am incredibly disappointed in Reinsdorf’s half-hearted attempts to spend/compete, so we can definitely agree there. I just don’t think that cranky old man is going to spend anywhere, so I’d rather keep the team in Chicago.
Happy for JR to sell as well, but that doesn’t seem likely at 87.
Old York. No.
Big Hurt with the sizzle retort. Yes.
Old York: I doubt there would have been new management. I had no problem with Hahn until jr cut the budget so low Hahn couldn’t get the players he wanted. It’s not the stadium that’s got to go. It’s Reinsdorf.
Exactly. New ownership would help the Sox. Modern day analytics, scouting, etc.
They need to make sure it has a retractable roof. One less team with weather problems.
After all, how can any team be expected to play in a 30 year old stadium?
It’s only 30 and is in good shape.
But it’s REALLY UGLY.
Where would Chicago get the money?
Special Deep Dish Pizza Sales?
Rob the Girl Scouts of their Cookie Sale Proceeds?
This would be an excellent baseball stadium site, the only feasible one in the city. If it doesn’t happen I’m good with a near city suburban location. Those sites beat their current location where “game day destination” development is not possible.
Any local proposed site is better for White Sox fans than the potential for their beloved relocating to another city, something that has been seriously discussed a few time in my long fandom dating back to the “Go-Go” era.
This. The park is a great game day experience – would encourage any visitors to take it in. As other posters noted, great sight lines, friendly staff, great food, easy parking and a lively tailgate experience. But no question the fact it’s wedged into neighborhoods with no prospect for commercial development knock it down a peg in our modern baseball as part of an immersive entertainment environment. Atlanta ballpark campus or Pottersville-Ricketsville it is not. But if you’re that rare baseball fan that actually goes to the park on GameDay to, I don’t know, watch a baseball game, the experience is great. If only the vibrant scenes of Pilsen and Chinatown were walking distance of the park. The new South Loop project would be much closer to everything.
Agreed. I don’t want them to leave either. I just want a better stadium. I truly miss Old Comiskey. — A Cub fan
The last thing for Sox fans is to move to a completely different state.
This is sad. They had to get a new ballpark before and it changed nothing. In spite of being in a major market, their attendance was near the bottom of the entire league. Their dwindling fanbase is sick of Reinsdorf and the lapdogs he keeps hiring in the front office.
Meanwhile, the Cubs have been in the same ballpark for over a century and have no problem selling tickets.
Jerry shoulda followed through with his threat to move the team out of Chicago. OR better yet, the fans should petition the city for new ownership, not wasting money an another ballpark that will be half empty every night.
This “franchise” has won THREE measly playoff series in over a century (all 3 were in ‘05) let that sink in. 3 playoff series wins in over a century. Their fans deserve better.
In retrospect, you are correct. I do believe the proposed suburban Addison location in the late 1980’s would have made an impact with the Chicago baseball landscape even with a continued Jerry Reinsdorf ownership in place.
Bryzzo must be a young guy, or an old guy whose long-term memory is shot.
Young or old… you really went out on a limb there, sparky.
Jog my memory for me.
If you remove 2005, how many playoff series have the White Sox won in the last 109 years? ZERO. How is that even possible? In over a century, not a single post season series win other than the 3 in 2005.
Since they opened their latest ball park in 2003(the Cell… now Guaranteed Rate whatever) they have ranked 26th in baseball in attendance. 26th?!?! In spite of playing in a major market.
The last time they convinced a stud FA in his prime to sign there was Albert(Joey) Belle over 30 F’n years ago and dude was literally crazy.
They tried to manipulate the fans by signing guys way, WAY past their prime, literally right before they retire, like Griffey, Thome, Raines, etc… hoping to trick the fans into showing up.
Pathetic.
A new ballpark changes nothing. Reinsdorf has rendered this team an embarrassing excuse for a MLB ball club and the fans are tired of lining his pockets.
Yes, Chicago is clearly a Cubs town. Just like NY is a Yankees town and L.A. is a Dodger town BUT The Mets and Angels still put competitive teams on the field, they still have good attendance, they still generate massive revenue. The difference? Their owner gives a damn about the product on the field.
I want the White Sox to be relevant, to stop being a punchline to a sad joke. It’s better for Chicago and better for MLB in general.
Young, old and everywhere in between. No Chicago sportsfan and/or MLB fan remembers when the White Sox were a relevant baseball team outside of that brief flash in the pan in ‘05. Bad before and right back to being bad right after.
How’s my memory again?
Bryzzo is a complete clown as evidenced by his handle. How many championships have his Cubbies won in 109 years? When’s the last time they were in the playoffs? How many playoff series did they win before he jumped on the bandwagon and bought his treasured Bryzzo shirsey? And the same management that citing biblical losses couldn’t even show their fans the courtesy of renewing anyone from their Bryzzo-Javy core and have also rewarded team loyalty by jettisoning Ricky Renteria and Rossy despite votes of confidence.
Bryzzo sticking his chest out as a Cub fan? Wonder what fans of the Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, Reds, Mets, Marlins, Astros, Twins and other teams that have won multiple championships think of that tomfoolery. He is one Justin Heyward lockerroom speech away from having absolutely nothing to show over a 124 year stretch. Nearly 0 for 124 in a stretch. How is that even possible? Even the Marlins and DBacks were able to win 3 in their first 12 years of existence.
He is also painfully oblivious of the fact that until 1969, there were only 2 playoff teams each season that met in something called the World Series. To quote his own buttclownish words, how is that even possible? Maybe because unlike most here who know something about the game, Bryzzo didn’t start the following the game until he bought his first Bryzzo shirsey in 2016, an investment by the way, that aged as well as the Addison Russell shirsey since then each were so amply rewarded by Cubs management for their service. If one wants a snapshot of the current Cubs GameDay experience, it’s clowns like Bryzzo with their pink Cub hats and go Cub go chants, and the likes of Catuli Carl and their, ahem, regressive social views.
Wait, you wonder what fanbases of OTHER teams think? How telling is that? You can’t even troll a team that went over a century between rings. You have to “wonder” what other fanbases think. It would be comical if it weren’t so pathetic.
Even your handle proves, like most Northwest Indiana White Sux fans, you obsess over the Cubs. I have no reference to the Sox in my handle. Hmmm…. Why? Because I worry about what my team is doing rather than praying and hoping another team fails to distract me from the sad truth that my team is an irrelevant punch line and has been for as long as anyone alive can remember.
Yes, we all know when the playoff structure started. That didn’t stop other franchises (included the Cubs) from winning multiple playoff series along their journey.
You asked, here it is… actual fact as opposed to your remedial meatball homer logic.
Just from 2015-2017 the Cubs accomplished more post season success than the White Sox since they were the Black Sox. Including 3 straight LCS and a ring in the bank. That’s 3 times as many playoff series wins in just a 3 year span than the White Sox could do in literally OVER A CENTURY. WOW!
Back another decade, they won playoff series in the early 2000’s the 80’s.
Go back as far as you want, the Cubs ACTUALLY have a winning record overall in their existence. Playoff appearances, playoff wins.
Meanwhile on the Southside…..
3 playoff series wins and all in the same year since the Black Sox. Pathetic. Almost impossibly pathetic. Even that 05’ team was a flash in the pan.
They’ve never had a hard time signing the top tier of FAs. They’ve never had attendance, ratings problems. Their owner has never whined and pouted and threatened to move the team (Tampa, Nashville) to get the fans to show up.
There’s a reason their franchise is healthy, highly profitable and nationally recognized. They don’t change their uniform and colors as some cheap marketing ploy, they don’t beg for new ballparks. They just keep drawing, keep dominating the headlines in the city and nationally for the right reasons.
Facts are facts and the FACT is that the White Sox are an embarrassment to MLB and an embarrassment to the great city of Chicago.
JR and Kenny (before he finally got canned) would complain all the time about the Cubs getting all the attention, the better national coverage, players etc… AN EXCUSE that you poor saps sucked right up. The Angels, the Mets are the 2nd team, the less popular, less successful teams in their respective market but it doesn’t stop them from getting players, putting actual MLB teams on the field, drawing at the gate and getting TV ratings. Why? Because their owners actually give a damn.
A White Sox fan shouldn’t troll ANY FANBASE not even the Kane County Cougars. Like seriously ANY fan base of ANY team in ANY sport. Even Cleveland fans are like… well, at least we aren’t White Sox fans. Again, it would be comical if it weren’t so pathetic. I get that you’re a clown, meatball Sox homer but even you can’t be that tone deaf.
So, continue to let the Cubs (Dumpster Divin Theo) live rent free in your head but at some point you’re gonna have to realize that he(Reinsdorf) just isn’t in to you. He doesn’t care if that fanbase can ever walk down Michigan Ave in a Sox hat and actually feel legitimate pride.
A White Sux troll, that’s hilarious. I woulda thought you’d see Bigfoot before that.
How about they discuss putting a decent team on the field and selling the team instead.
BINGO! THAT is the answer.
They built their current stadium in 2003 and the attendance remained the same. In spite of being in one of the largest markets in MLB, they have ranked 26th in attendance over the last 40 years.
They have one of the worst farm systems in the game and one of the worst big league rosters in the game. They have maybe two fringe all star players(currently trying to trade one of them) and then a bunch of other team’s trash.
Twice in the last 20 years they claimed to be “all in” when they traded Tatis Jr for James F’n Shields and most recently “entering their championship window” and both times they lost more games than teams actively tanking.
They FINALLY fire these clowns, Rick and Kenny and instead of interviewing up and coming FO guys from teams like ATL, LAD, Rays, etc… they hire another inexperienced, unproven, “yes man” lap dog in Getz who again was formerly in charge of development. Development of what is now considered a weak farm system that has led to an embarrassingly weak ML roster.
They’ve never been able to attract the top FA’s even if JR was willing to loosen the purse strings.
Nothing will change with this poor excuse for a professional sports franchise until JR either sells or dies.
It was opened in 1991, not 2003. They hosted the All-Star Game in 2003.
Guaranteed Rate was built way before 2003. Get your facts straight! You must be 16 years old and your parents should not allow to use the internet if you don’t know how to do your research before you comment on here. Here is a fact, if Wrigleyville did not have a numerous amount of bars in the area for party to at then the Cubs’ attendance at games will be low.
Chicago would have no problem paying for any stadium they want. All they have to do is keep raising taxes on the rest of Illinois like they’ve been doing forever.
Without Chicago, there is no Illinois.
No. Without Chicago, Illinois would be a red state and doing fine.
Politics aside, Chicago is the engine that drives Illinois. We all know this.
God Forbid! We’re Blue and we’re staying that way.
I’m not sure that’s a good thing
“Without Chicago, Illinois would be a red state and doing just fine..” Wow…. willful ignorance at its ‘best’.
I used to get up and thank God for Chicago, then I retired. Worked in that prison for 29 years.
The rest of the state is BORING!
Without Chicago, you’re Missouri (without the cool and friendky Kansas City). Ewww
Boring beats ducking.
We used to say south of I-80, Illinois is just Mississippi without the Southern Charm.
Corporate Corporation Field
It’s got a ring to it!
Those rustling sounds you hear are hands going through taxpayer pockets.
Sox are moving to Nashville.
Should have moved to Tampa, years ago. Hope they don’t make the same mistake and actually move to Nashville.
They won’t. I put that out there to tweak Sox fans. I know that the old man met with the Nashville mayor recently, but I’m guessing he’s just using them as leverage, similar to what he did with Tampa, as you poiny out.
He also knows the people trying to get an expansion team to Nashville. He and the mayor could be talking about anything.
Let that miser fleece Nashville but force him to leave the White Sox name in Chicago. then the expansion team can come to Chicago with what would likely be a group that wants to win, and will spend to do it which would be a nice change of pace.
They nearly moved to Millaukee in late 60’s.
That really is a fabulous sight for a stadium.
Does anyone think this is ignorant to ask for tax dollars to replace a 32yr old ball park? I could see a 60-70yr old stadium. Congress has to pass laws that tax dollars can’t be used to build ANY /stadiums or ball parks. Moving isn’t just pack up and go, so 99% of owners that threaten that are wind bags. These guys are billionaires so many times over. This non-sense has to stop. The Braves are in their third stadium in 30yrs. Non-sense.
Kid, I think it’s only 20 years old. I could swear it opened in 03.
Opened in 1991.
Indeed. Someone set me straight earlier in an above post lol. Thanks for the info though, Kelly!
Atlanta Fulton County Stadium was a dumpster fire of a stadium. Turner Field was a converted multi-use and sucked from day one. Truist Field is pretty awesome and its location surrounded by the Battery is a great place to watch a game. It rejuvenated the area.
Rejuvenated the area around Truist field? Wasn’t it just….a subdivision? I mean the Battery is fun, sort of the Dave and Busters of game day experiences and all. Nice to see those neon flashing tomahawks but if you passed out in your Uber and woke up in a nameless faceless hotel, would you have anything from the memory of your GameDay experience to remind you that you had visited Atlanta? Or is that Georgia these days? Clean and efficient like their airport.
What the hell you talking about? Sharing personal experiences I think. Lmao if you can’t control yourself and pass out random places, I don’t think that has anything to do with tax payers footing the bill or ball parks needing replaced every 20yrs.
This
The park itself is alright, it’s easy to get to and it has parking, so it satisfies my needs. The problem is Jerry Reinsdorf and his negligence to invest not just on the product on the field, but also into the player development aspect. The city has the means to support two MLB teams, so he can’t come crying poor, I live here, there is a very loyal White Sox fanbase that spends money. He better not threaten to leave for another town, that’s not working again.
While a move from 35th to 15th street is only 20 blocks, as you know, it’s a world of difference. Investment in that neighborhood (shops, housing, resultants/bars etc) would not only be cheaper than a new stadium but would have long term success. Jerry and BJ should be discussing that instead.
The problem is the Chairman will want Chicago or Illinois to pay for it all.. Pass. He can stay where he is at, Im guessing its almost as easy to gentrify the area around the park than it is to invest the insane amount of money for Reinsdorf’s vanity 20 blocks north..
I agree. And the Sox fan base of about 100 people or so do spend. The first game my father took me to was at the old park, that park has always been and should always be in the Bridgeport neighborhood
I’ve visited 15 of the current stadiums & agree that at best it’s middling; food & lower concourse are fine but location super sketchy. Access to the train remains crucial (& poor access from city is why Truist in Atlanta gets any bad comments). Southsiders have endured a lot & another large city possibly losing its second team is not something I’d cheer for. The ‘Rate’ has a good decade of life left IMO, and will outlive the owner.
I hope so.
Location not super sketchy. It was in the past, but as previous commentator noted, much different from when loudmouth sports personality Bill Simonson got beat up by neighborhood kids in the 80s: million dollar real estate in Bridgeport, Bronzeville, Pilsen and Chinatown.
It looks like the proposed site is a number of blocks away from the local trains, which is unfortunate. Metra skirts the land, so maybe there is a possibility there.
Clark is just a few blocks from a major El station at Roosevelt, serviced by 3 separate lines.
Ballpark seemed just fine when I was there in 2015. Much better than the Angels stadium.
With decent management it should still be fine.
I went to old Comisky as a kid. Never been to “new” Comisky. Now the White Sox are looking at a third stadium in my lifetime. Contrast that with the A’s and the broken down Coliseum. That makes their move to Vegas more understandable.
What if they make the new stadium like Old Comiskey. Would you come back?
When people say it would be a good location, they mean it’d be safer, so they would feel more comfortable going to the games.
Getting closer to the loop will help broaden tourist visits, making it more marketable. The cost is moving it away from the south side.
AZ D’Backs have been talking behind closed doors for either a new ballpark or remodeling Chase field. So, expect the D’Backs to be in the stadium news soon.
An Arlington Heights ballpark makes more sense than building in the proposed location. If people think the current Guaranteed Rate location sucks… take a look at the “78” real estate!
Yeah, the real issue is no one is going to bend over backward like Thompson did for The Chairman’s sweetheart stadium deal back in the late 80’s. Same with McCaskeys, the Billionaires can pay for their own damn stadium. The Bears already learned that when Arlington Heights said ‘wait, we will have increased traffic, crime, and strain on our resources for our community, AND we need to pay for this?!’.
The problem is not the current Sox park, its the dilapidated owner that needs replacing.
Having grown up as a Cub fan in Arlington Hts, and then switching allegiances to the Sox after the tomfoolery of the Cubs game day experience (giving up Cub season tickets), a move to the suburbs would be awesome. Baseball fandom full circle!
I’ve never been to Comiskey Park. If the white Sox get a new stadium I’ll probably have to wait for the new Comiskey to be built.
Illinois doesn’t mind raising taxes, especially for Chicago. And the fact that it’s for the states 3rd favorite team makes it even better.
I have an idea for a farewell party: they should bring back Disco Demolition Night. What could possibly go wrong?
Remaining competitive? You have to become competitive before you can remain competitive. Is Jerry Reinsdorf that far out of touch that he thinks that hot garbage of a team is competitive? What a joke. The White Sox have such a sweetheart deal with the Illinois Sports Authority with the revenue they get to keep. Plus the state built them a bar across the street where the Sox get 100% of the revenue. They aren’t going anywhere, it’s Jerry’s way to get an even better deal
The Chairman is at that age where the alternate reality is slipping in, I think. I doubt anyone buys his crap anymore. How he’ll leave, oh really? there is the door, by the way, you cannot take the name either. Let him be some other suffering sport fans problem.
I think most Sox fans would like an owner that would invest in the team, ballpark, area around the ballpark, and want to win.
Exactly. Winning a measly THREE playoff series(all three in ‘05) over the last 109 YEARS?!? THREE playoff series wins in well over a century is not exactly what one would consider “competitive”.
This team has been and will continue to be the punchline to a really sad joke until Reinsdorf either sells or dies.
Rinse repeat Cubs how many titles in 109 years, rinse repeat. How’s that Bryzzo 2016 shirsey working for ya? Big hit with the ladies?
White Sox won 2 World Series since 1917. Cubs 1 since 1906.
But the Cubs won 1 since Bryzzo bought his shirsey.
Wrong.
Arguably the most underrated stadium/ownership/fanbase/city/sports team in the entire country. You can ask anybody.
Put a retractable roof on it!!!!!
Yes, invest in the neighborhood, the stadium is in good shape. Jerry’s being a nuisance.
If the mayor of Nashville is dumb enough to want the ‘Chairman’s’ org, let him, but they cannot take the Sox name, force Reinsdorf to leave it with Chicago. Meanwhile the city of Chicago can attract another team or get one via Expansion that Nashville wants, and likely an owner who then wants to win on the Southside and will put money into the team and org to do it, and not just constantly fish around the bottom of the barrel like the current clown does ( and already have a Stadium as well).. Get an owner like Ricketts, who will not only build a winning team but gentrify the area around the stadium too.
As for the current stadium being ‘bad’. It is not, its not falling apart, and it has good parking and they are constantly improving on it. If you have a team that is consistently good you have fans show up. Simple as that. The problem is with the current White Sox owner, that is lacking with an urgent need for renovation/replacement
8th oldest stadium in mlb. White Sox lease w/ isfa runs to 2029. If angling for public money similar constraints that the Bears are running from will certainly apply. Reisndorf turns 88 in 38 days. This will not happen under his stewardship (I use this term loosely).
Build a Wrigley Field 2.0.
Or Old Comiskey 2.0. Let them keep their unique character.
Here’s when the billionaire owners hold a fan base ransom until the get billions of $.
I’m not surprised they’re bringing this up before Nashville and Portland get their teams
Yes those terrible people who have a billion dollars spend all day thinking of ways to exploit the players and fans. They must have stolen every cent.
I never said anything like that.
You’re okay with these MLB owners holding teams ransom for tax payer funds? Most fans I know are fed up with how these billionaires rip everyone off and keep raising prices.
What kind of username is baseball team? What team do you root for? Your username is one of the worst choices I’ve ever seen on this website. You have to be a troll account or bot right?
It’s Cubs town, go away!
1. The stadium isn’t terribly old and is in a good state of repair.
2. The stadium has been heavily upgraded through frequent renovations and is generally considered a good venue by people who’ve actually attended games here recently.
3. The ownership is highly unpopular, seen as incompetent, and the franchise has performed poorly for many years.
4. Chicago already has another baseball team.
5. There are 6 years left on their lease.
Chances of a significant amount of public money being coughed up for the White Sox seems highly improbable, and I expect the ownership knows it. That’s not going to stop them from poking around or starting their campaign to get free money.
They are definitely the red headed step kids to the Cubs in Chicago. The numbers simply don’t lie BUT that’s not an excuse. It’s the 3rd/4th largest market in the country. Just like the Mets and Angels are capable of putting a decent product on the field and have great revenue, so can the White Sox. It comes down to ownership. If the White Sox had even a decent product to present, I bet the city would back them for a new park.
The biggest issue is that they averaged a sad 26th in attendance for the 20 years BEFORE they got their new ball park in 1991. In the 30+ years since, their attendance still comes in at 26th.
How can the city justify the expense with small market revenue data?
It’s not the ballpark, it’s not the location of the ballpark. It’s the team… more specifically the owner. Currently they have a bad farm system and an even worse big league roster. They’ve never been able to attract top free agents and the man that was in charge of “developing” this crap farm system that graduated to a crap big league roster was just promoted to GM. Nothing has changed, nothing will change. Switching up the geography is like adjusting the deck chairs on the Titanic before it hits the iceberg. What’s left of their fanbase deserve so much better.
Their farm system is ranked #18 I believe.
Looks like someone is obsessed with the White Sox. Poor sap. Maybe he can sell the Bryzzo shirsey which should fetch since its a collectors edition and finally move out of t
Auntie Ems bungalow
I grew up very close to there park. The inner city suck over there now crime crime crime. The loop won’t help until they the mayor stops the crime and puts these punks in jail 40 years inner city Chicago I lived Southside hitmen but I was born a cubs fans
Theyd be better off moving to another state if that was the case. Start fresh. Change the name. Maybe the nightmares will stop for those who witnessed the Ligue’s – Gamboa beatdown. Truly the most uneducated fan base in all of baseball dont deserve a team
Mlb won’t allow the Sox to move to Nashville unless this stadium project/plan fails.
This is a brilliant diversion. The current Sox owners will sell the team and the new owners will build a new park in the suburbs.
Ah! More free money — socialism for a few rich guys — thrown around in another blackmail scam. If taxpayers pay for new stadiums and all the other infrastructure that goes with it they should own it all. No need for a couple of corrupt guys to get free cash while taxpayers own nothing for their money. Fans/cities/regions should own the teams they pay for. O’s used to be fan-owned, Packers are, many soccer teams are. Let’s stop socialism for the few!
Thank God. Their current abomination since 1991 has been the ugliest ballpark in baseball, and it was blasphemous to initially call it “Comiskey Park”. There’s only ONE Comiskey Park and it died in 1990, sadly. Their proposed new location is an amazing one near downtown. Hopefully it happens. Fingers crossed. — Sincerely… a Cubs fan.
People forget that GRF looks at Indiana and not downtown Chicago. Reinsdorf is spitful even when he got the state $$$$.
While I love the idea of the 78. Let us not forget were talking about an owner who has never provided a $100MM contract and highest paid player EVER is Andrew Benintendi!!!!
Good idea if reinsdorf is paying not tax payers.ungrateful owner to team fans.
So funny these teams think 20,30, 40 years is time to replace stadiums now-adays let them pay for entire cost then
Adams remains clueless with commas. “Meanwhile” can’t come in the middle of a sentence, set off by commas. It has to START the sentence.